Reconnaissance Tour 2012
Every year we try to get in a tour of the ravine to see how things are going. This year we were looking for Garlic Mustard infestations and checking GPS transects.
  
We were mostly focused on finding and documenting GPS transects that had been established by EarthCorps a few years ago. Karen Peterson lost one of her boots in the muck, and we all picked up garbage that had been left behind by others, but we all had a great time! This year we entered by the pedestrian bridge over the railroad, worked our way up the valley to the confluence, and then climbed out by KRO. The trek from the confluence to KRO was VERY tough going!
 
No more name confusion!
Because of its history, Kiwanis Ravine has had more than one name, depending on where you stood in the ravine, and that has been confusing over the years. Part was Kiwanis Ravine Park, and another was Kiwanis Memorial Preserve. The Seattle Parks Department has finally ruled and given the whole park one name. It will now be known as Kiwanis Memorial Preserve Park. Let's hear it for simplicity!
New Changes to the Heron Camera system
You might know that contract workers mistakenly cut the cables to our heroncams about a year and a half ago. To protect against this happening again, electrical conduit was installed on Saturday, January 28th. Olympia Systems and Canopy Conservation did a fine job!
 
Recent Board and Actives Meeting Jan 10th
At our recent Board meeting, we met at the home of Marla Master and discussed a long agenda. After the formalities, we discussed updating our 5 Year Strategic Plan. We hope to get a grant to hire a facilitator, but if we are unsuccessful, we'll probably just get together ourselves. We also talked about pursuing a grant to improve the viewing of the herons. Currently there are nests at Commodore Park and the two heroncams. One of the two cameras has had problems, and we are considering the possibility of a third camera as well as the possibility of creating view corridors in the trees. Both options are controversial, so we will be doing more research before making any commitments. We are also hoping to formalize a new Volunteer Agreement with Parks that would establish our rights and responsibilities. We have long sought this agreement, so we're pretty excited.
Kiwanis Ravine now has an official name: Kiwanis Memorial Preserve Park. There used to be two names, depending on where you were standing in the park. Now there is only one!
Saturday, March 3rd is our upcoming Annual Meeting, where we will discuss accomplishments in 2011, possibilities for 2012, and elect new Board members for the next few years. Mark your calendar and save the date! Also, it's time to renew your membership for 2012! Check out the Membership Page.
EarthCorps our Main Partner in Hosting Large Work Parties
With the help of the Seattle Park Levy of 2009, EarthCorps has become our main partner in conducting large work parties to restore and maintain our properties on the shoulders of Kiwanis Ravine Park. They recruit from large organizations and muster between 30 and 60 volunteers for special occasions like Martin Luther King Day, Earth Day, Seattle Works, Day of Caring, and Green Seattle Day. The larger groups can really make a huge impact.
Last Saturday was Green Seattle Day. EarthCorps volunteers from the King County Detention Center came and worked their hearts out for about 4 hours. They accomplished so much! Thank you everyone.
New plan to help the neighbor Ospreys
The local osprey family that has been making their summer home on the top of the railroad bridge has caught the notice of the Parks department and HHH, as well as Burlington Northern. The birds have built a next each spring, raised a family and then departed. Burlington Northern would rather the birds find a new nesting site. They are working with Parks and HHH to try to arrange an alternative nesting site. Plans are being made to construct a nearby nesting tower in Commodore Park. Funding is tight, so any help that you could offer would be welcome. Contact Barb DeCaro in Parks.
2nd Saturday Small Work Parties
Come have fun doing restoration maintenance at our three sites: Wildlife Corridor (KWC), Overlook (KRO), and Stevens (KRS). If you are a garden lover, a Nature lover, or a native plant enthusiast, or if you just like to get your hands working in the dirt, please contact Scott Luchessa at 284-8052 or sluchessa@Envirocorp.com. In general, we will host small work parties at one or two properties on the 2nd Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to noon, from February through November. We will send out an email reminder invitation about one week ahead of time, and we'd love to see you!
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