Madrona Woods Vegetation Inventory and Monitoring
Friends of Madrona Woods
Madrona Woods is a nine acre open space on the northern boundary of Madrona Park in central Seattle. This forested ravine is home to a stream and surrounding wetlands that used to flow into Lake Washington. The Friends of Madrona Woods have been active in restoring this ravine for over 10 years. As part of their monthly work parties, they have removed many invasive species, replanted native species, created and maintained trails and involved other community groups in their efforts.
In 2006, the Friends of Madrona Woods received grants from the Seattle Public Utilities Aquatic Habitat Matching Grant Program, King County Waterworks, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the King County Council and other organizationsto daylight the creek and create an estuary on the shores of Lake Washington. The project has re-connected the stream to its headwaters, restored the stream bed and allows it to once again flow into Lake Washington. The mouth of the newly diverted creek, which for many years was a grass, has begun to transform into a nearshore estuary. This wetland cove will create a rare pocket of cold-water fish and wildlife habitat in an otherwise urbanized setting.
SUN supporters John Foster and Geoff
Seymour
help plant a newly daylighted pond at a Friends of Madrona Woods work party
To monitor progress and meet grant requirements, Seattle Urban Nature (SUN) was contracted to collect baseline vegetation information on the site prior to project construction and installation. In 2008, after the project was completed and planted, created a long-term monitoring plan for the Friends of Madrona Woods that will be implemented by members of the group in conjunction with high school students and other community members. SUN has established 14 permanent monitoring plots in the shoreline, riparian and upland restoration areas and has trained the Friends of Madrona Woods to implement the monitoring protocols. These efforts will provide the Friends of Madrona Woods with the means to evaluate and track the changes to vegetation in restored areas after the daylighting process.
Download the Vegetation Inventory and Monitoring Report
SUN has created maps (located in the report) showing the habitat types, monitoring plots and delineated management zones within the project area to allow the Friends of Madrona Woods to plan and communicate effectively about restoration areas. The report also presents results of the baseline vegetation inventory, conducted in 2006, and monitoring protocols and field forms for vegetation monitoring.
Madrona Woods 2006 Baseline Vegetation Survey and Monitoring Protocols
