Past Projects
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
Short-term Mapping Projects
2008
City of Bellevue forest assessment model
In 2008, SUN and the City of Bellevue assessed the health and condition of over 700 acres of the city's forested open space for seven management categories including forest health, wildlife habitat, water quality, air quality, recreation, public safety and noise and visual buffering. In collaboration with the city, SUN developed a Forest Condition Asssessment Model (FCAM) which divides Bellevue's parks into units of unique forest types and gathers information for each forest type located within a park. Using this model, it is possible to address any number of management concerns such as the location of conifer forests that provide good wildlife habitat throughout the city, or the location of areas with very high levels of regenerating invasive trees, etc.
Daybreak Star Cultural Center vegetation survey & mapping
The Daybreak Star Cultural Center and associated natural areas are an important resource for Native Americans throughout the Puget Sound region. Located in Discovery Park, the nearly 20 acre property contains a variety of forested and wetland habitats. During 2008, SUN partnered with the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation (UIATF) to survey, map, and inventory the natural areas present on the property with support from a King Conservation District grant. SUN identified eight management zones to help facilitate restoration efforts throughout the property. In addition, SUN provided specific recommendations for each zone as well as a timeline for short, medium and long-term restoration priorities.
Green Footprints Action Works (GFAW) mapping project
Green Footprints Action Works and Seattle Department of Neighborhoods
Educating neighbors in the Madison Valley about the importance of urban forests is one of the roles SUN plays in our advisory capacity to the GFAW project. GFAW promotes a vision of sustainable, safe and connected neighborhoods in Seattle, and encourages all Seattle residents to consider our collective role as stewards of private and public land within the city. The project area includes the hillside community of 2,520 residents bordering Washington Park Arboretum to the west.
In October 2007, GFAW received a grant from the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods to construct ecological resource maps of the neighborhood and identify opportunities throughout the area to improve their green infrastructure. The maps will help the community identify future neighborhood projects and create a neighborhood action plan. SUN, in partnership with the Seattle Audubon Society, is excited to be involved in this unique community project! To learn more about the GFAW project, visit www.greenfootprintsactionworks.org.
Green Seattle Partnership (GSP) restoration monitoring
Seattle Parks & Recreation
During 2008, SUN continued our multi-faceted work with Seattle Parks & Recreation to conduct vegetation monitoring of GSP sites, host the GSP sites on our Interactive Habitat Map, and develop a scientific study to analyze invasive tree control methods in Seattle parks. In conjunction with the 15 GSP sites SUN sampled in 2007, 10 additional sites were entered into the monitoring program. SUN also provided a monitoring workshop for Washington Native Plant Society's (WNPS) Native Plant Stewards so additional monitoring of GSP sites can occur throughout the city.
Hamlin Park revegetation study
City of Shoreline Parks & Recreation
In 2007, SUN conducted an inventory of Hamlin Park for the City of Shoreline. During the survey, SUN ecologists mapped 12 habitats within the park ranging from developed areas and shrublands to conifer and madrone forests. One of the most interesting findings is that 15 acres of the park consist of a forest type known as “conifer without understory.” This forest, located within the central matrix of the park, has a dense overstory canopy composed mostly of western hemlock trees with smaller amounts of Douglas fir, western red cedar and western white pine. However, aside from the trees, these areas are completely bare, containing no shrubs, regenerating trees or any type of understory vegetation. Click here to read the Hamlin Park Vegetation Management Plan.
The City of Shoreline is concerned about this unusual situation, and asked SUN to design a revegetation study of the area. In March of 2008, SUN ecologists established six experimental plots throughout the park (one in each bare area) using three different soil treatments and various native plant species. We also conducted baseline monitoring of each plot prior to treatment installation and will monitor the plots over the next two growing seasons. At the end of that time, we hope to have a good sense of which treatments are effective and which plant species are the most successful. We also hope to determine whether heavy foot traffic in the park is affecting understory growth. This information will allow the City of Shoreline to expand the planted areas and establish more “understory islands” throughout the park.
Juanita Bay Park vegetation survey & mapping
City of Kirkland
Juanita Bay Park is a 135 acre natural area consisting of a wetland and forest mosaic, located near downtown Kirkland. The park is an important recreation destination within the city and provides vital wetland habitat for many species of wildlife. During 2008, SUN mapped invasive species within the wetland portion of the park and created an “action plan” for a restoration project that the City of Kirkland would like to implement in 2009. To read the full action plan, click here. We are excited about this opportunity to help make a visible difference in an important and well-visited park.
Pioneer Park survey design & mapping
City of Mercer Island
During the summer of 2008, SUN embarked on a project with the City of Mercer Island at Pioneer Park. SUN helped design a vegetation study to quantify the current conditions and forest health within the park and to gauge the effectiveness of past restoration activities. SUN ecologists then conducted a training session for Mercer Island staff on using sampling protocols, data collection, etc., and assisted with data analysis and reporting.
SUN's Citywide Habitat Assessment (CHA)
In 2005, SUN established long-term monitoring plots in two of Seattle's eight forest types, the beginning of a process by which SUN hopes to assess current conditions of Seattle's forests. Staff initially focused on mixed conifer-decidous and mixed conifer-madrone forests, and composed an interim report on the condition of these forest types. During 2008, SUN ecologists analyzed data collected in Seattle's madrone forests, and released "The State of Seattle's Madrone Forests." SUN would like to thank the Bullitt Foundation for helping to support this effort. For more details on this project, see our Citywide Habitat Assessment page.
2007
City of Shoreline habitat assessment
City of Shoreline Parks & Recreation
In 2007, SUN surveyed four parks in the City of Shoreline, including South Woods (16 acres), Hamlin Park (80 acres) and Boeing Creek Park and Shoreview Park (88 acres) (which are connected and were surveyed together). SUN mapped habitats and invasive species, surveyed vegetation, analyzed data and wrote vegetation management plans (VMPs) for each park. This information will help the City of Shoreline develop a comprehensive plan to guide the management and restoration of their community forests. For more information on this project, see our City of Shoreline project page.
Green Seattle Partnership (GSP) restoration monitoring and invasive tree reports
Seattle Parks & Recreation
In 2007, SUN worked with Seattle Parks & Recreation (SPR) to monitor 10% of the Green Seattle Partnership (GSP) restoration sites found throughout the city. These data provide a comprehensive baseline for both SPR and site stewards, and enable the GSP program to evaluate how well restoration and management goals are being achieved. As part of this project, SUN is hosting the locations of all GSP sites on our On-line Interactive Habitat Map.
Additionally, SUN developed a comprehensive report for SPR analyzing the distribution of English holly (Ilex aquifolium) and cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) commonly found invading our parks and natural areas. The report was requested to help prioritize SPR's eradication efforts and used SUN’s 1999-2000 habitat survey data.
Madrona Woods survey
Friends of Madrona Woods
In 2006, prior to an innovative daylighting project in Madrona Woods, SUN provided assistance to the Friends of Madrona Woods to meet their grant reporting and monitoring requirements. In 2007, SUN conducted a baseline vegetation survey and created a long-term monitoring plan for the community. After the completion of project construction and planting, SUN conducted a vegetation monitoring training for park stewards. To learn more about the project and to download the report, please see the Madrona Woods project webpage.
Shadow Lake Bog vegetation assessment
SHADOW (Save Habitat and Diversity of Wetlands)
During 2007, SUN conducted an inventory of Shadow Lake Bog in Renton, WA. This unique private preserve is managed by SHADOW (Save Habitat and Diversity of Wetlands), a non-profit organization that was formed in 2000. With field work complete in late 2007, SUN ecologists analyzed the data and composed a vegetation management plan (VMP) for the property. SUN hopes that the information presented in this plan will help SHADOW prioritize the management and restoration activities of Shadow Lake Bog and can be used to help educate and inspire the future stewards of our urban natural areas.
Starflower Foundation restoration monitoring
Starflower Foundation
The Starflower Foundation spent the last ten years implementing some of the most intensive and complicated restoration projects ever undertaken in Seattle. Founded by SUN's founder Ann Lennartz, Starflower Foundation conducted restoration projects in Pritchard Beach Park, Roxhill Park, Greg Davis Park, Colman Park and Genesee Meadow in Seattle, among others. They spent a number of years working with community Adopt-a-Park groups to restore and maintain these important projects on public lands in Seattle.
At the end of 2007, Starflower Foundation closed its doors and ceased to maintain these projects. To document these efforts, SUN teamed up with Starflower in 2007 to conduct inventories of vegetation present in each park. The goal was to create a comprehensive baseline inventory of the sites using repeatable scientific methods, which will allow for future comparisons of species diversity and abundance in the parks. Vegetation management plans for each park contain the results of the surveys, comprehensive lists of species planted and seeded in each area of the park, documentation of restoration activities, and methods and management recommendations to guide future stewardship of these areas. These plans are available through the Washington Native Plant Society Website.
2006
EarthCorps stream evaluation and training
King County and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Seattle Urban Nature completed an exciting and innovative contract with EarthCorps to plan and implement a monitoring program for 10 recently restored project sites. The sites, funded by the Community Salmon Fund Program - a joint effort between King County and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation - were selected to represent a wide variety of project objectives, from replanting riparian vegetation to removing fish passage barriers. All sites were located in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties in Western Washington. The overall goal of this project was to collect baseline data about stream and vegetation conditions on all project sites.
SUN ecologists Ella Elman and Nelson Salisbury developed monitoring protocols to measure a range of ecological variables for in-stream and vegetation parameters. These included: Geomorphology (the size, shape and physical condition of the stream channel), substrate composition (size and proportion of sand, pebbles and cobbles on the stream bottom), in-stream habitat (number and size of glides, pools and riffles in the stream), water flow and temperature, stream bank stability, large woody debris (LWD), tree density and understory vegetation, and snags and coarse woody debris (CWD).
They then conducted classroom and field training in these methods for a six-member EarthCorps crew composed of four international and two U.S. members. Ella and Nelson supervised the EarthCorps crew during September and October 2006 field data collection. Click here to view a complete report summarizing the results of this study.
Licton Springs vegetation management plan (VMP)
Friends of Licton Spring and Seattle Department of Neighborhoods
SUN worked with the Friends of Licton Springs to update the Vegetation Management Plan for Licton Springs, a small park in North Seattle. This project was made possible through a Small & Simple Grant from the Seattle Department of Neigbhorhoods. SUN surveyed current conditions, documented past restoration efforts and provided guidance for future action at the park. For more information about this project see our Licton Springs Project page.
Survey of landscaped parcels
Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT)
In 2006, SUN worked with the Seattle Department of Transportation to survey over 500 landscaped parcels throughout the city. This survey helped the agency to better manage their maintenance of vegetation on right-of-ways throughout the city. The survey also identified areas of invasive species such as ivy. The database created from this effort is being used to help assign work orders, estimate costs, and establish vegetation management priorities.
2005
Deadhorse Canyon vegetation assessment
Friends of Deadhorse Canyon
Through a grant from the Natural Resources Stewardship Network, SUN surveyed Deadhorse Canyon, developed a vegetation management plan, and provided community outreach for the Friends of Deadhorse Canyon. See the Deadhorse Canyon Project Page for additional details.
Llandover Woods vegetation assessment
Friends of Llandover Woods
SUN worked with the Friends of Llandover Woods in 2005 to survey and map a 10 acre forested park in Northwest Seattle. SUN produced a vegetation management plan for the Friends, and helped them to set up long-term monitoring in the area. This project was funded with a Small & Simple grant from the City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. For additional details, see our Llandover Woods project page.
2004
Seward Park vegetation management plan (VMP)
City of Seattle
SUN Staff surveyed and mapped Seward Park for Seattle Parks and Recreation. The information gathered was used in support of the Seward Park Vegetation Management Plan.
Woodland Park vegetation management plan (VMP)
City of Seattle
SUN collaborated with professional arborists, landscape architects, and land use planners to survey Woodland Park for the City of Seattle. The major focus of this project was the identification of “risk” trees throughout Woodland Park.
Lake People (Xacua'bs) Park (2007)
SUN partnered with the Seattle Parks Foundation to create a set of maps for a park in North Rainier valley. The park is named for the Xacua'bs (Lake People), ancestors of the Duwamish, the first people to live in the area. The maps will be incorporated into the maintenance plan to help guide the restoration and management of the parks natural areas. In addition to creating the maps, SUN ecologists reviewed, edited, and commented on portions of the maintenance plan document. For more information or to attend an upcoming work party, see the Seattle Parks Foundation website.
Duwamish River Greenbelt Mapping (2005-2007)
The Nature Consortium
SUN has been working with The Nature Consortium, a group operating in the West Duwamish Greenbelt to help identify the size of their restoration project through GIS and to provide them with working maps of the area. SUN mapped the extent and locations of invasive species within The Nature Consortium’s project boundary, enabling them to prioritize their efforts and to track and document their progress over time.
GPS/GIS Training, Spartina Map (2005)
People for Puget Sound
SUN assisted People for Puget Sound in their mission to rid the Sound of spartina, an invasive aquatic weed. SUN trained People for Puget Sound staff in the use of global positioning system units, as well as methods of post-processing data. SUN also created spartina monitoring maps for PPS.
Kiwanis Ravine Maps (2005, 2007)
Heron Habitat Helpers
In 2004, SUN assisted Heron Habitat Helpers by delineating project boundaries for restoration within Kiwanis Ravine. This insured that the group did not encroach on private property in planning their site recovery. In 2005, SUN produced two maps for Heron Habitat Helpers that show resources in the region of the park.
Interlaken Map (2005)
Seattle Parks & Recreation, Earthcorps
SUN created a map of the Interlaken Park trail system in support of Earthcorps and Seattle Parks & Recreation. Earthcorps is working with Parks to reduce the trail erosion in the park.
Bike Trail Mapping (2004)
Friends of Seattle’s Olmsted Parks
SUN worked with Friends of Seattle’s Olmsted Parks (FSOP) to develop four bicycle maps, which focus on Olmsted parks throughout the city. With the new maps, which will be downloadable from the FSOP website, people will be able to plan an enjoyable bike outing through the Olmsted Parks. For more information, click here.
Gold Creek Park 
Resource Inventory (2004)
Boys and Girls Club of King County
SUN provided an inventory of the vegetation at Gold Creek Park and identified management issues in order to help the Boys & Girls Club with their stewardship activities. SUN also developed and directed science-based educational activities designed to introduce concepts of ecology and GIS mapping to Boys and Girls Club youth visiting the park. See the Gold Creek project page for additional details.
