Past Projects
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
Short-term Mapping Projects
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. Specific information presented in the plans includes: tree density and regeneration, presence of snags and coarse woody debris, structure and abundance of shrubs and herbaceous plants, and invasive species locations and extents. This information will help the City of Shoreline develop a comprehensive plan to guide the management and restoration of their community forests. These plans will be available on the SUN website after they are reviewed by the City staff and Council in late May 2008.
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 and Seattle Department of Neighborhoods
SUN provided assistance to the Friends of Madrona Woods creek daylighting project. Madrona Park Creek was diverted into a drain partway through its natural course. The original streambed below the drain remained an undeveloped area in the north end of Madrona Park. The group recognized a unique opportunity to restore an urban creek from its source to its outflow, a first for the city of Seattle. In a joint effort between the local citizens of Madrona Woods neighborhood, Peggy Gaynor, and the City of Seattle, the creek has now been rescued from the drain and once again allowed to run its natural course into the shallow waters of Lake Washington. The mouth of the newly diverted creek has been transformed into a nearshore estuary. This wetland cove creates a rare oasis of cold-water fish and wildlife habitat in an otherwise urbanized setting.
The Friends of Madrona Woods recognized the need for evaluating their project work over time and partnered with SUN to 1) collect baseline vegetation information for the site and 2) establish a long-term monitoring plan. SUN documented the current pre-construction condition of the ravine and will establish monitoring protocols following construction and revegetation. These efforts will provide the Friends of Madrona Woods with the means to compare and evaluate the changes to vegetation in the project area during and after the daylighting process. This exercise also helps the group to meet grant requirements for monitoring. For more information on the Madrona Park Creek daylighting project, see the Friends of Madrona creek website at www.madronawoods.org.
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 have recently 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 restoration projects, 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 plan are available through the Washington Native Plant Society Website.
2006
EarthCorps stream evaluation and training
King County and the Natrional 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.
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 and 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 five hundred 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. The maps can be seen on our website by clicking here. 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 the City of Seattle Parks Department. 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.
