From Andrea Faste, Board President

Groundswell NW Events

Sun, 09/19: Salmon Bay Natural Area Workparty

Please join us to clean up and weed the Salmon Bay Natural Area and surrounding stretches of the Burke Gilman Trail and NW 54th St. We'll provide tools and refreshments - bring work clothes and gloves.

Other Events

Sat, 09/04: Spokepeople Ride to Ballard Corners Park

Spokespeople will ride to Ballard Corners Park starting from the Wallingford Playfield at 2 p.m. This sweet park on 17th NW between NW 62nd and NW 63th is furnished with a concrete "living room" couch, chair, lamp and tables. This will be a relatively easy ride but a bit longer than usual, and you are always welcome to walk any hills you cannot ride. Spokespeople Ride Leader Michael Snyder and Kathi Hull will be along on the ride. Jim Mathieu will also co-lead this ride.

Spokespeople rides leave at 2 p.m. from the SOUTH end of Wallingford Playfield (at Densmore and N 42nd) on the first Saturday of every month and ride on the road to an adjacent urban center. New riders are welcome -- in fact, getting new riders on the road is the reason we do the rides! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE come no later than 1:45 if you are new to riding on the road, new to riding in groups, or if you need any help with adjusting your helmet or bike. Please also call a day in advance if you'd like to buy a good quality helmet from us for $10 and we'll bring our sack of helmets. Helmets are required on our rides. If there is heavy rain, we won't do the ride.

Only heavy rain will cancel the ride. Give a call if you plan to come and don’t know if the ride is on. Expert commuters, please join us. As our rides grow larger, we welcome good bicyclists who can offer encouragement and model good road riding techniques for new, returning and reluctant cyclists. This is a Bike Smart Seattle ride. All ages and skill levels are welcome. All Spokespeople rides are led by Cascade Bicycle Club certified ride leaders.

Sat, 09/04: Sustainable Ballard's 2nd Annual Golden Gardens End of Summer Party

Sat, 09/11: Upper Golden Gardens Workparty

Sat, 09/11: Crown Hill Tree Walk

Sat, 09/11: Small Faces Playground Dedication

On Sept 11th at 11am - Small Faces will dedicate their new playground, followed by a 35th anniversary celebration.

Sept 11th, 9am - meet at the corner of 13th Ave NW and NW 95th for the Crown Hill Tree Walk.

Sat, 09/18: Festival of Fruit at Carkeek Park

Join the Friends of Piper's Orchard, Seattle Tree Fruit Society, City Fruit, Seattle Parks and Recreation, and Carkeek Park Advisory Committee on Saturday, September 18 for the 4th annual Festival of Fruit, a harvest celebration. The festival takes place at the park, 950 NW Carkeek Park Rd., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Festival highlights include:

• Dr. Bob Norton speaking on making hard and soft cider, as well as other presentations on non-toxic pest management, orchard history, permaculture and viticulture.
• Pie baking contest: bring a home-baked pie to enter in the pie contest. Judging starts at 10 a.m.
• Sample fresh-pressed cider.
• Café offering pies and cider.
• Visit the historic 119 year-old orchard.

For detailed schedule information, please visit the web at www.pipersorchard.org or email pipersorchard@gmail.com.

Tue, 09/21: Urban Forestry Open House

The City of Seattle will be hosting an Urban Forestry Open House.  The Open House is an opportunity to hear about all of the City’s efforts to expand and enhance Seattle’s urban forest, including proposals to revise existing regulations for private property and street trees.  City staff will provide an overview of the City’s existing policy, programs, and resources as well as the specific regulatory proposals being considered.  Staff from the Office of Sustainability and Environment, Dept of Planning and Development, Dept of Transportation, Parks, Public Utilities, and City Light will be available to answer questions, connect citizens with programs, and take comments on the proposals.

For more information on city-wide tree efforts and the Urban Forest Management Plan, go to: www.seattle.gov/trees/.  

For more information about DPD’s Tree Regulations Update process, go to: www.seattle.gov/dpd/planning/trees/.

Thu, 09/23: Wild & Scenic Film Festival

The Wild and Scenic Film Festival is coming to Seattle with local habitat restoration and stewardship organization, Friends of the Cedar River Watershed (FCRW). We will feature a series of short and long films highlighting nature, activism, wild places and wild people. The Friends will also feature a short of our latest project, the Watershed Report.

The Wild and Scenic as told by the festival producers: "By taking the Wild and Scenic Film Festival on tour, we empower it to become larger than itself and realize its social obligation to bring the message of these films to a larger audience. Film is a powerful medium and is a common ground that everyone enjoys. When placed in this setting, environmentally conscious films can foster an open forum where people of different opinions can start finding solutions." Wild and Scenic, 2010

Tickets: $8-$25

Fri, 09/24: Wild & Scenic Film Festival

The Wild and Scenic Film Festival is coming to Seattle with local habitat restoration and stewardship organization, Friends of the Cedar River Watershed (FCRW). We will feature a series of short and long films highlighting nature, activism, wild places and wild people. The Friends will also feature a short of our latest project, the Watershed Report.

The Wild and Scenic as told by the festival producers: "By taking the Wild and Scenic Film Festival on tour, we empower it to become larger than itself and realize its social obligation to bring the message of these films to a larger audience. Film is a powerful medium and is a common ground that everyone enjoys. When placed in this setting, environmentally conscious films can foster an open forum where people of different opinions can start finding solutions." Wild and Scenic, 2010

Tickets: $8-$25

Sat, 09/25: Mayor's Walking Tour of Crown Hill

Sat, 10/02: Crown Hill Glen Work Party

Friends of Crown Hill Glen are planning a work party in the park on Saturday, October 2, from 10:00 AM, until 3 PM.  The park is located at NW 89th Street and 19th Avenue NW.

We will remove invasive weeds; help provide wildlife habitat; and, provide sight-lines in the the park through pruning, in order to improve public safety.  Call Joyce Ford (206) 789-1394 for more information. Or email joyce.ford@juno.com.