From Catherine Darley, Board President

Groundswell NW Events

Wed, 09/21: Friends of Kirke Park Meeting

The Friends of Kirke Park will have their next meeting on Wednesday, September 21st.  We will receive an update (email or in person) from Kelly Goold of Parks and see if we can hold another Holly Sale.

Sat, 09/24: Bikes Around Ballard

September 24 is an international day to MOVE beyond fossil fuel.

The Bike Share Group presents "Bikes Around Ballard" - a day to have fun and explore bicycling around Ballard, with help from Groundswell NW and Sustainable Ballard. The day will kick off with a bike tour of Ballard open spaces starting at 9am from Baker Park on Crown Hill, 8347 14th Ave NW. Join us there, or enroute at any of the stops along the tour below (times approximate). Come early to chat about the Ballard bike share project. We'll provide coffee and treats at 8:30 am. Here's a schedule of tour stops:

• Kirke Park, 9th Ave NW between 70th and 73rd, around 9:15
• 14th Ave Park Boulevard, 14th ave NW between 58th and 60th, around 9:30
• Ballard Corners Park, 17th Ave NW between 62nd and 63rd, around 9:45
• Salmon Bay School Playground, NW 67th between 18th and 19th, around 10
• Webster Park, NW 68th between 30th and 32nd, around 10:15
• Sunset Hill - Shilshole Gateway, NW 36th betweem 60th and 62nd, around 10:30
• Salmon Bay Natural Area, just south of NW 54th at 34th Ave NW, around 10:45
• Ballard Commons, NW 57th and 22nd Ave NW, by 11am

For those who wish to continue, Michael Snyder will lead a ride from Ballard Commons to the Moving Planet event at Lake Union Park starting at 11am.

Come by kayak, canoe, bike, foot, skateboard - anything reducing carbon use - to Lake Union Park for a medley of activity from 10am to 6pm. If you'd prefer to kayak or canoe from Ballard, contact andrea@sustainableballard.org now.

For more info on the Lake Union Park event, go to this Sustainable Ballard webpage or  www.Moving-Planet.org/Seattle.  For more info and bike activities in Ballard, go to this Sustainable Ballard event page.

Sun, 09/25: Crown Hill Glen Park Work Party

Work party at Crown Hill Glen Park, NW 89th Street and 19th Avenue NW.

Sunday, September 25th, 2011 from 10 AM until 6 PM.

Removal of invasive, non-native plants, and trail maintenance. For more information, please contact Joyce Ford, Friends of Crown Hill Glen, (206) 789-1394.

Sat, 10/01: Sunset Hill - Shilshole Gateway Community Meeting

Come see the in-progress designs for this important link between Sunset Hill and Shilshole - both the overall concept plan and detailed planting plans for initial improvements at both ends of the 36th ave NW median. This will be an opportunity to weigh in on the plans and on strategies for implementing them over time.

Sat, 10/15: EBCA Adopt a Street Cleanup on 14th Ave NW

This is one of our twice yearly Adopt A Street clean up events on 14th Ave NW. We will be picking up trash, taking care of the planters in the medians and doing a bit of weeding. Come dressed for the weather and bring weeding tools if you have them. We'll provide gloves and bags. Snacks and drinks will be donated by The Ballard Market.

Sat, 10/29: Crown Hill Glen Work Party

There will be a work party at Crown Hill Glen on Saturday, October 29th, from 11 to 4. We will terrace, and transplant some of the bushes, to control erosion on the slope.

In case of rainy weather please call the contact phone number to be sure the event is still happening.

For further information please contact: Joyce Ford, Friends of Crown Hill Glen 206-789-1394.

Other Events

Thu, 09/08: 2010 Cedar River Watershed Report Premiere

Join us for the premiere of the 2010 Watershed Report!  Narrated entirely by area high school students, the Report spotlights annual positive sustainability trends from local government, school districts, businesses, and community groups.  All analysis is based upon data gathered directly from the sectors being featured.  Come meet the students, enjoy local foods, and learn how you can help us foster the next generation of watershed leaders.  Contact Rebecca Sayre (see below) to RSVP.

Sat, 09/10: Golden Gardens Work Party

Golden Gardens will be holding its monthly GGREAT work party from 9 am to 12 pm on Saturday, September 10. We will be mulching and removing invasives. The group will meet at the upper parking lot near the off-leash area. Please bring water and wear layers if possible.

Sun, 09/11: Llandover Woods 2nd Sunday Work Party

Llandover Woods is a pristine serene urban forest with abundant native plants and wildlife- we work on restoration every month.

Please RSVP each month by email so we can plan our work sessions.

Wear sturdy clothes and bring water, coffee, or snacks. We provide gloves and tools.

Meet 9am sharp at end of the parking lot just west of the white brick pillars at the end of 145th.

Sat, 09/17: Carkeek STARS Volunteer Work Party

Join other enthusiastic volunteers for a fun morning of forest restoration and trails maintenance. We have a wide variety of tasks you can help with. We provide gloves and water (we encourage you to bring your own bottle of water, to reduce plastic waste).

Please wear sturdy shoes. Suitable for teens and older. Follow the STARS signs to our meeting place. We're here the third Saturday of every month. Welcome!

Tue, 09/20: Science & Practice of Sustainable Sites: Observations from Two Parks Pilot Projects

This session will compare and contrast how the SITES process applies to two Seattle Parks enrolled in the Sites Pilot Program: Bradner Gardens, an existing park, and Kirke Park, a park in development. Participants will gain an understanding of the application of SITES to different project types as project-team leads share their experiences with SITES and compare notes on their decision-making and documentation processes. Team members will review how they determined the appropriate credits and speculate on possible lessons learned from the process. This event is co-sponsored by WASLA, UW Botanic Gardens and Seattle Public Utilities.

Instructors: Karen Galt, ASLA, Seattle Parks and Recreation; Clayton Beaudoin, LEED® AP, Site Workshop
Fee: $30 per session; $50 for two; $75 for three, plus 10% early bird discount by EOB September 9
Register online at www.cfr.washington.edu… or call Jean Robins at 206-685-8033

Sat, 09/24: Pipers Orchard Festival of Fruit

The fifth annual Festival of Fruit and Piper's Orchard 120th Anniversary.  Apple pie, apple cider and more to make and eat at Carkeek Park, sponsored by the Friends of Pipers' Orchard. Click Here for more information.

Thu, 10/06: Community Crime Prevention

Sat, 10/08: Crown Hill Center Play Structures

October 8th and 9th are the build days for the new Crown Hill Center play structures.  Volunteers needed from 8am to 5pm.  Please contact Catherine.weatbrook@gmail.com or call 206 372 2033 for available shifts.

Sat, 10/08: Golden Gardens Reforestation and Trails Work Party

Saturday, October 8 from 9 am - 12 pm, Golden Gardens Park will host its monthly Golden Gardens Reforestation and Trails (GGREAT) work party.

We will be removing invasives and mulching. All are welcome and no RSVP is required for this event.

Please invite your friends! Please bring sturdy work shoes, long pants, water and any snacks you may want. We will provide gloves and tools. We will meet near the off-leash area north of the upper parking lot (outside of the restrooms). While we love them, please be sure to leave pets at home for the work party.

Please email us with any questions or concerns, and visit our website: https://sites.google.com/site/goldengardensseattle/ to stay posted on park activities and to find directions to the park. You will find a calendar of events on our website to know exactly what's going on at the Park.

As a final note, this year's Green Seattle Day will be on Saturday, November 5. You can register to work at your favorite park (including Golden Gardens!) at: http://greenseattle.org/events/2011-events/november/green-seattle-day-11-5. Hope to see you on October 8!

Sun, 10/09: Llandover Woods 2nd Sunday Work Party

Llandover Woods is a pristine serene urban forest with abundant native plants and wildlife- we work on restoration every month.

Meet at West of of parking lot west of the white brick pillars at the end of 145th.

Please RSVP each month by email so we can plan our work sessions. Wear sturdy clothes and bring water, coffee, or snacks. We provide gloves and tools.

Meet 9am sharp at end of the parking lot just west of the white brick pillars at the end of 145th.

Sat, 10/22: Let's Play Salmon Bay

Please join us at our much-anticipated Let's Play Salmon Bay festival, dedicated to play, inclusion -- and fun. This isn't a fundraising event; it's a fun-raising event, a time to talk about the Salmon Bay School Playground project (also see our Facebook page and website), learn some more about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and just have some plain ol' fun, like face-painting, card tricks, games, a potluck, cake walk, labyrinth to walk, and more. If you'd like to share a potluck, donate tables and tents, or just generally help out, please contact me. And please: bring your children, your neighbors, your friends. It's going to be so much fun to do this together!