An anonymous commenter to this post asked:
Hello. Does anyone know why all the brush (and a few lovely trees) were completely trampled down in the area just NE of Victory Park/QFC? We use the short cut path through this mini greenbelt to get to QFC and its now totally ugly and useless to the wildlife that fed there. The blackberries were a summer favorite. Are there plans for improvement? Was this a knee-jerk security measure? Why couldn’t hungry goats be used instead?
Here is more information from Eric Madis, Creek Steward for Victory Creek Park:
The city (in the Clean and Green Event) brought in the Department of Corrections to take the invasives from that area, while I worked in the central and south area of the park.
I agree, I was a little taken back by the devastation that they seem to have brought to the area. However, they took out all invasive vegetation, albeit not permanently. The blackberries will grow back, but if they are to grow back at all, we want to get feedback from people in that immediate neighborhood, so we can plan to quarantine their growth. Otherwise, they will take over everything, as will the morning glory, the ivy, the holly, and other invasives. It does look rather bleak over there, I agree. However, the green belt that the person is referring to was primarily invasives. We will be planting in that area now. I was shocked to discover a budding camelia in there, something I didn’t notice all of the time I worked in there, because of its location and its being surrounded by ivy and blackberry.
The reason why hungry goats weren’t used was because this was a one-day event and the city pretty much took control over parts of this. In addition, much of the deforesting took place after 1 PM, which is when Alika and I had to leave. I was as shocked as the person in the email, but the fact is, that work was needed. I only hope that we can plant enough trees and shrubs to fill the area nicely and eventually pull a lot of those invasive’s roots out.
As for wildlife, the only way we will get any wildlife back in there is to help restore a healthy enviroment. In the three and a half years that we have been creek stewards (and I go through the area almost every day), I have seen very few animals, other than a few squirrels, rats and a few birds. Sometimes there are ducks in the wetland marsh in the south side of the park, which is an area that has been improved. I would like to see the entire unimproved portion of the park (the wetland) be healthy, so we can see the return of more animals and birds. I prefer a wild, natural environment to a city park like environment, and it is the intention of Seattle Parks and Seattle Public Utilities to keep most of that area like a green belt. But it was a mess, a big unhealthy mess, despite its green appearance at glance.
So yes, we plan to plant in that area, and of course, we can always use more volunteers. Anyone interested in volunteering should contact me at (206) 362-8331 or emadis@juno.com. We are there the 2nd Sunday of each month from noon – 2 PM.
Thank you for the response. I walked through there again today and it was profoundly sad, but now I know it wasn’t silly locals who did it.
Yes, there were too many invasives…but as usual, the City expedited in the usual sledgehammer manner. Rolling a coat of paint over a moldy wall doesn’t solve the smell. It just looks clean. In this case, the roots are all still there, but it looks blighted. I understand experts have proven studies about the evils of invasives, but this area was at least green and photosynthizing and now its just a pile of death. I am failing to see the progress. Perhaps we are sometimes too smart for our own good.
There was a cherry, or perhaps plum, tree in the debris. It is currently laying on the ground, its pink buds withering. There is a nest buried underneath some brush with a broken egg – is there a number as to how many plain ol’ everyday birds constitute true “wild life”? Or do only fish and ducks count?
Maybe blackberries are a nuisance, but it was fun to be a kid and pop around the block to grab some berries for after supper ice cream. Now I’ll have to continue to the Q and settle for those that come in plastic.
Someone in the ‘hood liked the route. It was frequently trimmed just enough for passage, and we all helped with low-key methods of bridging the stream without actually building anything permanent or obstructing its flow. It was a fun, wild place in the middle of Northgate. Now its yet another half-effort of improvement.
Like a bad haircut, it will grow back. But the trees will take years….I doubt the City will pay for mature trees to be planted and saplings won’t replace what is now rotting on the ground thanks to their efforts.
I applaud the efforts of the creek stewards. Seriously, thank you! But there is more to this area than the creek.
BTW – debris is still settling and slipping into the water. I pulled some branches out today, but others who walk this area should keep an eye out. No sense allowing more harm by daming the creek up with all this progress.
2nd Sunday. Ok. When my anger dies down soon, I’ll put in some work.
I agree with your commentary for the most part. I do think that the Department of Corrections did use a sledgehammer approach, and I do think that it was a mistake to bring them in at all. Although they did a great amount of work, the people in charge of them obviously had no knowledge of plants or appreciation for the role that the little wetland means to us or to wildlife. In addition, had I known that DOC was going to stick around so long after the event and work was scheduled to be finished, I would have discussed details with their supervisors.
We (the creek stewards, Seattle Parks and Seattle Public Utilities, and our volunteers) will be working hard in coming months to try to clean up and plant as much as possible.
So, if you are really angry, then I would suggest that you contact the Mayor’s office, use your real name (rather than being anonymous…), and let them know how you feel about the Department of Corrections job. Any reinforcement I can get for my position gives me lots more clout. And, again, when your anger subsides (which at this point is hurting you more than it is hurting anyone else), come out and visit us on a Sunday