Soundview Students participate in the Build A Tree Activity from Joseph Cornell's Sharing Nature with Children We are so fortunate to have fifth and seventh graders from The Soundview School come and work with us in the forest every month. We are always impressed by their knowledge, attentiveness, and especially their hard work!
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We so are fortunate to partner with the UW Restoration Ecology Network, a University of Washington program that pairs student teams with community partners to work on important restoration projects throughout the region.
Each year, a team of UW-REN students designs and implements a restoration project in North Creek Forest as their Senior Capstone Project. We help with tools, outreach, logistics, and of course the refreshments to keep everyone going on work party days! In that time I witnessed the impact that can only arise from the collective will of a community, the thoughtful consideration of elected leaders, the work of dedicated city staff, the mutual respect and cooperation of landowners and a fully committed board of directors. I am a community organizer and a strategist. I am not a professional administrator and that is what we have successfully grown to need. It is with great pleasure I can say, "Now it is time for a professional director." (more) We saw a Whale! Article photos by Emily Sunblade) Whales In the Forest On January 31st, 114 volunteers descended on North Creek Forest. Their mission: Prepare the ground to plant trees, lots of trees, and to remember why whales depend on forests. (more) Soundview International Baccalaureate School Does It Again ![]() Soundview is well into their second year of service in North Creek Forest. This year they didn't even take winter off. This enthusiastic team is having a big positive impact on forest ecology. (more) It takes all of us to save a forest. This work is supported by: Generous citizens and volunteers Scout Troop 420 with Eagle Scout candidates Jaques LeBlanc and Ilahl Mustafa The University of Washington Restoration Ecology Network The Peach Foundation The Rose Foundation Puget Sound Mitigation Fund a grantmaking fund created by: Puget Soundkeeper Alliance Thank you all... FNCF John Pearson showed up on a frigid rainy day in January 2013. He needed little explanation. Our mission was clear to him and he wanted to help. He took on the work like he was born to it. He was our example when kids said they were "too tired". We would suggest they, "Go help the old guy", and by the end of the day would learn something about working steadily and enjoying the progress. John never missed an event until last June. John did not answer a couple of emails and, with the pace of our work, we didn't follow up, thinking we would see him sooner or later. We have now learned John got a bad diagnosis in the late fall. He reached out to neighbors for some help. He boarded his dog that he had rescued last spring, while he was in treatment. His dog has now been adopted by a neighbor. John passed away a few days after Christmas. John on the far right with the UW-REN 2013-14 Team, the Parkinson Family, Carolyn Freese and Bothell HS Honor Student and Earth Club member, Natalie Gonzales (now Cascadia College). From a friend and neighbor... John Pearson was a unique, environmentally conscientious steward of the earth. He was the first person I ever met to install solar panels to his home, he was notable for being seen walking up and down the sidewalks in his Bothell neighborhood, gripping a ginormous "pooper-scooper" to pick-up other people's doggie poop. He shared with me that in his earlier years, he worked as a journalist. He also worked for the Northshore School District as a substitute teacher. Prior to retirement, he happily worked for a hardware store. He kept himself busy volunteering for various things, including serving years on our neighborhood board. He also served as a dog foster for a local shelter. My neighbors and I are still awaiting more details about if there will be a funeral or a memorial, but please let us know if there are any memories you would like to share about John and we will be sure to pass them along to his family. Thanks, Joanie Lambert John Pearson, far left with Sarah Witte (Volunteer Coordinator) Jesse Howe, (Bothell HS Earth Club President and the National Wildlife Federation prestigious 2013 Conservation Achievement Award)________, Dr David Bain, FNCF Vice President, Linda Cung, (2013 UW-REN Team member and volunteer extraordinaire) Carolyn Freese, (FNCF Treasurer) and Jeff Secrist, VP of the Summit at North Creek Homeowners Association.
Whale Scout knows where and how to track and report on changes in our endangered killer whale population. They are often the first to report a new birth (rare) and a new death (too often). Recently Whale Scout founder and director, Whitney Neugebauer interviewed killer whale biologist and FNCF Vice President Dr. David Bain and FNCF director Jim Freese. Here's a report from Whitney and, at about 20 minutes, you may begin to answer the question, "Why do killer whales start in the treetops?" Join us when Whale Scout returns for their 3rd restoration event on: January 31 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Map Here A rumor has it that, weather permitting, we might actually see a big (really big) Killer Whale! Also Evergreen Karate and Jui Jitsu! Should be fun... Another Eagle Scout Project Underway Ihlal Mustafa designed, built and installed a neighborhood message board above our latest restoration project. This is Ihlal's Eagle Scout project. He is assisted by his father, grandfather and other Boy Scout Troop 420 members. Thanks Ihlal... this is going to be a wonderful addition for the community.
This work is supported by: Generous citizens and volunteers Scout Troop 420 The University of Washington Restoration Ecology Network The Peach Foundation The Rose Foundation Puget Sound Mitigation Fund a grantmaking fund created by: Puget Soundkeeper Alliance Thank you for your continued interest and support! FNCF Woodinville Montessori School Woodinville Montessori School walked from school to North Creek Forest in early November to participate in a day of restoration and education.
Eagle Scout Project A member from Boy Scout Troop 420, Jacques LeBlanc, was looking for an Eagle Scout project and contacted us. We asked Jacques to make access to this year's restoration site easier and safer. The old access way was slippery and risked causing erosion.
Soundview International Baccalaureate School Soundview International Baccalaureate School returned to the forest on the first Friday of December. The weather was relatively nice for the students, with periodic rain in the morning that stopped just in time for lunch. It was also Soundview's first time working at the new restoration site. There was plenty to do!
State of Acquisition Funding The Everett Herald visited us a few weeks ago and wrote an excellent article on what's next for North Creek Forest. Most of the information is in our previous publication in November. The full article is on the Everett Herald's website HERE. We also have a PDF copy available HERE for you if you can't access their website. Closing Thoughts and Gratitude We are grateful for grants from the Tulalip Tribes and the Rose Foundation Puget Sound Mitigation Fund, a grantmaking fund created by the Puget Soundkeeper Alliance. They enable us to carry out our stewardship programs. We are also grateful to the Peach Foundation, whose generous grant allows us to expand our educational programs. Lastly, we are grateful to the friends, families, and volunteers who all make our work possible. May your new year be filled with wonder. FNCF ![]() State of the Forest On November 4th voters rejected Bothell's Levy, Proposition 1. The $42M levy had about one third dedicated to parks and two thirds dedicated to the downtown area. Of the parks portion, the exact amount dedicated to purchasing the last 22 acres of North Creek Forest was $1M. The total amount needed to complete forest acquisitions is around $1.3M. So now what? Last summer we scored first place in Washington on our most recent Land and Water grant application for $500,000. On another acquisition grant application (Local Parks) we scored 6th place on a $1,000,000 request. If both of our grants are funded the failure of Proposition 1 won't matter. The $500,000 Land and Water grant needs to be funded by Congress before anyone gets paid. Even though we won 1st place in Washington State, Congress may decided to eliminate this funding. It will be up to the people we elected to decide if the premiere fund for Conservation and Recreation in the USA receives any money. The fund was created 50 years ago with a small tax on offshore oil drilling. Unless renewed by Congress it will completely disappear next year. The $1,000,000 Local Parks grant must be funded by the State Legislature. The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office has submitted a request for $93M for needed projects all over the state. Our acquisition grant is in 6th place. This means if the Legislature funds Local Parks at $60M or more Bothell will get the $1M. Any less and the North Creek Forest grant will not be funded. We need both grants. We need the US Congress and the State Legislature to support Recreation and Conservation funding before the forest is saved. A purchase option, willingly offered by the owner on 2 of the 3 remaining forest parcels, expires July 31, 2015. After that time the owner is under no obligation to delay logging and development. We have enjoyed the good will of landowners. We do not intend to block owners from their right to develop their property. We have said from the beginning, "Everyone must win." Owners are as hopeful as we are. But if we are not able to compensate owners fairly we will have to stand back and say... we tried our best. We will work hard to raise awareness about this priceless forest. That is ours to do. We appreciate your continued interest and support. We will keep you updated. >>>>> In our next news article you will see the University of Washington Restoration Ecology Network break ground on their latest forest wildlife enhancement project. Woodinville Montessori gave a big assist while a local Eagle Scouts project is creating better access to the site. And Soundview International Baccalaureate School put the final 2014 maintenance work in on last years site. Thank You, FNCF On Saturday October 4th we had the pleasure of again hosting what is becoming the annual, "Whale Scout - Helpin' Out" work party along with Evergreen Karate and Jujitsu of Bothell.
Bryan Alvarez is the head Jiu Jitsu instructor at Evergreen Karate and Jiu Jitsu in Bothell. He has been training for nearly a decade and is thrilled to see the school move to its new location on Main Street. He loves teaching and getting the kids involved in outside-the-dojo activities, such as Whale Scout Helpin' Out! This is the second time their organization has joined us as well. Evergreen Karate and Jiujitsu is a family school teaching an assortment of martial arts classes to adults and children of all ages and experience levels. It's a big job but 1.5 acres of weeds have now been converted to highly diverse wildlife habitat. It take a community to do this. Toward the end of the event we went over to North Creek to see the returning Sockeye salmon. The connection between the forest, the salmon and the whales was in full view. ![]() Whitney is in the foreground. It's pretty clear she is enjoying the event she created. Several people didn't make it into the group photo. All totaled we had 32 people working on the site. Nice work everyone. Thank you!
![]() Parks and Public Spaces This is a critical time for North Creek Forest. Although we continue to apply for, and receive grants, land prices escalate weekly. We need to save the remaining 22 acres before prices go up beyond our reach. We have about a year to make this happen. Good news: In November, Bothell voters can save the forest. Voting YES on Proposition 1 - Bothell's Parks and Public Spaces Levy will save the rest of the forest. It includes $1,000,000 that can be used for that purpose. More good news: We need about $1,500,000 to finish saving the forest... BUT we just took 1st place in a $500,000 state wide competition for grant money! Now... where is that last million going to come from? It comes from a YES vote to save a forest for you and for the grandchildren of kids not yet born. Fundraiser On September 7 people gathered at the home of one of our Woodinville donors, a special place on Lake Leota. The fundraiser focused on the marvelous green treasure North Creek Forest would add to this region. It was a success by any measure. Heartfelt thanks to all the donors who exceeded our expectations. September is our fundraising month. If you have not yet done so please consider a donation. We have two generous donors who have agreed to match any contribution over $250. That triples your gift. Of course any amount you give will be greatly appreciated. Our overhead is low. We are almost 100% volunteer. We continue to: 1. Pursue funding for the rest of the forest 2. Draw people to the forest with education opportunities 3. Improve wildlife habitat through scientific stewardship SOUNDVIEW INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE SCHOOL ![]() Soundview joined us six times last year. They participated in forest classes and their events added 446 hours of service to the forest. Now Soundview is back. They signed up for 9 events this year, more than any other school, and the weeds are on the run. This is Soundview's second year in the forest. Their service contribution include weeding and mulching. It's been a great summer for weeds and we are glad they are back! It was a perfect mild day for some heavy work. In a matter of 2 hours our big mulch pile disappeared into the site. Students also rotated through an education module on water quality testing. GRATITUDE Stewardship: We are grateful for grants from the Tulalip Tribes and the Rose Foundation Puget Sound Mitigation Fund, a grantmaking fund created by the Puget Soundkeeper Alliance. Education: Our education programs are expanding in quality and quantity thanks to a generous grant from the Peach Foundation. Thank You!! FNCF ![]() What will it take to save the rest of the forest? Money and labor. First the money... We need to raise well over $1M. The only source for that much money: grants, voters or the legislature. We are involved in all three. In the last three weeks FNCF and Bothell staff have been in Olympia twice to offer presentations to judges, once for $1M and once for $500,000. FNCF volunteers have worked hundreds of hours to create the best applications/presentations possible. We will know the results soon. (Voters and the Legislature will be covered in the next article.) Labor... (remaining photos by Darryl Bush) Bothell cannot take ownership of North Creek Forest without a community willing to shoulder much of the "care and feeding" of this new park land. We have developed a model that offers short classes in exchange for community service in the forest. Over the last 10 months we have done more than 3000 hours of volunteer work with hundreds of volunteers. Safety before each event. "Why we don't walk around with our loppers open." Volunteers pay attention to this part. The YMCA Summer camp (above) brought an average of 30 kids into the forest each week this summer. They did a ton of restoration work and learned something new about the forest each time. (Like us on Facebook for a lot more pictures: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Friends-of-North-Creek-Forest/200452686657291) ![]() Hydrology: FNCF Volunteer Theresa Marshall (left) and Volunteer Katy Tiernen (teaching and gesturing) go over some basic principles of hydrology, the science of movement of water in relation to land. Here they are comparing compacted soil, soil never compacted and stream sediment. Theresa has a year with us as an Amphibian Research Intern and Volunteer. Katy began teaching with us recently and has attended many restoration events. (Our teachers are actually called docents... skilled volunteer guides. Some are also certified teachers) About 1.5 acres of invasive species have been removed, erosion controlled, hundreds of yards of mulch spread and thousands of native plants, trees and shrubs planted, weeded and watered. Rangers Carolyn Freese and Jeanie Robinson show YMCA kids how much work they did this summer. These events totaled more that 600 hours of work. Every YMCA Summer Camper received a Gratitude Certificate. You guys are great! Fall Events Soundview International Baccalaureate School is back, this time for 9 events. Whale Scout and Evergreen Karate and Jiu-Jitsu return this fall. The public is invited. (See Events Schedule to the right) University of Washington Restoration Ecology Network returns mid winter with a whole new project. We will host a Boy Scout Eagle Project and many other events for the public. Funding We have been awarded several grants to help us carry out this mission. These include:
Stewardship: We are grateful for grants from the Tulalip Tribes and the Rose Foundation, Puget Sound Mitigation Fund, a grantmaking fund created by the Puget Soundkeeper Alliance. Education: Our education programs are expanding in quality and quantity thanks to a generous grant from the Peach Foundation. YOU: Half of the funds we need to serve our mission come from you... a member of our community. September is our fundraising month. Please help us by sending a donation. See this page on the top right for ways to do this. Thank You! FNCF |
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