GTP Newsletter

Read the 2nd Green Tacoma Partnership quarterly newsletter by downloading it here: Winter 2008 (906 Kb)

Call for submissions for GTP Newsletter

Tacoma/Pierce County habitat restoration organizations are invited to submit volunteer requests and articles about future and past activities.

Appropriate articles to include: summaries of restoration activities, upcoming dates that volunteers can participate in, site descriptions, historical information, plans, group meetings, insights and experiences, requests for help/resources/volunteers, etc.

Please submit entries in electronic format to Leslie Batten Be sure to include your name, e-mail address, telephone numbers where you can be reached during the day.

Disclaimer: Although we seek to post information about groups and their habitat restoration activities, including as many facets of conservation issues as possible, we reserve the right to not post materials submitted that are deemed non-constructive, inappropriate or offensive to our members. Volunteer editors also use liberty to prepare final text, and edit for effective grammar, as well as clarity, consistency and brevity of details.

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GTP QUARTERLY MEETING

Wednesday, July 9, 6pm

The City of Tacoma, the Green Tacoma Partnership and the Metropolitan Park District are partnering to develop the Open Space Habitat and Recreation Plan—a plan and action program for open space acquisition, management and restoration as well as city-wide green strategies. The OSHRP provides an integrated vision for Tacoma's habitat and recreation lands and facilities.

A draft of the City's open space plan is now ready for public review and discussion.  Our last quarterly meeting on July 9th focused on going over the draft together.

The Lodge at Point Defiance, Point Defiance Park

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How to get additional info or participate in the Open Space Planning Process?

You can obtain additional information, including background materials online at www.cityoftacoma.org/planning, click on “Open Space Planning”.

Or, if you have questions or comments please feel free to contact the project staff:

CITY OF TACOMA PLANNING DIVISION:

MOLLY HARRIS – 253.591.5383
ELLIOTT BARNETT – 253.591.5389

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April was Earth Month!

2008 PARKS APPRECIATION DAY

April 19th

11 participating parks and natural areas

We celebrated Earth Day, Arbor Day, National Parks Week and our local parks in one fun event!

Friends of Swan Creek and REI teamed up at Swan Creek Park, Blueberry Park Volunteers and Metro Parks Tacoma worked on the historic farm at Blueberry Park, and Friends of Buckley Gulch participated in a restoration project near the University of Puget Sound (Tacoma Campus).  It was a great day to be outside working hard on such excited projects in great places all over the city.  Thanks to everyone who got involved at Parks Appreciation Day, and all of our great Earth Month events this April!

click for the Parks Appreciation Day flyer 

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Green Tacoma Partnership Quarterly Meeting

Tuesday, April 8th: 6pm-8pm

Tacoma Nature Center at 1919 S. Tyler St.

Neighbors, concerned citizens, and grassroots groups came together for a potluck and updates on everyone's hard work leading up to Earth Day and Parks Appreciation Day.  Spring is grantwriting season, so we also hosted guest speakers sharing information and answering questions about the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation's management of Pierce Conservation District grants, Tacoma's Make a Splash! grant, and the Small Innovative Grant Program.

All interested community members are encouraged to join us at our quarterly meetings, we welcome newcomers looking to get involved!

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Mowitch Estuary Planting

Saturday, April 5th: 9:30am - 3:30pm

Join Citizens for a Healthy Bay to participate in a restoration project on Commencement Bay.  We will be doing a major salt marsh vegetation planting to increase the salt marsh habitat, followed by a celebration picnic lunch and music.  Please contact Jeanine Riss, Restoration Program Manager, as jriss@healthybay.org, or at 253 383 2429 to participate or with questions.

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Mad Hatter's Tea & Planting Party

Meadow Park Golf Course

Saturday March 29

This fun event was run by the Native Plant Salvage Aliance and open to the public.  We prepared portions of the golf course for restoration of prairie natives dug in Frederickson/SE Tacoma.  The planting effort will move the golf course towards a more sustainable future that uses less water and fewer chemicals.

We also talked about soils and how to enhance them for a garden that thrives.  Best hat worn got best honors!  Camas bulbs were available for volunteers who helped with the preparations.

For more information contact Anna Thurston at anna.thurston@ssstewardship.org, or by phone at 253-566-3342.

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City of Tacoma Critical Areas Permitting Primer

Saturday, December 1st, 2007

Tacoma Community College (in the new Science Building), Building 29, Room 106

Planning to remove some blackberries at your local natural area? Did you know you may need a permit? Many natural areas in Tacoma have a wetland, stream, or steep slope (also known as critical areas), or a buffer on site that might trigger a permit prior to beginning well-intentioned restoration work.

On December 1st we learned what critical areas are and what are the considerations and processes for: 1) reviewing your site for the presence of critical areas and buffers; 2) knowing when a permit is required; 3) how to obtain the appropriate permit; and 4) what resources are available to help you through the process. The program included a field session and case study to demonstrate this process on the ground.

This workshop was led by Karla Kluge, Senior Environmental Specialist, City of Tacoma, Theresa Dusek, Senior Environmental Specialist, City of Tacoma, and Lisa Berntsen, Principal, Wetland and Fisheries Scientist, GeoEngineers and author of Wetlands, and Introduction to Ecology, the Law and Permitting.  Lisa’s book was available for purchase at this meeting. We also had a local “Friends of Group” member who has gone through the permit process share their experiences.  

The program was sponsored by the Green Tacoma Partnership, the City of Tacoma, Metro Parks Tacoma, and Advanced Botanical Resources.

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"The Science of Global Warming"

S.T.E.P.S. Forum (Sustainable Tacoma Environmental Project Series)

November 12th, 2007

We met at the Tacoma Friends Meetinghouse at 2508 S. 39th Street (behind Borders Books), where Penny Rowe, Ph.D. presented "Climate Change 2007", a comprehensive and rigorous picture of the state of knowledge on global climate change, a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (www.ipcc.ch). For our Action Project we mapped what Tacoma will look like if/when sea level in the Puget Sound rises as predicted by specialists on Climate Change.

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Native Plant Salvage Alliance

November 4th, Take What You Dig; Graham:

We were invited to dig on 5 acres of great native plants, including:
star-flowered false solomon's seal (Smilacena stellata), Trout lily (Erythronium), columbia lily (Lilium), rattlesnake plantain (Goodyera), chocolate lily (Frittilaria), fairy bells (Disporum), woodland strawberries (Fragaria), coralroot (Coralorhiza), yerba buena (Satureja) and trillium. There's a wide array of shrubs too, including mock orange (Philadelphus), Indian Plum (Oemleria), Sword Fern (Polystichum), Hazelnut (Corylus), Serviceberry (Amelanchier), Creeping Snowberry (Symphoricarpos), Cascara (Rhamnus), baldhip rose (Rosa) and more…

Fall Salvage Events:

- Sunday, November 4; 9:00 - 2:00; Graham

- Sunday, December 2; 9:00 - 2:00

Fall Propogation Activities:

- Thursday, October 25; 10:00 - 2:00;  PCD - Puyallup
- Friday, November, 9; 10:00 - 2:00; PCD - Puyallup
- Friday December 7; 10:00 - 2:00;  PCD - Puyallup

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Earth Day, April 21st, 2007

Oak Tree Park Training: Managing Successful and Safe Large Work Parties (> 50 volunteers)

Over 100 volunteers came to Oak Tree Park to celebrate Earth Day.  It was a great opportunity for members of the Green Tacoma Partnership to learn about managing a fun and successful work party.
Sponsors: Rotary 8, Cascade Land Conservancy, Tahoma Audubon Society and Metro Parks

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Green Training on St. Patrick’s Day

Habitat Restoration Trainings Kick-off

Tacoma, March 17, 2007
Goats ate their way into the spotlight as invasive species removers last August in Blueberry Park. This weekend, human volunteers took over as restoration specialists at the first formal hands-on training organized by the Green Tacoma Partnership.

It was a truly green St. Patrick’s Day on Saturday morning as dozens of Tacoma residents joined together in the first of a series of free workshops focused on restoration techniques and managing work parties.
The Green Tacoma Partnership was launched in 2005 out of concern for the declining health of Tacoma’s parks and open spaces. The partnership is a collaboration of the City of Tacoma, the Cascade Land Conservancy, Metro Parks Tacoma, Tahoma Audubon Society, the Pierce Conservation District, plus other leaders from educational, environmental, civic and business communities.

Natural areas in Tacoma face the threat of losing native species as they struggle to compete with invasive species such as English ivy, Scott’s broom, Himalayan blackberry and holly.  

With the risk of losing significant forested canopy and biodiversity within the next 20 years, the Green Tacoma Partnership will provide more resources to groups already doing restoration while encouraging more citizens to join in the efforts. 

This first workshop started with a tour of Blueberry Park by Charlotte Valbert, the volunteer coordinator of Blueberry Park Volunteers. She discussed the history of the park, including the use of goats. Last year, 280 goats were brought to clear areas overrun by invasive species.
Participants also learned how to safely use and care for different tools. They discussed new tools and more common tools, such as loppers, shovels and the Weed WrenchTM.

Additional workshops throughout the year will include the topics of working and planting on steep slopes, invasive removal techniques for specific species and managing large work parties.  Each workshop will take place at a different park or natural area that has been adopted by a dedicated group of volunteers.

To see video of the goats from July 2006: KIRO 7
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New Year of the Trees - Tu BiSh'vat

Temple Beth El celebrated the Jewish holiday Tu BiSh'vat at Garfield Gulch, Sunday February 4.  Joined by students from the University of Puget Sound and Annie Wright, these volunteers planted over a dozen native trees and ferns donated by the Pierce County Native Plant Salvage Program. In the years to come students from Annie Wright will care and maintain these new trees, and maybe wish them a Happy New Year next year!

For more read THE NEWS TRIBUNE