This month we head over to the Center for Urban Horticulture (CUH) to meet horticulturist Kristen Johnson!

A master plan is critical for a botanic or public garden of any size, to give it a sense of mission and purpose, and then to guide priorities to accomplish its goals.

Due to the volume of daily visitors at the Union Bay Natural Area (UBNA) even footsteps need to be limited to the approved gravel trails.

On Tuesday, March 23rd, Arborist Shea Cope found himself swaying 30 feet high on the Osprey nest pole near the Loop Trail at Union Bay Natural Area. He had climbed to the top of the pole using first a ladder and then tree-climbing spurs. Now he called down to his arborist colleague, Clif Edwards, “Send up the gourds.”

Attaching two specially-prepared gourds to a system of wires and pulleys, Clif sent them flying up. 

As we anticipate La Niña bringing us a snowy winter, let’s take a moment to appreciate a snowy plant, or rather a plant named for its snowy berries – common snowberry. Botanically known as Symphoricarpos albus, the plant is aptly named for its white clusters of fruit.  The genus is a combination of “symphori” referring to the Greek verb “to bear together,” and “carpos” from the Greek word for “fruit.” The specific epithet “albus” is the Latin word for “white.”  This species of snowberry boasts ripe, white berries that develop in late summer and persist all winter, through the rain, cold temperatures, and even through, you guessed it, our [occasional] snow. 

The SER-UW Native Plant Nursery, a student-run organization that promotes local ecosystems, is hosting a fall native plant sale! We will be selling a variety of species native to the Puget lowlands. Do you have a backyard restoration project you need plants for? Are you looking to attract some native pollinators in your garden? Look no further – check out our plants!  

Despite a harsh winter, a large amount of work was accomplished restoring wildlife habitat in the Union Bay Natural Area this Winter Quarter 2019!

“The time is always right to do what is right.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
While championing civil rights, Martin Luther King Jr. was also a strong advocate for environmental justice. In honor of MLK Day of Service 2019, over 30 dedicated volunteers came ready to work to help restore valuable habitat for wildlife in the Union Bay Natural Area (UBNA) at the Center for Urban Horticulture. 

We are delighted to announce several new courses offered through our restoration professional education series. These programs are developed with support from the Northwest Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration, under the guidance of a committed network of professional restoration practitioners actively engaged in restoring habitats in the Pacific Northwest. We hope you can join us for these exciting new learning opportunities! 

Joe Neumann is completing a Master of Environmental Horticulture degree program at the University of Washington. He’s been working to restore different sites in the Union Bay Natural Area along the western shore of Lake Washington at the Center for Urban Horticulture. The restoration project includes clearing invasive plants and establishing native plants on three main sites to create healthy habitats for plant and animal life.