At the beginning of May, Rare Care staff and volunteers along with Department of Natural Resources (DNR) staff completed the first of two botanical surveys of the Marcellus Shrub Steppe Natural Area Preserve. The goals of this visit were to know what plants are there and re-find any previously documented rare plants. We also wanted to fill in knowledge gaps for shrub steppe species distribution and abundance that may contribute to designating a species for conservation status. 

The campus farm has welcomed CELE students whenever possible, regardless of their major, department, or year at UW. This year we welcomed 69 students from six classes, primarily from English and Environmental Studies courses.

06.15.22

Around The Farm

Community Engaged Learners Have an Impact at the Campus Farm
By Dannette Lombert, Food Security Lead, AmeriCorps Member
Community Engaged Learners  (CELE) choose experiential learning for courses via a program run by the Community Engagement and Leadership Education at the University of Washington. This program offers opportunities for students to volunteer at local organizations or partners, to connect curriculum through real-world experiences and hands-on learning. 

A fantastic group of volunteers has recently spent weeks weeding blackberry and ivy out of a group of collections north of the bus turnaround and south of parking lot #4 along the easternmost trail near the Broadmoor fence. The volunteers spread many truckloads of mulch in the area to help suppress future weed growth. This post is dedicated to the Monday Volunteer Group and highlights some of the interesting plants in this area. 

06.08.22

Around The Farm

Meet Our Intern: Daniel Orsborn
By Daniel Orsborn, UW Farm Intern, Environmental Science Major, College of the Environment 

Hello! I’m Daniel. I am fourth year undergraduate majoring in Environmental Science. This spring was my first quarter being involved with the farm and I am currently interning for credit. I initially intended to volunteer so that I could be eligible for a paid internship this summer. 

As the Environmental Justice Intern for the Spring quarter, it was my goal to host an event to introduce people to the Farm and have them feel welcomed. The intended guests for this event were people of color, and specifically, registered student organizations focusing on marginalized identities. In recent history, outdoor spaces have been viewed, and statistically found, as white spaces. 

Imagine you walk deep into a woodland in Japan, the Hokkaido region, and along a rocky creek side you see these small clouds of nodding bell-shaped flowers. Hues of pink, maybe yellow, some with striations of red (hence it’s English common name, red-veined enkianthus).

06.01.22

Around The Farm

Incorporating Environmental Justice at the UW Farm
By Kelsey Borland, UW Farm Environmental Justice Intern, Environmental Sciences and Resource Management Major, College of the Environment
As the Environmental Justice Intern for the Spring quarter, it was my goal to host an event to introduce people to the Farm and have them feel welcomed. The intended guests for this event were people of color, and specifically, registered student organizations focusing on marginalized identities.  

1)   Corokia cotoneaster                                                            Wire-netting Bush

The common name of this species of Corokia aptly describes its wiry branches and tangled growth form.  In late spring, small, fragrant yellow flowers are produced singly or in clusters up to four.
Several specimens of this and the following selections are currently in bloom throughout the Pacific Connections New Zealand Garden.

2)   Phyllocladus alpinus                                                              Mountain toatoa

P. 

Hello! My name is Sean, and I’m a second year undergraduate student majoring in general biology and an intern at the UW Farm.
Before my Spring internship I was a regular volunteer at the Farm. I first decided to volunteer in Fall 2021 and have been coming back ever since. Prior to the UW Farm, I helped clean up and maintain some community P-Patch gardens in the Seattle area.