Hillwood Park stream buffer enhancement work continues this weekend

Perhaps the duck is looking for the stream?
Photo by Boni Biery

By Boni Biery

There are things happening in Hillwood Park. The Hillwood Community Network (Hillwood’s neighborhood association) is using an environmental mini-grant to plant the stream buffer.

The waters from this little creek travel into Boeing Creek and on into Puget Sound. We are planting lots of wetland meadow plants to help do a number of things:  clean and slow storm water from rushing downstream; provide nectar, pollen, seeds and nesting materials for birds; add an aesthetic point of interest to the park; and significantly reduce the invasive buttercup in the area. 

Local birder Don Norman identified 15 species in/over the park in a short, three hour period last Sunday. Imagine how many we might see if both the resident and Pacific Flyway migrating birds find this little oasis we are creating. 

We have had two great planting days with lots of help, but there is still a lot of planting to be done.  So we added another day. It would be great to have you join us this weekend to be part of the facelift for this park. Don’t miss the chance to say “I helped plant this meadow!” a couple of years from now when the flowers are in bloom and it is humming with life. 

Contact Boni for more information.

Hillwood Park adjoins Einstein Middle School grounds, 19001 3rd Avenue NW.