Growth of the Miyawaki Forest at the Shoreline Historical Museum

A Miyawaki Forest was born on Saturday 9 December 2023 in a 3000 square foot space on a vacant lot next to the Shoreline Historical Museum at 18501 Linden Ave North. Over 300 volunteers and others helped place into the cold, wet ground 1,200 plants, representing 43 different native species.

Volunteers at February work party

Since that rainy December day, community involvement has continued in the frost, drizzle, rain and sun of winter into spring. Work parties are weeding and mulching, using arborist chips. The first Forest sprouts are growing.

Lupine has poked through the mulch, camas flower shoots and huckleberry leaves have emerged and saplings are starting to leaf out. Passersby can’t resist a look-in. Most recent was a group of kids from eastern Washington in Shoreline for band practice who joined in the mulch toss.

A 3000-gallon cistern installed in February is capturing rainwater from the roof of the Historical Museum’s archive building. Drip irrigation hoses will draw water from the cistern during the dry summer months. Three years from now the forest will be vigorous enough to survive on its own.

Roger Fernandes with volunteers February 2024
Photo by Martha Sholen

The Forest has been welcoming more than flora. Indigenous storyteller and artist Roger Fernandes spent an afternoon in February with Forest volunteers on interactive story creation for spiritual support of the forest. In March volunteers spent the day on the first steps of fashioning clay signs in English and Lushootseed to be placed in the Forest in May.

Writing the bilingual signs
Photo by Martha Sholten

The first of three focal events, Language of the Forest, will be held at the Forest on Saturday, May 4, 2024 10 am - 12 pm, Professor Dana Campbell will pose the question: Do trees communicate with other trees? Among the activities for all ages will be placing the bilingual signs where they belong in the Forest. There will be refreshments.

Other upcoming events:

Summer Forest Celebration, Saturday, June 29th, 5:30 pm - 8 pm. Bring a picnic to the Forest and listen to drumming from various cultures.

Fall Life of the Forest, Saturday, Sept. 28th, 10 am - 12 pm. Roger Fernandes, Native artist, storyteller and educator, shares stories of the local Coast Salish tribes.

For more information click ­here.