Just a reminder that the native plant, gardening for wildlife and sustainable gardening classes will be held this Saturday in Sammamish. 

 

 

Welcome to the 2013 Savvy Gardener Classes!

Please join us for our Spring classes – March through June – throughout King County. All classes are free and guaranteed fun.

Check out new topics such as food forests, drip irrigation design, landscape planning for the advanced gardener and creating gardens without automatic irrigation.

Please note that most of these classes require pre-registration through Brown Paper Tickets. Just click on the link for each class and register online or call Brown Paper Tickets for friendly help. These classes are brought to you by the Saving Water Partnership, Cascade Water Alliance and the many local water utilities that comprise these organizations.

Classes held in Sammamish:

 

Favorite Northwest Natives for Sun and Shade
Greg Rabourn, Educator, radio personality
Add beautiful color, texture and wildlife benefits to your garden by incorporating stunning northwest natives. Greg Rabourn will show you different plants that will thrive in sunny hot spots or shady corners. Follow Greg's tips and you will be amazed at the birds and butterflies that visit your garden while also reducing your yard maintenance.

 

• Saturday, June 8; 10am-11:15am
  Sammamish Plateau Water and Sewer District
  1510 228th Ave. SE, Sammamish
  Register Online | Phone: 1-800-838-3006

Sustainable Garden Design
Jessi Bloom, Owner and lead designer of N.W. Bloom EcoLogical Landscapes
Landscapes and gardens offer a wealth of benefits if designed and managed well. Jessica will teach you how to look at your garden as an ecosystem and explore the possibilities to make your space more sustainable. She will cover building healthy soils, good design and planning, as well as proper maintenance strategies to reduce work while preserving our natural resources. The class will go through the design process, how to choose plants and prioritize uses for your space. You’ll see examples of beautiful, sustainable landscapes for inspiration. After taking this class you will have the tools to begin a journey towards making your own garden more sustainable.

• Saturday, June 8; 11:30am-12:45pm
  Sammamish Plateau Water and Sewer District
  1510 228th Ave. SE, Sammamish
  Register Online | Phone: 1-800-838-3006

 

Wildlife-Friendly Gardening for Beauty and Sustainability
Emily Bishton, Landscape designer and environmental educator
Welcome songbirds, butterflies, and beneficial insects into your yard while conserving natural resources at the same time. Discover how urban wildlife can provide you with year-round natural pest and weed control and better pollination. Then, learn about design techniques and maintenance practices that can attract and nurture beneficial wildlife in your garden for years to come.

Saturday, June 8; 1pm-2:30pm
Sammamish Plateau Water and Sewer District
1510 228th Ave. SE, Sammamish
Register Online | Phone: 1-800-838-3006

 

Many more classes in Issaquah, Redmond and the surrounding area.  Please see the Savvy Gardener web page for more details:  

http://www.savingwater.org/savvygardener/

Sammamish Landing Park Cleanup this Saturday

Visit one of our newer parks and help to clean it up. Tools will be provided, but please wear closed shoes (no sandals) and a long sleeved shirt to protect your arms from thorns.

To reach Sammamish Landing, park on 187th Ave NE. Find the trail to the tunnel that crosses under East Lake Sammamish Parkway. Head south (left) on the East Lake Sammamish Trail for about a 5 minute walk to the shelter.
 
May 18, 9-noon 
Please register at the link below: 

http://www.sammamish.us/volunteer/SignUp.aspx?ID=2813



 








 

Dawn Chorus Walk at Mercer Slough

Cedar Waxwing May 2011 by Mick Thompson

Morning birdsong is a special treat and spring is a wonderful time to hear a wide variety of songs from migrating and resident birds. Join Eastside Audubon this Saturday as they walk slowly and listen for the early singers and those that join the chorus later.  See their web page for more details:  http://eastsideaudubon.org/calendar/dawn-chorus-walk-at-lake-sammamish-state-park

Washington's Largest Native Plant Sale This annual native plant sale is an extravaganza of native plants for your landscape or garden.  Thousands of plants native to Washington (esp. the Puget Sound Trough), including wildflowers, ferns, grasses & sedges, groundcovers, shrubs, trees. New this year: kids' activity table & pre-planted decorative pots for patio or deck Also:* plant propagation workshops* guided walks in the Mercerdale native plant gardens* large selection of books on native plants, insects, etc.  And a dozen other organizations, including Sustainable Redmond, Plant Amnesty, the Stillaguamish Tribe & National Wildlife Federation will have booths. Books on gardening and native plants, workshops, abundant free parking and more.
Sponsor	CPS Chapter, WNPS
Date & Time	Saturday, May 11, 2013;  10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Location	Mercerdale Park, Mercer Island 77th Ave SE & SE 32nd Street Map
Contact	Rita Moore, wnpscpsplantsale@gmail.com or 206 275-3883
Notes	Plant Sale Blog:  http://wnps.wordpress.com/ .

 And don't forget Eastside Audubon native plant sale 4/27/13.  See posting of 4/2/13 for more details. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next Sammamish Community Wildlife Habitat Project meeting:  

 

Bog: an inelegant name for a rare and sensitive wetland

CITY EXPERT WILL EXPLAIN THE IMPORTANCE OF BOGS AT PRESENTATION

We know the question has been troubling you, pestering the outer edges of you conscious mind and refusing to go away – “Just what, exactly, is a bog?” Well, relief will arrive at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 22, at Beaver Lake Lodge, 25101 S.E. 24th St. That’s when Kathy Curry, the city’s wetland biologist and senior environmental planner, will address the issue at a meeting of the Sammamish Community Wildlife Habitat Project.“We have a lot of bogs in Sammamish,” Curry said. “I’m always happy to share what I know with residents who’ve taken an interest in our community’s sensitive areas.”  Although Sammamish has a generous supply, bogs are, generally speaking, quite rare and quite valuable. They’re an especially sensitive wetland with fragile water chemistry and delicate vegetation.  For more information about this special event, feel free to contact Jan Bird at bird.samhabitat@gmail.com.  The Sammamish Community Wildlife Habitat Project encourages provision of habitat for wildlife throughout the community – not only in public areas, but in individual backyards, on school and church properties, and in parks and places of business, creating a place where residents, flora and fauna can all flourish.

Kathy Curry, the city’s wetland biologist, will discuss bogs.

         

 

Sammamish's  new park has a new name - the park at SE 8th Street  is now Big Rock Park 

Help us celebrate by volunteering this Saturday from 9am - noon. We will be removing invasive plants.  Thankfully there is very little blackberry at this park that we need to tackle, but there is ivy, holly and yellow archangel.  

This event is open for all ages, but volunteers under the age of 14 will need to be accompanied by a parent. We will be out there rain or shine, so be sure to dress for the weather!

Sign up by going to this link: https://www.sammamish.us/events/Default.aspx?ID=2821

Dawn Sanders
425.295.0556
dsanders@sammamish.us 

Education Programs and Field Trips

Experience the Cedar River Watershed

Do you know where Seattle’s high-quality tap water comes from? Join Seattle Public Utilities this year for a variety of guided and self-guided programs and discover for yourself! Visit the Cedar River Watershed Education Center, near North Bend, and enjoy free hands-on exhibits, rain drums, and beautiful Rattlesnake Lake.

Sign up for a tap water tour, a family waterfall tour, or walking tour of the historic town sites of Cedar Falls or Taylor. Better yet, venture into the protected watershed for a full-day guided trip to see the connection between the Watershed’s protected rivers, lakes, forests, and wetlands and your tap water.

Get outside, explore, and experience your Watershed.
2013 Cedar River Watershed catalog