PHOTO: UW Botanic Gardens horticulturist Heather Ferguson (center) working with volunteers to remove invasive blackberry from the Union Bay Natural Area.
Want to help restore and care for one of the most beautiful natural areas and best birding sites in the city? Our partners at UW Botanic Gardens are seeking volunteers to help with ecological restoration projects in the Union Bay Natural Area (UBNA).
Just north of Husky Stadium, along the shores of Lake Washington, UBNA is a 74-acre public wildlife park, crisscrossed by gravel walking trails. (It’s also home to the Center for Urban Horticulture and UW Farm.) From 1926 to 1966, much of the site was a city landfill, known as the Montlake Fill. In recent decades, it has served as a laboratory for UW ecological restoration projects and has been transformed into patchwork of wetland prairies and native woodlands—and a vital habitat for our urban wildlife.
As with most urban natural areas, however, invasive plants and other weeds are a constant scourge, and restoration is a continuous process of management and care. New UBNA horticulturist Heather Ferguson oversees the maintenance of much of the natural area. (Some parts of the property are active restoration plots managed by UW teachers and students in the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences.)
And Heather needs volunteer assistance!
She recently started a program recruiting volunteers for an UBNA restoration crew. The group meets year-round on Thursday afternoons from 1 to 4pm and primarily works on invasive weed control.
“There is a lot of Himalayan blackberry and other invasives impacting our native trees and shrubs, as well as our trails,” says Heather. “Much of our initial focus is on pulling out weeds, so participants need to be prepared for manual labor in various weather conditions. Eventually, the hope is that we’ll also get to do new plantings.”
The new initiative echoes the Garden Stewards program at the Arboretum, and indeed, when I visited UBNA during a restoration work party last month, one of the volunteers working with Heather was also part of the Stewards volunteer pool.
“I’m just beginning to establish a core group of volunteers,” says Heather, “and we’re asking for a commitment of at least 6 months.”
To sign up, visit the UW Botanic Gardens’ volunteer page and apply for “UBNA Restoration Volunteer.” Feel free to email Heather at hferg3@uw.edu with any questions.
Union Bay Natural Area trail, with Husky Stadium in the background. (Photo by UW Botanic Gardens)
