It is always a treat to hear live music at Nature Consortium work parties! The klezmer-esque band of percussion/tuba/clarinet was both lively and moody, perfect for the misty weather. The ample crowd of Squad-regulars did a stellar job with the usual blackberry weeding, including a brush-up on Rubus armeniacus (syn. Rubus discolor) vs. the native trailing blackberry Rubus ursinus (note this link includes a few comparison pics and also includes the noxious Rubus laciniata / cut-leaf evergreen blackberry).
Squad on the Duwamish River. Steamy mulch.
We have worked many a task at Stewardship Squad, from wielding the weed wrench, to hauling stones and of course weeding, planting and mulching. This time however, was our first for sheet-mulching on a large-scale. The native plants contend with hedge bindweed (Convolvulus sepium) and poison-hemlock (Conium maculata) at the riverside restoration site- the cardboard layer underneath the woodchips helps smother existing rhizomes, plants and seeds. This restoration project was begun by an interested employee at the adjacent BECU headquarters, who's employer supported the efforts and they grew! Other partners and the City of Tukwila are involved now. May we all be as inspired to better our surroundings. The Homeschool Stewardship Squad was happy to help. And glad for the steamy mulch piles on a chilly day.
