Blog From The Bog

Update - Hylebos Park Will Open May 1st 2015

Update on status of West Hylebos boardwalk repairs.   Due to severe damage to the Hylebos Boardwalk winter of 2014, West Hylebos Park will be closed for repair and restoration work until May.    Latest word from Federal Way Parks director John Hutton is the park will open on May 1st, 2015.

Over the winter park staff and volunteer crews have been making repairs and improvements in the park.  For information on upcoming Volunteer Opportunities in the Hylebos Watershed contact EarthCorps - Hylebos. For more information on group and/or individual volunteer opportunities, contact the volunteer team at volunteer@earthcorps.org or 206-322-9296 x 21

City of Federal Way Parks City of Federal Way Volunteer Application,  Ph: 253.835.6910  mary.jaenicke@cityoffederalway.com

 

 

Late September Break from the Storm

Great day for a stroll along the boardwalk at West Hylebos Wetlands park. 

Great day for a stroll along the boardwalk at West Hylebos Wetlands park.

......Bring May Flowers....Singing Songbirds

Last month at this time April showers drenched much of the Hylebos wetland with flooding.   The Red Alder trees and Big Leaf Maples were just breaking into bud.   Hot pink Salmonberry flowers were present all along the Hylebos boardwalk.   Skunk Cabbages were breaking ground, showing off the bright yellow lantern flowers.  False Lily of the Valley began to carpet the forest floor with it's beautiful heart shaped leaves.

Black Twinberry berries are forming.

 Hawthorn Flowers

are lovely!

 

 

The salmon released in the creek last month by students are thriving in the wetland stream system.

 Migratory songbirds and resident birds are nesting in the park.   Red-breasted Sapsucker,Northern Flicker and other woodpeckers nest in tree cavities.  Songs of the Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak and Wilson's Warbler can heard along the boardwalk trail.   Violet-green Swallows zoom over Marlake while Red-winged Blackbirds nest in the cattails.  The tiny Bushtit weaves a eleborate basket nest of grasses, moss and lichens.

 

Spring is the most beautiful time of the year at West Hylebos park.  Come take a walk on the boardwalk soon and see what wildlife you can find.

Happy Exploring!

Photo Credits:

Teri Lenfest and Adele Freeland

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April Showers....

 

One month ago in April, 5th grade students from 13 Federal Way schools joined EarthCorp for the annual salmon release in Hylebos creek along with - Friends of the Hylebos, the city of Federal Way, the
Highline MaST, and Issaquah Salmon Hatchery at the annual Storming the Sound for Salmon on April 12, 2013.

The youth learned about Salmon reproduction, habitats, protecting thewatershed, and they each had the chance to name a salmon hatchling that they set free in the West branch of Hylebos Creek.

Read more and see photographs of the day online at the Federal Way Mirror.

Later in the month Margorie Godfrey and Adele Freeland helped with a tour of West Hylebos Park, for the FW Chambers' Advancing Leadership class of 2013.   It was a day for the ducks with drenching rain.  Great to see the wetland flooded with water for our annual spring walk with this group.

Rainy Day Adventure - Hylebos at Flood

The bridge on the Brooklake Spur, water flows under the entire span.  

The Salmon are Back!

Longtime Hylebos volunteer Adele Freeland reported that the salmon are back at Brooklake!  She heard salmon splashing on a recent morning walk. 

And it’s not just salmon who are enjoying this amazing habitat.  Other wildlife spotted this week include Buffleheads, a Northern Shoveler, Blue Heron, Pileated Woodpeckers, a King Fisher, Hooded Merganser, Gadwall, Mallards, a river otter, muskrats, and more! 

Let us know if you spot any wildlife on your next walk through West Hylebos Wetlands. 

 

Volunteers out at West Hylebos Wetlands!

This past Saturday, EarthCorps led 56 volunteers at in restoration at the Hylebos Wetlands. All together we planted 9 conifer trees and 98 shrubs, filling in some of the open areas in the planting sites.  Volunteers also did a maintenance sweep through these areas, removing Scotch broom, Himalayan blackberry, cutleaf blackberry and Canada thistle.

Special thanks to volunteers from Todd Beamer High School’s Key Club and the Federal Way Youth Ecology Group, associated with KAPA.

Stay tuned for volunteer event dates for 2013!

Get dirty in the Bog!

EarthCorps is hosting a volunteer event at the West Hylebos Wetlands on Saturday, November 10th.  EarthCorps staff will lead community volunteers in planting native trees like Grand firs and native shrubs like beautiful Mock Orange and Flowering Red Currant.  Volunteers will also be removing some of the invasive plants that are threatening the health of the wetlands and it's ability to provide ecosystem benefits to the City of Federal Way and the Hylebos watershed.  Many cities are taking action in mitigating the effects of climate change and storm damage by focusing on environmental restoration.  A healthy urban forest or wetland can play a huge role of absorbing and filtering excess rainwater to reduce flooding, erosion and subsequent property damage.  A recent article in Outside magazine describes how restoring damaged ecosystems can help a city weather storms more effectively:

http://www.outsideonline.com/blog/outdoor-adventure/politics/urban-forests-make-cities-more-resilient-to-a-changing-climate.html?176601581  

This event is part of EarthCorps' Climate Action Month.  During this month, the focus is on educating the community about the role that our urban forests, wetlands and shorelines play in mitigating the effects of climate change along with advocating volunteers using mass transit, biking or walking to get to events.  To learn more and sign up for events, please visit:   http://www.earthcorps.org/pages.php?articleId=783

West Hylebos Wetlands is at the heart of the Hylebos watershed. Check out this map and identify a new area of the watershed you want to explore! Tell us about your favorite places in the watershed.

Stewarding the Hylebos is a team effort. One way you can help is through volunteering. Click here and look for opportunities to volunteer in the Hylebos: http://www.earthcorps.org/volunteer.php . Thank you!