Richmond Beach Saltwater Park Restoration: 2011

Dec 8, 2011

January's Work Party on Martin Luther King Day

Please join us for a Volunteer Restoration Work Party at the Richmond Beach Saltwater Park! We will be removing exotic species above the children’s playground.
Minors 14-17 must have a signed parental waiver;
minors under 14 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.
come volunteer with us!

Dates: January 16th, 2012
(Martin Luther King Day, a day for everyone to make an positive impact on their community)

Time: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Location: Richmond Beach Saltwater Park, 2021 NW 190th Street Shoreline

Action: Come to our fun volunteer event, meet other community members, socialize at the playground while enjoying refreshments, and restore your local park!

Volunteer Preparation: Wear sturdy clothes, and footwear, as we’ll be working on steep slopes. Come prepared for the weather as we will work rain or shine. Tools and gloves are provided but bring yours if you have them. Please bring your lunch. We will serve light refreshments.

Contact Details: For more information, please contact saltwater.capstone@gmail.com.

RSVP: To register, feel free to use comment function of the blog, or email us at saltwater.capstone@gmail.com.

Nov 16, 2011

Introduction to UW-REN Capstone Members

Hello,
this blog and this year's restoration effort at Richmond Beach Saltwater Park is facilitated by the UW-Restoration Ecology Network Capstone group. This group is composed of six Restoration Ecology students at the University of Washington, Seattle campus.

Chris Cowell: His interests include horticulture, restoration ecology, and conservation.
Noel Daniel: Her interests include native and non-native plant propagation, and habitat restoration.
Tae Kim's interests include forestry development, and policy and economics of resource management.
Hong Nguyen: Her interests include rare flora conservation, mangrove restoraton, and vegetative propagation.
Talya ten Brink: Her interests include wetlands, coastal systems, and the design of public spaces.
Robyn Turner: Her interests include native plants, community led projects, agriculture and restoration ecology.

Our diverse skills and experiences aid the project. We look forward to accomplishing the proposed project from our clients of City of Shoreline. However, we can't accomplish the restoration without your volunteer help, and the help of other volunteers!

Nov 1, 2011

Calendar

Work Party Dates

January 16th, 2012
February 11, 2012

February 25, 2012

March 10, 2012

March 17, 2012

Time: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Oct 1, 2011

What is Ecological Restoration?

"We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect." - Aldo Leopold

Definition of Ecological Restoration: Ecological restoration is the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed.

Attributes of a Restored Ecosystem
1. The restored ecosystem contains a characteristic assemblage of the species that occur in the reference ecosystem and that provide appropriate community structure.
2. The restored ecosystem consists of indigenous species to the greatest practicable extent. In restored cultural ecosystems, allowances can be made for exotic domesticated species and for non-invasive ruderal and segetal species that presumably co-evolved with them. Ruderals are plants that colonize disturbed sites, whereas segetals typically grow intermixed with crop species.
3. All functional groups necessary for the continued development and/or stability of the restored ecosystem are represented or, if they are not, the missing groups have the potential to colonize by natural means.
4. The physical environment of the restored ecosystem is capable of sustaining reproducing populations of the species necessary for its continued stability or development along the desired trajectory.
5. The restored ecosystem apparently functions normally for its ecological stage of development, and signs of dysfunction are absent.
6. The restored ecosystem is suitably integrated into a larger ecological matrix or landscape, with which it interacts through abiotic and biotic flows and exchanges.
7. Potential threats to the health and integrity of the restored ecosystem from the surrounding landscape have been eliminated or reduced as much as possible.
8. The restored ecosystem is sufficiently resilient to endure the normal periodic stress events in the local environment that serve to maintain the integrity of the ecosystem.
9. The restored ecosystem is self-sustaining to the same degree as its reference ecosystem, and has the potential to persist indefinitely under existing environmental conditions. Nevertheless, aspects of its biodiversity, structure and functioning may change as part of normal ecosystem development, and may fluctuate in response to normal periodic stress and occasional disturbance events of greater consequence. As in any intact ecosystem, the species composition and other attributes of a restored ecosystem may evolve as environmental conditions change.

-Society for Restoration Ecology International

Information about UW-REN: http://depts.washington.edu/uwren/