April 24th and 25th: Edmonds Community Wildlife Habitat Certification Celebration!

Edmonds, WA will be receiving Community Wildlife Habitat certification from the National Wildlife Federation in April 2010 following almost two years of dedicated work by the Backyard and Community Wildlife Habitat team, the support of almost 161 residents, 5 schools, and 19 common places/parks who had registered their property as Backyard Wildlife Habitats through National Wildlife Federation, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

On Saturday, April 24th, 2010 the Community Wildlife Habitat certification celebration will take place at Yost Park located at 9535 Bowdoin Way in conjunction with the City of Edmonds annual Watershed Fun Fair. On Sunday, April 25th, 2010 the certification celebration continues with the grand opening of the Willow Creek Hatchery Wildlife Habitat & Native Plant Demonstration Garden at 95 Pine Street, sponsored by the Pilchuck Audubon. This event will also include tour maps to Edmonds Backyard Habitat Certified Yards.

From 11AM to 4PM on Saturday, April 24th, the Watershed Fun Fair & Habitat Certification Celebration will feature displays, demonstrations, and hands-on activities for all residents of Edmonds and other visitors. Participants include the Pilchuck Audubon Society, WSU Beach Watchers, Stilly-Snohomish Fisheries Enhancement Task Force, PAWS Wildlife Center, Bats Northwest, Washington Butterfly Association, Just Frogs/Toads Too and the Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife.

Chris Anderson of the WA Dept. of Fish & Wildlife will address the crowd, and a cake will be shared amongst the community in celebration of our joint efforts. Local Native Storyteller, Understanding Israel will lead us all in a blessing over the animals after which an all-species parade will begin. Everyone is invited to bring or wear a wildlife related costume, wings, etc. There will be tables set-up throughout the day with craft ideas and materials for making all- species costumes and masks.

National Wildlife Federation’s very own Ranger Rick will serve as Master of Ceremonies.
From 1PM to 3 PM on Sunday, April 25th there will be an open house at the Willow Creek Hatchery Garden at 95 Pine St. and Backyard Wildlife Habitat gardens open for visiting. At each of these gardens, which vary widely in size and focus, the owners are available to discuss gardening and habitat techniques. Maps to these gardens are available for pick-up at the Willow Creek Wildlife Habitat & Native Plant Demonstration Garden, 95 Pine Street on Sunday. This event is sponsored by Pilchuck Audubon.

For more information about the Edmonds Backyard Wildlife Habitat Project, visit our website at www.edmondsbackyardwildlifehabitat.org Make sure to check out our website’s Flickr page of photos from past events.

Backyard Habitat Workshop at Overlake School in Redmond, WA

Please join experts from Eastside Audubon, National Wildlife Federation, Seattle Audubon, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington Native Plant Society and Woodland Park Zoo to learn how to attract birds and other wildlife to your backyard, select and care for native plants, recognize and remove invasive plants species, conserve water, manage your backyard without the use of chemical herbicides and pesticides, place feeders and bird houses, and get your yard certified as a Backyard Habitat.

This is a four-part workshop:
Monday, March 1, 2010 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm
Monday, March 8, 2010 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm
Monday, March 15, 2010 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm
Saturday, March 20, 2010 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm

Location: Overlake School in Redmond, WA

Cost: $75 (or $140 for couples); Scholarships available for members of Sammamish Community Wildlife Habitat Project.

To register: download a registration form from Woodland Park Zoo's website.

FREE Rain Garden workshops!

Please join Stewardship Partners for a hands-on classroom workshop on rain garden design and construction. We have several classes scheduled throughout King County and the Seattle Metro area beginning February 25 in Redmond.

Schedule for Rain Garden Classes in King County:
02/25 Redmond
03/18 Bothell
03/30 Seattle
04/01 Mercer Island
04/20 Lake Forest Park
04/29 Bellevue
05/18 Duvall

Rain gardens work like native forests by capturing and infiltrating stormwater from rooftops, driveways, and other hard surfaces. Rain gardens reduce flooding by absorbing water from impervious surfaces; filter oil, grease and toxic materials before they can pollute streams, lakes and bays; help to recharge the aquifer by increasing the quantity of water that soaks into the ground; provide beneficial wildlife habitat. Workshop participants will receive a rain garden handbook and other useful materials. They will also be invited to participate in several full scale rain garden installation workshops scheduled later in the spring and summer.

Workshops are free and registration is required. Participants will be sent site-assessment instructions in advance to help maximize their learning at the workshops.

Contact Stacey Gianas at Stewardship Partners to register and for more details:
Call (206) 292-9875 or email sg@stewardshippartners.org and visit www.stewardshippartners.org for more rain garden information.

The Oregon Rain Garden Guide is here!

Check out the new Oregon Rain Garden Guide: A Step-by-Step Guide to Landscaping for Clean Water and Healthy Streams. This 44-page guide is a joint project of Oregon Sea Grant Extension, Oregon State University and East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District.

The pdf is available here: http://seagrant.oregonstate.edu/sgpubs/onlinepubs/h10001.pdf

February 20: Screening of "A Chemical Reaction"

The Coalition of Organic Landscape Professionals (COOL) and Seattle Tilth are proud to present the NW Premiere of the documentary film, 'A Chemical Reaction'. Much of the film’s story focuses on Dr. June Irwin, a dermatologist who spurred the first town in Canada to ban lawn and garden chemicals pesticides in 1991. This action set off a chain of high-profile court cases that culminated in the Canadian Supreme Court in 2001, where the town won in a landmark 9-0 decision. Since its release in fall 2009, this film has been inspiring people across Canada and the United States to challenge the status quo on behalf of their children, pets, neighbors, and wildlife. With spring coming closer by the day, along with the annual spike in marketing of pesticide products, it's important for the voices of the citizen-heroes in this film to be included in the mix. The issue of pesticide use is particularly relevant in the Puget Sound region, where chemical fertilizers and pesticides run off into our lakes, rivers, streams, and the sound during each rainfall.

When: Saturday Feb. 20th from 2:00pm- 6:00pm

Where: Lake Washington Technical CollegeWest Building Auditorium, Rm. #40411605 132nd Avenue NE, Kirkland, WA 98034-8506

Featuring:

• A special appearance by Paul Tukey, the film's producer and narrator, nationally known
• writer and television host. Mr. Tukey will introduce the film, and host a post-screening Q &
• A session and book signing.
• Free educational resources and garden advice from the staff of The Garden Hotline.
• Door prizes and refreshments.
• Book sales

Tickets: $10.00 in advance from www.BrownPaperTickets.com or $15.00 at the door. Proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to www.SafeLawns.org Free parking in the south or west parking lots (follow the sandwich board signs)

Campus map and driving directions: www.lwtc.edu/about/maps/campus

For more information: Contact C.O.O.L at info@organiclandscapers.org. or 206-362-8947. To view a movie trailer, visit www.ChemicalReactionMovie.com

February 5th: Naturalist David Mizejewski at Woodland Park Zoo

Join celebrity naturalist David Mizejewski from National Wildlife Federation at a very special zoo event. David is a wildlife and gardening expert who regularly appears on radio and television (Today Show, Martha Stewart, HGTV, Animal Planet). He'll be joined by several animals that live at the zoo while he shares great ideas on creating wildlife-friendly gardens and fun ways of getting kids outdoors.

When: Friday, February 5th at 2:30 p.m.

Where: Zoomazium

Mention when entering the zoo that you're attending this event and your zoo admission will be free!

19th Annual Native Bareroot Plant Sale

The King Conservation District offers a variety of native trees and shrubs for conservation purposes such as wildlife habitat, windbreaks, hedgerows, reforestation, and stream enhancement. The plants are bareroot stock which means they do not come in pots or burlap bags, but are harvested from the field in winter when the plants are dormant and ready to be replanted. Bareroot plants are hardy, have well-developed roots, are easy to handle, transport, and plant. Click here for more information and an order form.