Written By Todd Burley & Eric Sterner
Urban nature is all about transformation. Where concrete once dominated, it takes intention, creativity, and passion to bring nature back to where it has always been. Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) is working with community groups across the city to enhance biodiversity and habitat through many ecosystem projects, including adding new pollinator habitat in our parks. Here are a few of these amazing projects.
Burke-Gilman Trail Pollinator Corridor
Along a stretch of the Burke-Gilman Trail, SPR ecologists worked with EarthCorps to create a pollinator corridor that connects many parks. Matthew Schwartz stewarded this community partnership, which kicked off in 2017. Funding came from the King Conservation District with additional support from Adobe and Ferguson Foundation. The Friends of the Burke-Gilman Trail continue to partner with SPR to steward this habitat. Check out EarthCorps’ awesome guide to pollinator management.
Magnuson Park Meadowscape
SPR ecologists, grounds crews, and community partners joined forces to transform part of Magnuson Park into an amazing meadow that supports a variety of pollinators. They used the Northwest Meadowscapes handbook to design and implement this 7400-square foot site. Special thanks to Dean Durgge (one of our great Forest Stewards) and Jonathan Hallet (one of our amazing volunteers) for making this dream a reality. The site was initially tarped to remove grass and create a fresh start and then seeded with native species over the ensuing years.
Discovery Park Meadow
Similar to the work conducted at Magnuson Park, an area formerly covered in grass was converted into a robust pollinator meadow at Discovery Park. Rob Stevens, one of SPR’s Forest Stewards through the Green Seattle Partnership, led the effort. Check out some of his photos to see this diverse floral habitat. Or better yet, take a stroll yourself and look for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators using this improved ecosystem.
Urban nature is an important part of our community’s quality of life and supports larger biodiversity efforts by the City of Seattle. As a Bee City USA we strive to enhance our parks through increasing diverse native habitats that support native and migratory species that rely on these pollinator habitats. Learn more about SPR’s pollinator habitats online.