Restoration Historic Use Current & Future Uses Walks 2013

Montlake Fill in the late 1950’s Yesler Swamp The Mon tlak e Fill was a lllocal lan dfill that was built on a mudflat created when Lake was lowered The Natural Area in 1916. It was used for refuse A Walking Tour of Habitat Restoration disposal starting in 1933 and capped Saturday May 25th at 10AM in 1970. In 1991, students and Meet at the Wahkiakum Lane Kiosk faculty from the began to restore the site, and it was named the Union The Union Bay Natural Area contains Bay Natural Area. Managed by the grasslands, woodlands, riparian areas, University of Washington Botanic shoreline, permanent and ephemeral

Gardens, it is a natural laboratory for ponds, marshes and swamps. It is one Societyyg for Ecological Restoration restoration and natural historic study. of the premier birding areas in . Northwest Chapter Union Bay Natural Area Restoration Walk Area

In 1970, the old landfill site was seeded with European Center for Urban pasture grasses and management stopped. By 1998, Horticulture Meeting spot about half of the 76 acre site was engulfed by Himalayan blackberry; invasive control has been the main focus of all subsequent restoration.

Beaver Dam in Yesler Swamp

The Restoration walk will be guided by Professor Kern Ewing Restoration Walk Areas of Interest:

1) Studies per formed by the University’s Student Laboratory. 2) Approaches used to control blackberry: Invasive Removal. 3) Species Diversity and birding in the Union Bay Natural Area. 4) Habitat Diversity and Natural colonization.

Photo Credits: Kern Ewing, University of Washington Professor; landfill photo from the UW Northwest Collection; and Aerial map from Google Earth.

Restoration Walks is an initiative launched to celebrate SERNW's 20th Anniversary across the Cascadia bioregion. To register an event or for a list of Restoration Walks across the Northwest, see sernw.org