Our north Seattle neighborhood has the first and one of the largest traffic circles in the City. Over the years, it was taken over by invasive English Ivy and drug abusers who discarded their syringes and other drug paraphernalia in the thick ivy foliage.
Led by volunteers Susan Samuelson, Eleanor Thompson, George Macomber and JoElla Weybright, and backed by a Seattle Department of Neighborhoods grant, this traffic circle is being transformed into a vital neighborhood green space. At a series of neighborhood work parties, volunteers pulled the ivy from the circle, then developed a planting plan that includes a diverse array of native trees, shrubs and wildflowers. Recently, they covered the circle with a thick layer of wood chips mulch to stabilize the site until the fall of 2010 planting season. At that time, 1,000 native plants and four trees will be installed by 30 neighborhood volunteers on the 5,500 square foot site.
Projects like this remind us that we can all positively impact the landscapes that surround us, and in so doing, improve the environment, our quality of life, and our relationships with neighbors.
