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May 12-13, 2010 Washington State Office of Farmland Preservation Task Force Events

May 12, 2010, 1-5:30pm. Farmland Tour. Several stops relating to farmland preservation challenges and solutions are planned before a 5:30 p.m. conclusion back at the La Quinta Inn. Those who have pre‐registered for the tour will board the bus promptly at 1:00 p.m. at: La Quinta Inn & Suites 10530 Northup Way, Kirkland.

May 12, 2010, 6:30-8:30pm, Interaction Dinner. The Task Force will hold an interaction dinner at Hector’s Restaurant 112 Lake St. S., in Kirkland. Everyone is welcome at 6:30 p.m. to interact informally with members of the Task Force. Participants can order dinner from the menu on their own if they wish.

May 13, 2010, 9am-4pm Farmland Preservation meeting. The Farmland Preservation Task Force will hold their business meeting in the meeting room of La Quinta Inn and Suites.

If you are interested in attending the farm tour, we ask that you please reserve your spot by calling our office at (360) 407-6200 or email Lori Gonzalez at lori.gonzalez@scc.wa.gov. Reservations for the tour will be taken up until May 10, 2010 or until spots are filled.

May 14, 2010: The Steelhead Diner

6-9 pm, 95 Pine Street, Seattle’s Pike Place Market. Hosted reception, four-course dinner and presentation "Old Growth Forests, Pristine Rivers, but Where are the Salmon?" by Audrey Thompson, Wild Fish Conservancy lead project scientist. Cost: $55 per person, wine and beer included. More info: www.wildfishconservancy.org.

May 15, 2010: Managing Young Stands

8:30am–5pm, Wilcox Farms, Roy, WA. Young conifer and hardwood stands present a host of challenges and opportunities for forest owners. With active management, young stands can be enhanced for wildlife habitat, carbon sequestration, timber production, and other forest products and ecosystem services. Without active management, young stands can languish for years and provide marginal conservation or commercial value. This day-long workshop will address the unique management considerations for forest stands that are less than 40 years old.

During the morning classroom session, speakers will address a broad range of young stand management issues, ranging from the growth dynamics of hardwood and conifer stands to assessing and inventorying forest stands and managing a first-entry thinning. The afternoon will be spent in the field touring two young conifer stands—one that has not yet been thinned, and one that has been thinned using variable retention harvesting and variable density thinning techniques.

This seminar will provide useful information for all types of forest owners and managers including family forests, land trusts, non-profit conservation groups, govt. agencies, and consulting foresters.

Topics will include:
• Young stand dynamics
• Conifer vs. hardwood stands
• What to do in years: 0-5, 5-15, 15-25, 25-40
• Harvest techniques: pre-commercial thinning, commercial thinning, variable retention, etc.
• Wildlife habitat enhancement and forest structure development
• Planning for long term income
• Forest Inventory
• Logging equipment and managing a harvest
• Markets for forest products from young stands
• Financial assistance programs for young stand management
• And more!

For more information contact Kirk Hanson, 360-316-9317, kirk@nnrg.org  or visit our website.

May 16, 2010: Scotsbroom Removal Workparty

10am-1pm, Central Park, Issaquah Highlands. The Issaquah Environmental Council is continuing it's work restoring the area around Issaquah Highlands Central Park.  They would love for volunteers to show up and work the weed wrenches. Kids love this work too! No experience required.  Bring gloves and water.

May 17, 2010: 39th St Hearing at KCC

11am-noon, 1:30-, King County Council Chambers, Seattle.   The King County Council is going to decide on whether or not to buy, though Condemnation, the 39th St access to the Snoqualmie Valley Trail. This is the SVT access across from Fall City Park.

May 23, 2010: King County Parks First Annual 5K Run

Marymoor Park, Redmond. Sign up! Go to www.bigbackyard5k.com. Folks can also participate from anywhere via our VIRTUAL 5k entry option. The race costs a mere $10 to participate virtually, or join us at the main event and get a t-shirt for only $25!

March 27, 2010: Farm Tour: Cadbury Farm / Low-Sugar Pastures

10 am to noon, Carnation. Free!  Tour a 15-acre high-end dressage facility in Carnation with mud-free pastures, sacrifice areas and a covered arena. The farm owner has a lot of experience dealing with EPSM and Insulin Resistant horses. Find out how they’ve learned to manage pasture turn-out and the carbohydrate dilemma. BONUS: Meet a representative from the seed company that developed this farm’s low-sugar pasture seed mixture. To register, call (425) 282-1949 or email: signup@kingcd.org.

April 24, 2010: The Baxter Barn Tour: Budding Eco-Tourism Business

10 am to noon, Fall City. When these farm owners purchased the overgrown, bramble-covered historic Baxter property in 2007 they had no idea where their journey would take them. Hear the landowners’ journey to collect history, restore the farm site, recycle plants, wood and found objects, and to protect water quality and natural resources. Partnering with neighbors, the KCD and King County, along with a labor of love, has transformed the 2.5 acres into a clean, quaint, working farm and educational facility that preserves history while helping salmon, streamside animals, birds, and other wildlife. Farm animals you can see and pet include horses, miniature donkeys, cows, chickens, quail and pheasants. Join us at the Baxter Barn to learn about eco-tourism and the many ways to “clean up” your farm. FREE! Register & receive directions: King Conservation District at 425-282-1949 or signup@kingcd.org.

• January 31, 2010:  Landowner  Informational Meeting & Forest Stewardship Tour

  11am-1pm, Treehouse Point, 6922 Preston-Fall City Road SE, Preston.  FREE! Come an learn what technical and financial resources are available for landowners to implement projects that benefit forest health, mitigate fire and help prevent flooding and erosion.  The Stewardship in Action project assists Patterson Creek and Raging River landowners but anyone with a farm, forest or wetland on their property are welcome to attend and learn about public resources available.  Guest will have an option of attending a Forest Stewardship walking tour on private property along the Raging River which will be lead by Preston resident and Forester, Kristi McClellend.  No reservations required.  Contact info@prkc.org or click HERE for more information.

Tuesdays, Feb 2, 9 & 23, 2010: Healthy Horses, Healthy Watershed Workshops

• 6:30-8:45pm, Fall City.  FREE! Spend some evenings with Alayne Blickle of Horses for Clean Water and have a fun and engaging time learning ways to manage your horse or livestock property to reduce mud, manage manure and improve pastures. Fall City location TBD.  For more information contact Alayne@horsesforcleanwater.com or 425-432-6116.

• Feb 2: Mud, Runoff, Paddocks and Horse Health: Finding a Better Way to Manage Horses.
  Feb 9: Black Gold: Great Ideas for Managing Manure.
  Feb 23: Managing Small Acreage Pastures and Horse Health.

February 12, 2010: Farm Tour: Seattle Police Mounted Patrol Unit

10-noon and 1-3, West Seattle.  Free!  Learn about the Seattle Mounted Patrol Unit and the horses that protect Seattle’s streets. Find out how they manage manure for seven horses, control mud and live in harmony with wildlife and their urban neighbors. BONUS: After the tour watch a live demonstration of the Unit’s police horses!  To register, call (425) 282-1949 or email: signup@kingcd.org.

February 13, 2010: Horses for Clean Water at the Grange

9-noon, Issaquah Grange.  For more information contact Alayne@horsesforcleanwater.com or 425-432-6116.

February 20, 2010: Harvesting Rain Class

10am-12pm, Pickering Garden, Issaquah (across from Costco)This free class includes a classroom presentation and an outside demonstration.  Learn the many ways rain may be stored for use in your vegetable or home garden.

February 20, 2010: Baxter Historical Barn and SiA Open House

10am-12pm, Baxter Farm, 31929 SE 44th Street
Fall City. Free! Presented by Partnership for Rural King County and the Fall City Historical Society for Valley property owners. Come learn some great Fall City history and see clean farm management practices in action. As a participant in the Stewardship in Action program, the Baxter Farm has been the catalyst for restoring and preserving and entire Patterson Creek neighborhood. Learn what neighbors are doing to save money on property taxes and ensure their community remains farm-friendly for generations. Explore options for implementing “clean farm” management tools and practice by leveraging the technical and financial help offered through the Federal EPA Stewardship in Action! Project.

February 20, 2010: Fall City Park Volunteer Planting Event

10-noon, Fall City Park.  The Snoqualmie Tribe Environmental and Natural Resources Department (ENR) is seeking volunteers for a planting event at their Fall City Park restoration site. Snoqualmie Tribe ENR technicians have been hard at work removing hoards of Himalayan Blackberry and other invasive species along the Southern end of the park. This work is nearing completion and the site is being prepared for volunteer planting. This will be a great chance to visit with community members and help make a difference at the local level. Bring a shovel (if you can), rubber boots and gloves. We’ll provide snacks and refreshments. We will be planting rain or shine so be prepared for the unpredictable Washington weather!

Please RSVP to the project coordinator Cindy Spiry at: cindy@snoqualmienation.com by 2/17/2010 so that we can get a general idea of the group size. For more information feel free to contact us at (425) 292-0249.
 

February 20, 2010: How to Grow Your Own Old Growth

noon-5pm, Ohop Grange, Eatonville. Many forest owners in the Pacific Northwest are interested in managing their forests for a broad range of ecological, economic, and social values.
Older forests provide many opportunities for increased forest health, wildlife habitat, ecosystem services, aesthetic value, and revenue generation. The challenge is how to shift plantation stands that were created to maximize wood production towards the development old growth characteristics.

This afternoon seminar will introduce forest owners to the theories, principles and applications of managing 2nd growth forests for late successional characteristics and functions. A panel of seasoned professional foresters will discuss silvicultural strategies, harvesting and management logistics and the unique productive and ecological values of older forests. Examples of forest management strategies on multiple scales will be showcased including family forests, municipalities and state and federal lands.

This seminar will provide useful information for all types of forest owners and managers including family forests, land trusts, non-profit conservation groups, govt. agencies, and consulting foresters.

Cost: $35! More info HERE.  Register by contacting kirk@nnrg.org, 360-316-9317.  

March 5 & 6, 2010: KCD Native Plant Sale

9am-4pm (Friday) and 9am-2pm (Saturday), King Conservation District office, Renton. King Conservation District 19th Annual Bareroot Plant Sale walk-up sale.  See www.kingcd.org for more information.

December 12, 2009: Tree Planting or Native Plant Nursery Maintenance

9am-3pm, Lake Sammamish State Park, Issaquah.  Native trees are critical to the health of the Pacific Northwest. To sign up, go to the Mountains to Sound Greenway web site at and complete the form for either a full day, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm, or Half Day, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm.

December 12, 2009: Raging Rivers Christmas Party

5:45pm-9pm, Carnation Senior's Center, Carnation.  Come one, come all to join in the fun, food and festivities. Meet and greet starts at 5:45, Dinner is from 6:00 to 7:00 after which Santa will be arriving for our gift ex-change. We will be handing out our yearly awards and hold-ing our raffle for delightfulprizes. 

What to bring:
- Yourself and family/friends
- A potluck dish to share plus any serving utensils.
- A gift for the gift exchange; one for each family member that wants to participate. Item should be approximately the same age and gender as participant i.e. Girl or Boy–12yrs and under and Man or Woman-13 and over, gift wrapped and labeled as ―Man, Woman, Boy or Girl and age category.
- Optional—raffle donations, doesn’t have to be horse related but new or hand crafted and in good condition.

December 13, 2009: Christmas Caroling on Horseback and Community Food Drive

11am-3:30pm, Starting at Fall City Elementary School.  Mark your calendars for the 2th annual Christmas Caroling in FALL CITY on Sunday, December 13th. The ride is sponsored by Raging River Riders Saddle Club to extend a Holiday greeting to our friends and neighbors.  We will ride rain or shine (but not snow) so break out the sleigh bells, and saddle up your noble steed or come join us on foot. We will be leaving from the Fall City Elementary School parking lot at 12:00 sharp and returning about 3:30. Please bring Christmas goodies to share at 11:00 as riders saddle and adorn horses with colorful holiday decorations. We will be collecting non-perishable food to donate to the local food bank as we carol the streets of Fall City.  More information at www.ragingriverriders.org.

December 2, 2009: Show your support for Puget Sound rockfish conservation, the establishment of Marine Protected Areas, and the overall health of Puget Sound

7pm-9pm, Seattle Aquarium, 1483 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98101.  In response to the decline of rockfish populations in Puget Sound, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has developed a draft Puget Sound Rockfish Conservation Plan that they will present at this public hearing. Their preferred alternative, among several presented in a draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), recommends implementing a number of specific actions including the consideration of a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

The goal of the draft conservation plan is to restore and protect Puget Sound rockfish populations by increasing their abundance, distribution, diversity and productivity which if fully implemented will contribute significantly to the restoration of the greater Puget Sound ecosystem. For more information about the importance of MPAs, see Marine Protected Areas: A Tool To Restore Puget Sound Rockfish.

Please attend the meeting on December 2nd and show your support for Puget Sound rockfish conservation, the establishment of Marine Protected Areas, and the overall health of Puget Sound.

December 5, 2009: Fall for Salmon Planting Events: Log Cabin Natural Area along Issaquah Creek

10am-2pm, Issaquah.  King County Parks wants to improve our stream corridors for salmon, including the threatened Chinook salmon. You can make a difference by spending a day planting trees! These native trees and shrubs will enhance the natural stream corridor, wetlands and improve the habitat for wildlife. Native plants provide shade and help keep the water cool. Their roots help hold the banks in place and control runoff and erosion which keeps the water cleaner.  To join a Planting Event call Tina Miller, Volunteer Coordinator 206-296-2990 or e-mail at tina.miller@kingcounty.gov to register and to get directions.

December 5, 2009: Native Plant Salvage Event

9 am to noon: Salvage plants in Black Diamond, 1-4 pm: Potting at Holding Facility in Issaquah. Join other volunteers digging up trees and shrubs from this site scheduled for development in the morning. In the afternoon, we’ll be potting up the salvaged plants so they can recuperate before going to King County habitat restoration sites. Once replanted, these native plants will help reduce erosion, shade streams and provide habitat. Special thanks to Yarrow Bay Holdings for providing the salvage site.

Directions to the Salvage site: From I-405 near Renton , take Highway 169 to Black Diamond. Turn right onto Roberts Drive . Go approximately 1.5 miles and watch for sign on left. Turn left into site on gravel road. Volunteers who dig for King County from 9:00 to 12:00 are eligible to dig plants for themselves from 12:00 to 1:30.

Not a morning person? Volunteers are also needed at our Native Plant Holding Facility from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. to help pot up the salvaged plants. Volunteers who help with potting are eligible for free native plants.

Directions to the Native Plant Holding Facility: From I-5 or I-405, take I-90 east to Highland Drive exit (exit 18) in Issaquah. Stay left on the off ramp to continue onto Highland Drive through several lights.  Turn right onto Issaquah–Fall City Road .
Just past Endeavor Elementary School , stay straight onto Duthie Hill Road. The Holding Facility is in Duthie Hill Park (on the right) at 27101 Duthie Hill Road.

Notes: A parent or guardian must accompany volunteers under 16 years old. Dress for the weather and be prepared to get dirty. Sturdy shoes or boots are recommended. We’ll provide gloves, tools and light refreshments.

December 5, 2009: Tree Planting or Native Plant Nursery Maintenance

9am-3pm, Lake Sammamish State Park, Issaquah.  Native trees are critical to the health of the Pacific Northwest. To sign up, go to the Mountains to Sound Greenway web site at and complete the form for either a full day, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm, or Half Day, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm.

December 5, 2009: Holiday Market

10am-3pm, Chief Kanim Middle School Commons (32627 SE Redmond-Fall City RD), Fall City.  Free! The 10th annual Fall City Arts Holiday Market will offer many handmade items for sale from talented crafters and artists throughout the community including framed prints, candles, jewelry, mobiles, tie dye, lotions, soaps, honey, scarves, table runners, placemats, wood items, ornaments, stationery, pottery and garden art.

Come discover unique items such as ethnic African dolls, hand painted oyster ornaments, alpaca yarn and clothing. Pick up fresh wreaths, swags, cedar garland and live poinsettias for your holiday decorating. Have your holiday picture taken with Bubbles the Salmon who has been all decked out in his Holiday attire. You may purchase 4x6 prints ready for pick that day or a digital file to be e-mailed on Sunday, December 6th. With the digital file, you can make great holiday cards! Enter to win one of many unique raffle prizes. Plan to come hobnob with friends and neighbors as you check off a few items from your holiday shopping list. Bring a friend and enjoy a cup of coffee at the Snoqualmie Valley Girls Choir Coffee Bar Cafe. The Scouts will be back with their Bake Sale. The Fall City Community Food Pantry will be accepting your non-perishable food and/or monetary donations. Look for the Red Collection Bins when you enter the front door at the Holiday Market. Lots of great live music! 

November 18, 2009: Cascade Agenda Cities Program

6:30-9 pm, Eastside Fire & Rescue’s Headquarters, 175 Newport Way N.W., Issaquah. The Cascade Agenda Cities Program would like to invite you to “Taking Action in Issaquah: How to Shape the Future of Your Community,” a free 2-hour workshop on how citizens can effectively participate in the land use process.

November 7, 2009: Sammamish Stewardship Saturday

9am-3pm, Timberlake Park, Issaquah.  Two previous projects removed invasives - blackberries and ivy. This time we will be planting several hundred native trees and shrubs. To sign up, go to the Mountains to Sound Greenway web site at and complete the form for either a full day, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm, or Half Day, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm.

November 12, 2009: Pasture Management: Becoming a Grass Farmer

Thursday, 6:30-9pm, Issaquah Salmon Hatchery, Issaquah.
Free workshops for Horse & Small Farm Owners Hands-on workshops on livestock management practices. See a variety of options & work with technicians to discover ways you can have less mud, better pastures, manage manure and care for streams & wetlands. To register and receive directions contact the King Conservation District at 425-282-1904, or paul.borne@kingcd. org.

November 12, 2009: Newport Way (in Issaquah) Planning Open House

7pm, Issaquah Valley Elementary School, 555 NW Holly St.  How should nearly a mile of Newport Way Northwest – near Issaquah Valley Elementary School – be enhanced? To improve safety and traffic flow – especially by accommodating left turns – the City is reviewing two options for improving Newport: a three-lane alternative with signalized intersections or a two-lane alternative with roundabout intersections. As part of the City’s “Complete Streets” program, the proposed project would also improve connections for walkers, as well as add bicycle lanes or “sharrows.” New stormwater facilities – such as stormwater vaults, low-impact drainage facilities or stormwater ponds – would also be added.

Come share your opinion at the City of Issaquah’s upcoming open house. During the open house the City will present both options and collect the public’s feedback. After an option is selected, design work could then begin as early as next year, with construction dependent on funding and grants.

November 12 & 14, 2009: Living with Wildlife Workshop

Carnation Elementary & Private Residence in Issaquah.  Learn to create habitat while reducing wildlife conflicts. Register today for our free two part Enhancing and Managing for Wildlife Habitat Workshop in Carnation and Issaquah on Thursday, November 12, from 6:30 - 9:30 pm, and Saturday, November 14, from 9 am - 4 pm. Learn from experts on topics ranging from creating a wildlife plan for your property, creating snags, bat ecology and installing bat boxes, enhancing nesting habitat, and living with mammals. Visit a local property to see wildlife features in place and in progress. For more details or to register, please contact Ginny Ballard at ginny.ballard@kingcounty.gov or 206-205-3171.

November 14, 2009: Berntsen Park Work Party

9 am to noon, 810 - 4th Avenue NW, Issaquah.  WNPS invites you to show up with your gloves and tools or bring your own favorite tools for cutting down and grubbing out invasive blackberries that have taken over this beautiful site on the shore of the Issaquah Creek. Saturday planting parties are planned for later this fall once the site is cleared of weeds. For questions or to sign up, contact BerntsenPark4thNW@gmail.com  or call 425 746-2576.  Rain or shine.

November 14, 2009: Stewardship Partners - Salmon Habitat Restoration Event

10am to 1:30pm, Oxbow Farm.  Come join volunteers planting native trees and shrubs along the banks of the salmon-bearing Snoqualmie River. Snacks provided.   Call Stacey to RSVP at 206-292-9875.

November 14, 2009: Riverfront Park Tree Planting

9am-3pm, Riverfront Park, North Bend.  Native trees are critical to the health of the Pacific Northwest. To sign up, go to the Mountains to Sound Greenway web site at and complete the form for either a full day, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm, or Half Day, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm.

November 14, 2009: Sammamish State Park

9am-3pm, Lake Sammamish State Park, Issaquah.  Native trees are critical to the health of the Pacific Northwest. To sign up, go to the Mountains to Sound Greenway web site at and complete the form for either a full day, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm, or Half Day, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm.

November 14, 2009: Premier Farm Tour

10am to noon, Enumclaw.  FREE! Race horses, saddle horses and alpacas. Join us to tour this premier farm that has worked hard to be harmonious with the land and native animals while still doing the best for their domesticated animals. This beautiful 10-acre farm features many chore-efficient practices including gravel turnouts with shelters, an arena sized for trail courses, a round pen, an ecology block compost bin, easy-care Nelsen automatic waterers to conserve water and save on time, and conveyor belting & rubber stall mats which help with mud and stall cleaning.  The back of the property features a wildlife enhancement area for deer, elk and smaller animals. A riding path extends around the perimeter of the property. BONUS: Building horse property? The owners want to share how having a KCD farm plan helped them with permitting, allowing them to get
cost-sharing and reduced creek buffers. FREE! Register & receive directions: King Conservation District at 425-282-1949 or signup@kingcd. org

October 28 & 29, 2009: No-Till Organic Vegetable Production Workshop & Planning Session

WSU Snohomish in Everett and 21 Acres Farm in Woodinville. This two day WSU Extension event will bring together interested researchers, farmers, and extension professionals to learn about no-till farming practices in organic vegetable production and to help plan a research and extension project. 

On the first day, no-till experts will be presenting and attendees will take a field trip to the rolling/crimping trial on pumpkins at 21 Acres in Woodinville. This session will be open to anyone interested in no/low till farming.

Day two will consist of planning for a research and extension project to investigate no/low-till methods for organic vegetable production in Western Washington. This session is by invite only, but we still have some open spots. If you are interested in participating in day two, please contact Colleen Burrows.

There is no cost for this event, but RSVPs are required.  A limited number of seats are available.  Register at: http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/no_till/registration.html.

November 3, 2009: Mail your vote for the General Election

For general information, see http://www.kcls.org/infovote/.  For information on the OSA, click HERE.

November 4, 2009: Patterson Creek and Raging River Basins Landowners Meeting

2-3pm, Fall City Library.  Financial and technical assistance is being made available to landowners in the Patterson Creek and Raging River Basins through a Federal EPA grant.  Come learn about the project and explore the help that is available for private landowners to accomplish their property goals. Assistance can include any of the following: mitigating flooding, installing fencing, thinning or harvesting forests, installing fire lines, improving pastures, replacing culverts, installing agricultural buffers, improving streams and dealing with wildlife issues.  Owners with properties with wetlands, contiguous forest or quality wildlife habitat can learn how to a receive property tax reduction from King County for implementing a forest, farm or stewardship plan.  More information available HERE.

October 20, 2009: Patterson Creek and Raging River Basins Landowners Meeting

7-8pm, Fall City Library.  Financial and technical assistance is being made available to landowners in the Patterson Creek and Raging River Basins through a Federal EPA grant.  Come learn about the project and explore the help that is available for private landowners to accomplish their property goals. Assistance can include any of the following: mitigating flooding, installing fencing, thinning or harvesting forests, installing fire lines, improving pastures, replacing culverts, installing agricultural buffers, improving streams and dealing with wildlife issues.  Owners with properties with wetlands, contiguous forest or quality wildlife habitat can learn how to a receive property tax reduction from King County for implementing a forest, farm or stewardship plan.  More information available HERE.

October 21, 2009: Business Recycling Workshop

7:45 am – noon, Lytle House in Bothell.  Free! You can recycle AND cut costs.  In this workshop you will learn:
—How to translate your waste audit into actual savings
—How to calculate your business's carbon footprint
—How to start your recycling program
—How to engage employees and improve morale

Tour of local recycling centers included.  Reserve your place for both or either one of these FREE workshops by contacting Sabrina Combs at sabrina.combs@ci.bothell.wa.us or 425.486.2768 x4406. Click here to register online.

October 2, 2009: Horses for Clean Water QA Table

11am-4pm, The Grange, 145 NE Gilman Blvd, Historic Downtown Issaquah. Do you have questions on how to manage your horse or livestock property? Are you worried about facing another mucky Western Washington winter with your horses? Have questions on how to manage fall pastures?

Visit with Alayne Blickle at the Horses for Clean Water info table to get your questions answered, pick up free handouts and learn about free upcoming educational events. Thanks to the King Conservation District and the Washington Department of Ecology, Alayne is available to work with horse and livestock owners residing in the Issaquah Creek Watershed on with mud, manure, pasture and related natural resource issue questions.

October 6, 2009: Gallery Reception for Scott Ward

5-7 pm, Fall City Roadhouse, Downtown Fall City.  The Fall City Inn Art Gallery invites you to the opening reception for Scott Ward. Please join us for the opening of "rhythm and blues" a brand new body of work by popular Seattle artist Scott Ward. Deceptively simple, charming and filled with lush color, animals and hidden messages ~ ~Scott's art is highly entertaining.

October 7, 2009: Business Recycling Workshop

7:45 am – noon, Lytle House in Bothell.  Free! You can recycle AND cut costs.  In this workshop you will learn:
—How recycling impacts climate change
—How to conduct an internal waste audit
—To go after the low hanging fruit first

Tour of local recycling centers included.  Reserve your place for both or either one of these FREE workshops by contacting Sabrina Combs at sabrina.combs@ci.bothell.wa.us or 425.486.2768 x4406. Click here to register online.

October 7, 2009: Budget-Wise Ways to Prepare Horse Property for Winter

7-9pm, White River Museum, Auburn. FREE! Budget-Wise Ways to Prepare for Winter Highlighting cost-cutting methods, Alayne Blickle of Horses for Clean Water will lead you through a checklist
on how to winterize your horse property to beat mud & become
chore-efficient. Get budget-saving tips and low-cost techniques for reducing mud, choosing footings for paddocks, getting gutters and downspouts in working order, eliminating pesky rodents, keeping water supplies from freezing -- and more! Get a jump on winter and learn how to make the coming rainy season easier to live with and cost-effective! Register & receive directions: King
Conservation District at 425-282-1949 or signup@kingcd. org.

October 3 & 4, 2009: Salmon Days!

10am-6pm, Historic Downtown Issaquah. Celebrating its 40th year, Salmon Days remains as “fresh, fun and free” as the day J.P. Patches made his cameo appearance before a “crowd” of 15,000 at the first Salmon Festival in 1969. But, like all good things, fun has a way of catching up with our “waste-lines.” Thus, the Issaquah Salmon Days Festivals Office is excited to announce this year’s festival will be totally compostable.

Thanks to the cooperative efforts of the Salmon Days Office, our City’s Resource Conservation Office, Cedar Grove Packaging, Food Services of America and Kenco Distributing, the 2009 Issaquah Salmon Days Festival will be the first totally compostable event in the Northwest.

For more information, go to www.salmondays.org.

October 3, 2009: Wine Country Harvest Picnic

11:30 am -  2:00 pm, 21 Acres Farm in Woodinville.  Bringing together farmers, chefs and winemakers, the Harvest Picnic kicks off the 21 Acres Harvesting Excellence Farm Meal Series with notable chefs presenting course selections with the freshest, local ingredients from 21 Acres and local area farms.  The picnic begins with A Taste of 21 Acres, including amuse bouche and wine tastes presented throughout the Farm during a tour of the grounds; followed by a three course, wine paired picnic lunch. Chef Emily Moore is recognized for her flavorful creations having received top reviews from local and regional food critics for her innovative local cuisine. The outdoor table setting showcases the new wood-fired brick oven.  Cost: $55 per person or $100 for two. RSVP required.

Please join us at the farm and share our table. To reserve your space or for more information click HERE.

September 28, 2009: Farm Walk Tour of Blue Dog Farm

12:30pm-4pm, Blue Dog Farm, Carnation. Tilth Producers of Washington and WSU Small Farms Team present this Farm Walk on Berry Production, Static Composting, and Raising Children while Farming.  Owners Amy and Scott Turner will share information and host discussions on a wide range of topics while we tour their dynamic community-rich farm. These farmers will share how they are changing Blue Dog Farm into a more diverse and integrated farm by combining vegetable and fruit production with animal and feed production. With berries as the main crop, attendees will see a variety of weed and disease control practices for small acreage fresh market blueberries and raspberries. Another main highlight at Blue Dog Farm is the static aerated pile method for composted mulch. Learn about the benefits of different compost ingredients, equipment, recordkeeping, testing, and best final use. Amy and Scott will also talk about the challenges and benefits of raising children while actively organic farming.   Beverages are provided.
Cost is $10 for Tilth Producers members; $15 for non-members; for student group rate, inquire at (206) 442-7620
Driving directions available at www.tilthproducers.org.

September 29, 2009: Work Party in Pickering Garden!

4-7 pm, Pickering Garden, Issaquah. Work alongside Seattle Tilth gardeners and other volunteers to manage and grow the Pickering Garden. Meet other folks in your community who are interested in urban ecology and local organic food production, steward a community resource, and learn food production and sustainable landscape management techniques which you can take back to your own projects.

Meet on the West side of the Pickering Barn. We provide gloves and tools, you provide your enthusiasm! Wear clothes you can get dirty, and it's always a good idea to bring drinking water.

For more information and to RSVP, please contact Katie Pencke, Demonstration Garden Coordinator, at 206-633-0451 ext. 102, or email her at katiepencke@seattletilth.org

September 29, 2009: Friends of Cedar River Watershed Dinner

5-10pm,  St. Clouds in Madrona. This casual dinner event brings our community together for an evening of great food, pure water, and a chance to reflect on the watershed we care for, and that cares for us. There are no special arrangements, just dine off the regular menu and a portion of your bill goes to FCRW.  More information at www.cedarriver.org.

September 29, 30 or Oct 1, 2009: Volunteer to Count Bicyclists and Pedestrians

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and the Cascade Bicycle Club are looking for volunteers on Sept. 29 and 30 and Oct. 1 across the state to help count the number of people who walk or bike to their destinations. The information being gathered this fall will be used to track progress toward the state’s goal of increasing bicycling and walking in Washington and reducing the number of vehicle miles driven.

This is part of the National Documentation Project, an annual bicycle and pedestrian count and survey effort that is sponsored by the Institute of Transportation Engineers Pedestrian and Bicycle Council, and to determine progress toward its goal of increasing non-motorized trips.

For more information, please visit WSDOT’s Web site, or contact the Cascade Bicycle Club at 206-957-0689 or organizer@cascadebicycleclub.org

A follow-up report will be available in January 2010 at WSDOT's Web site.

September 26, 2009: Harvest Celebration Farm Tour

10am-4:30, King County Farms. Come out and meet the farmers and explore the farms where your farmer's market produce and flowers are grown!  This fun filled day is a great opportunity to stock up on organic bounty for the dark months ahead.  Lots of farms have hay mazes, cider, tractor rides and animals to pet and observe.  There's mead and wine tasting for the adult kids too. The Harvest Celebration Farm Tour is presented by WSU King County Extension, in partnership with King Conservation District and King County, and with the support of generous sponsors.  Click HERE for more information.

September 26, 2009: Small-scale Log Yarding Course

9am-5pm, Oakville, WA. This training is for woodland owners and workers who want to extract trees from their property safely and without the use of expensive professional logging equipment. With the use of an ATV, small tractor, arch, and other low-cost equipment, logs can be extracted in a low impact manner, with minimal damage to residual trees, understory vegetation and soils.

The program focuses on choosing the right equipment and how to use it safely. The Game of Logging instructor, and other experienced operators, will demonstrate the use of the equipment and how to set up a small-scale, low-impact logging project.

Using the tools and the techniques offered in this program, woodland owners and workers will have the confidence and knowledge to safely and efficiently work in the woods.

For any landowner who is considering buying their own small-scale logging equipment, this training course is a must!

Cost: $125.  Space is limited to 14 participants.  Contact Kirk Hanson at 360-316-9317 or kirk@nnrg.org to register.

September 10, 2009: Historic Barn Workshop

3pm, Carnation Library, 4804 Tolt Ave.  FREE! Residents who own an old barn in King County may be eligible for matching grants to assist with barn stabilization and rehabilitation projects. Information about the state-funded Heritage Barn Preservation Initiative will be available. More information is available HERE.

September 2009: Work Parties in Pickering Garden!

Pickering Garden, Issaquah. Work alongside Seattle Tilth gardeners and other volunteers to manage and grow the Pickering Garden. Meet other folks in your community who are interested in urban ecology and local organic food production, steward a community resource, and learn food production and sustainable landscape management techniques which you can take back to your own projects.

Meet on the West side of the Pickering Barn. We provide gloves and tools, you provide your enthusiasm! Wear clothes you can get dirty, and it's always a good idea to bring drinking water.

For more information and to RSVP, please contact Katie Pencke, Demonstration Garden Coordinator, at 206-633-0451 ext. 102, or email her at katiepencke@seattletilth.org

September's Garden Workdays are:
Tuesday, September 1
5 – 8 p.m.

Friday, September 11
9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Seattle Tilth hosts United Way Day of Caring Volunteer work party

Sunday, September 20
1 – 3 p.m.

Tuesday September 29
4 – 7 p.m.

Sept 17th and 19th, 2009: Restoration Planning Workshop

Carnation.  Join us for a free two-part Restoration Planning Workshop. Hear from experts on topics including controlling pesky weeds, planting the right plants and creating a plan of action. Visit local sites to see work in progress on properties similar to yours. For details or to register, Click HERE   or call Ginny Ballard at 206-205-3171.

September 22, 2009: Bike Maintenance 101

7 pm, REI Store, Issaquah (735 Northwest Gilman Blvd). Come to this free introductory class for all the basics you need to know to get out on the road! Bring your own front wheel for a hands-on experience following the presentation. No registration required.

For more information: Tami Asars at 425-313-1660
or tasars@rei.com or visit REI in Issaquah.

September 22-Nov 17, 2009: Forest Stewardship Coached Planning Class

Tuesdays, 6:30-9:30pm, Preston Community Center, Preston.  Washington State University (WSU) Extension and King County present this popular class is designed to help forest landowners “help themselves” by equipping them with tools and resources to manage for a broad variety of objectives. The class includes evening presentations, a field day, a comprehensive Forest Stewardship Notebook and other educational reference materials, maps and aerial photos of your property, and an individual on-site consultation from a professional forester.

The class is called “Coached Planning” because a major part of this training involves “coaching” participants as they develop personalized stewardship plans for their forests. Many participants use their plans for consideration for significantly reduced “current use” property taxes. With an approved stewardship plan also comes recognition as a Stewardship Forest, eligibility for state cost-share assistance, and qualification to become a Certified Forest under the American Tree Farm System.

Topics to be covered in the class include Forest ecology and silviculture, Forest health, Reforestation, Forest soils, Fish and wildlife habitat, Sustainable timber harvesting, Non-timber forest products, Forest recreation and more.

Early-bird registration fee (before September 1st) is $150 per family or ownership and includes all course materials. Class size is limited to ensure a quality educational experience. Registration is first-come, first-served. Registration cost increases to $175 after September 1st. Limited partial scholarships may be available on request.

For more information click contact Kevin Zobrist at 425-357-6017 or kzobrist@wsu.edu. To register, contact Ginny Ballard at 206-205-3171 or ginny.ballard@kingcounty.gov or visit http://snohomish.wsu.edu/forestry/CP09Preston.htm.

September 23, 2009: Budget-Wise Ways to Prepare Horse Property for Winter

7-9pm, Redmond Regional Library. FREE! Budget-Wise Ways to Prepare for Winter Highlighting cost-cutting methods, Alayne Blickle of Horses for Clean Water will lead you through a checklist
on how to winterize your horse property to beat mud & become
chore-efficient. Get budget-saving tips and low-cost techniques for reducing mud, choosing footings for paddocks, getting gutters and downspouts in working order, eliminating pesky rodents, keeping water supplies from freezing -- and more! Get a jump on winter and learn how to make the coming rainy season easier to live with and cost-effective! Register & receive directions: King
Conservation District at 425-282-1949 or signup@kingcd. org.

August 19, 2009: Fly Like a Beetle

10am-12noon Pickering Barn, 1730 10th Ave NW, Issaquah.  Discover how garden bugs, insects, and spiders live and grow.  Free!

August 19, 2009: Focused Stewardship in Raging and Patterson Creek Basins Strategy Meeting

6:00-9:00pm, Fall City Library Community Room.  Working session for those interested in defining the outreach components of this focused stewardship grant.  More info HERE.

July 28, 2009: Free Knotweed Workshop for Homeowners

Maple Valley Lions Club, The session will cover what we know about effectively controlling knotweed. In addition, participants will be eligible to borrow stem injectors from the King County Noxious Weed Program for controlling knotweed on their own property.  More info 206-296-0290 or noxious.weeds@kingcounty.gov.

August 5, 2009: The Kid-Friendly Horse Farm!

6:30 – 8:30 pm, Maple Valley.  FREE! Often times we teach kids about riding without teaching them about what comes along with that responsibility. Other times it’s a struggle on how to scale things down to a kid’s level or what horse-safe chores to include kids on. Join the KCD & HCW on this unique tour to explore how you can incorporate children into green horsekeeping on your farm. This 1.25-acre horse property has 2 horses, a pony -- & 3 young children who have been taught the joys composting, manure management, horse safety, feeding and other aspects of the horse care routine. Kids with parents are encouraged to join this tour!

Register & receive directions with the King Conservation District at 425-282-1949 or signup@kingcd. org.

July 8, 2009: 5-Acre Sustainable Urban Farm Tour

3-5pm, Renton. FREE! Join the King Conservation District
and Horses for Clean Water to meet a family working to produce their own organic food in a sustainable fashion. In a rapidly developing area of Renton, WA, this 5 acres of well-utilized yard, garden, lawn and woods is producing goats for milk and cheese, chickens, ducks and geese for eggs and meat, vegetable gardens and fruit trees for produce, trees for firewood, bees for pollination and honey, and grass for livestock hay. Join us to learn about sustainability and what it means in terms of reducing our impact on the land -- while saving money AND producing healthy food! Find out about ways to reduce chemical use, how to save on food production, low-tech gardening techniques such as chicken tractors, and how children can be an important part of the chore and animal-care routine. We promise… you will be surprised at the volume and value of healthy food produced on this amazing family farm!

FREE! To register and receive directions contact the King Conservation District at 425-282-1949 or signup@kingcd. org

July 8, 2009: Free Knotweed Workshop for Homeowners

7pm at the Meadowbrook Farm Interpretive Center, 1711 Boalch Ave, Snoqualmie. The session will cover what we know about effectively controlling knotweed. In addition, participants will be eligible to borrow stem injectors from the King County Noxious Weed Program for controlling knotweed on their own property.

July 10, 2009: 2006 Puget Sound Comprehensive Chinook Management Plan Hearing

10:00 am, Seattle Federal Courthouse, 1010 Fifth Avenue, 7th Floor, Seattle. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments regarding the 2006 Puget Sound Comprehensive Chinook Management Plan. Your presence at this hearing will show the court that the public cares deeply about the need for harvest reform. For information regarding this case see The Continuing Saga of Puget Sound Chinook Harvest or contact Wild Fish Conservancy at info@wildfishconservancy.org or 425-788-1167. Additional information can be found on the Wild Fish Conservancy web site at www.wildfishconservancy.org.

June 22, 2009: NW Ag Plastics Recycling Pickup

Morning hours, Alderra Golf Course, 29125 SE Duthie Rd, Fall City. NW Ag Plastics is pleased to continue with the pesticide container recycling program for 2009. Feel free to contact them if you have a need to find out when we will be in your area, if you want to start recycling your containers, or if you have any other questions. Please be advised that they prefer to have containers on-site, ready to grind when we get to the site. They will not wait for containers to be brought to the site, unless special arrangements have been made ahead of time. Click here for more information.

June 23, 2009: Green Shorelines Workshop

• 5:30-8 pm, Mercer Island Community Center at Mercer View, 8236 SE 24th Street, Mercer Island.  A workshop on voluntary approaches and incentives for greening shorelines. Attend this FREE workshop to learn:

• -  What are "green shorelines?"
  -  What are the benefits of various green shorelines approaches?
  -  What green shoreline approaches are right for your property?
  -  What incentives are available for landowners who want to green their shorelines?

• Registration is required and space is limited. Three ways to register:  1. Contact Jeanne Fulcher at 425-649-4318 2. Send e-mail to jful461@ecy.wa.gov 3. Or register online through the Green Shorelines Workshop Web site.

June 20, 2009: Fall City Days

All day!  Join us for a celebration of our community!  Start with the 5k run at 7:30 or pancake breakfast at the Masonic Lodge.  Enjoy the parade, the games, the music all day. More information on http://www.fallcity.org/.

June 6, 2009: Food Lust 2009

5pm on, Fall City Farms, Fall City. Taste the love and pass the peas at Cascade Harvest Coalition’s 4th annual al fresco gala. Drinks, Appetizers, Silent Auction, Dinner, Bottle Brawl, Live Auction and Dessert Dash. Cuban music with SuperSones. Tickets $85 per person, tickets available HERE.

Farmer/Chef Participants: Bluebird Grain Farms, Brasa, Café Flora, Circa, Fall City Farms, Fall City Roadhouse, Full Circle Farm, Herban Feast, Matt’s in the Market, Ninety Farms, River Valley Ranch, Skagit River Ranch, Stokesberry Sustainable Farms, Stumbling Goat Bistro,TASTE at SAM and Taylor Shellfish.

June 11-14, 2009: Treehouse Point and Two Rivers Yoga Retreat

Checkin 6/11 6pm.  Weekend will include: Daily yoga practice, organic meals, seminars, local hikes, free time, arts & crafts,
massage therapy (by appointment) and 5 acres of old growth forest bordered by the beautiful Raging River.

Confirmed Instructors Include:
Kelly Rush, Two Rivers Yoga, Two Rivers Yoga
Cherie Calbom, author of " The Juice Lady" and other titles
Karna Sundy, Joyful Living & Surviving Tough Times
KIm Illig, Certified Intuitive Counselor
Carlos Gomes & Saori Oka, Yoga trance dance Trance Dance

Cost $525 (on site and off-site lodging available).  To get an information & registration packet please contact TreeHouse Point at info@treehousepoint.com.

May 27, 2009: Sustainability Movie Night Presents: Who Killed the Electric Car

6:30 – 8:30pm, King County Library Services Center, 960 Newport Way NW, Issaquah (behind Target)  Free!  Come learn about electric vehicles and the changing face of transportation. After the film, join in a community discussion led by local alternative transportation experts.

May 28 and June 2, 2009: KCD Public Meeting

May 28th, 6-8pm, Carnation Library, 4804 Tolt Avenue, Carnation

OR

June 2nd, 6-8pm, Issaquah Library, 10 W. Sunset Way, Issaquah

The King Conservation District (King CD) will hold a series of six public comment sessions in May and June to provide input on conservation priorities and programs that would be funded by the reauthorization of the district special assessment.  The King CD (www.kingcd.org) provides conservation information and technical assistance programs to all landowners within the district’s boundaries (most of King County) on a voluntary, non-regulatory basis. It provides grants for conservation projects and programs, and initiates community outreach activities including workshops, education programs, site visits, farm plans, and consultation on land, water and wildlife management.

“We are inviting landowners, residents, member jurisdictions, and organizations that operate within the boundary of the district to share their ideas about their natural resource conservation needs and work accomplishments of the District” said King CD Executive Director Jeffrey Possinger.

Individuals interested in providing comments can attend any number of the public comment sessions or may submit comments in writing by June 5, 2009 by email to comments@kingcd.org or standard mail at:

King CD Board of Supervisors
Attn.: Public Comment
1107 SW Grady Way, Suite 130
Renton, WA 98057

For more information on the King CD and the public comment process visit www.kingcd.org or call 425-282-1987.
 

May 30, 2009: Seattle Tilth Edible Plant Sale in Issaquah

9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Pickering Barn, Issaquah.  Seattle Tilth offers the largest selection of locally grown organic vegetable and herb starts on the Eastside to help you have the best garden ever this year! Plants available will include tomatoes, peppers, squash, salad greens, melons, cucumbers, heirloom varieties, and culinary herbs.  For more information, including a full plant list, check Seattle Tilth's website.

May 1-2, 2009: Sno-Valley Plant Sale

9-4pm, Sno-Valley Senior Center, 4610 Stephens Avenue, Carnation. Come one, come all to our 14th annual plant sale! Thousands of assorted plants, beautiful garden art and landscaping materials for you to choose from! Annuals, perennials, herbs, veggie starts, trees, hanging baskets, assorted garden art, fountains and hardscaping materials generously contributed from over 40 of our valley's vendors. On Friday we'll have a container expert to help you assemble "thriller, filler and spiller" containers! Just bring your container, we'll have everything else for you. Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer your questions and garden artisans from our valley will be showing their latest creations. For other plant sale information, be sure to check out our website at www.snovalleysenior.org.

As always, our dedicated cooks and bakers will be offering delicious soups, baked goods, cinnamon rolls and assorted beverages.

All proceeds benefit the Sno-Valley Senior Center.
Call 425.333.4152 for further information.
www.snovalleysenior.org.

May 9th, 2009: Native Plant Sale

Bellevue Botanical Garden, Bellevue. The sale includes NW native wildflowers, ferns, shrubs, trees, as well as books on gardening. Experts will be on hand to help you select plants and complimentary coffee and tea will be provided.  For plant list and more info, go to: www.wnps.org  or call 206.527.3210.

May 12, 2009: Bear Safety Meeting

7-8pm, Blakely Hall in Issaquah Highlands, 1011 NE High Street, Issaquah. FREE! Bear season is just around the corner, and this meeting will help to make living together with bears safer for everyone involved. Julie Hopkins of the Grizzly Bear Outreach Project and Jason Capelli of the State Department of Fish and Wildlife will give a presentation on being “bear safe.”  More info on www.bearinfo.org.

May 14, 2009: Living with Bears and Cougars Talk

7pm, , REI store in Issaquah, 735 NW Gilman Blvd, Issaquah. Join special guest Brian Kertsen, cougar biologist, for this talk.  FREE!

May 16, 2009: Wild Fish Soiree & Benefit Auction

5pm-9pm, Willows Lodge, Woodinville. Join Wild Fish Conservancy to celebrate Wild Fish Conservancy's 20th anniversary. In that spirit, this year’s Wild Fish Soiree and Benefit Auction promises to be a very special evening as we celebrate 20 years of wild fish conservation here in the Northwest and look forward to meeting the new challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.  Click here for more information.

May 19, 2009: Community Workshop: Land Stewardship Tools for Patterson Creek and Raging River

6pm-9pm, Treehouse Point, Fall City.  All are Welcome! PRKC is excited to share with you news of a very focused community-based stewardship outreach funded through a generous EPA grant. This will be a two and one half year effort within the Raging and Patterson Creek Basins – your neighborhoods! This effort will assist landowners in planning for and implementing all sorts of stewardship activities to help them meet their goals for their property. This could include lower taxes, cost share and technical help to improve forests and farms, restoration of streams and wetlands, and design and installation of native landscaping amongst other things.

We will introduce the fundamental goals of this project, the various partners and tools available to assist landowners and messaging techniques, with plenty of time for questions and discussion. The goal of the workshop is to create a core of folks in our area who can share information with neighbors about at events, in the store and throughout the course of day to day happenings.

The net result of the project will be connected neighbor-to-neighbor lands with healthy forests, farms and gardens; properties with plans in place that support and assist landowners in accomplishing their management and stewardship; efforts across properties that create efficiencies and strong dynamics; matching folks with cost share and technical assistance. Spending Thursday evening May 19th at Treehouse Point (with great company, snacks, beverages and perhaps a glass of wine) will provide you with all the information to become an invaluable ally in sharing information about this exciting opportunity.
 

October 2008:

October 18, 2008: Helping Hands Fight Hunger

10am-2pm, Ames Creek Farm, Carnation.  Exchange your labor for donations of fresh produce to local food banks. The program named “Helping Hands”, (formerly Northwest Farming for Humanity) is part of the Cascade Harvest Coalition, which works to create a healthy food and farm system in Washington State. Helping Hands is collaborating this year with Full Circle Farm’s new Experience Farming Project, which gives participants an experience of what life is like on an organic farm, while making a contribution to a more sustainable agricultural food system. Full Circle makes donations after work party events of freshly picked crops to the Hopelink food banks in north and east King County in the participants’ names.

For more information and to register call or e-mail Tim Bernthal, (206) 783-3088, or tbernthal@gowebway.com, or Mark McIntyre, (206) 632-0606 or mark@cascadeharvest.org. More information is available on-line at the Cascade Harvest Coalition website, http://www.cascadeharvest.org at Progams/Helping Hands.

October 18, 2008: MTS Greenway Fall Tree Planting Kick-off

Save the date for Mountains to Sound Greenway FALL TREE PLANTING KICK-OFF at Lake Sammamish State Park

October 11, 2008: Helping Hands Fight Hunger

10am-2pm, Ames Creek Farm, Carnation.  Exchange your labor for donations of fresh produce to local food banks. The program named “Helping Hands”, (formerly Northwest Farming for Humanity) is part of the Cascade Harvest Coalition, which works to create a healthy food and farm system in Washington State. Helping Hands is collaborating this year with Full Circle Farm’s new Experience Farming Project, which gives participants an experience of what life is like on an organic farm, while making a contribution to a more sustainable agricultural food system. Full Circle makes donations after work party events of freshly picked crops to the Hopelink food banks in north and east King County in the participants’ names.

For more information and to register call or e-mail Tim Bernthal, (206) 783-3088, or tbernthal@gowebway.com, or Mark McIntyre, (206) 632-0606 or mark@cascadeharvest.org. More information is available on-line at the Cascade Harvest Coalition website, http://www.cascadeharvest.org at Progams/Helping Hands.

October 10-12, 2008: The Global Treehouse Network Symposium

9-4pm, Treehouse Point, Fall City.  Treehouse Point is hosting the 11th Annual Global Treehouse Network Symposium/ .  There will be treehouse aficionados from all over the world  here in our town.  The Symposium is a structured event with speakers  and mini workshops that will take place over 2 1/2 days.  Cost for the weekend is $500.  For more information please email info@globaltreehousenetwork.com.

October 10, 2008: Kick Off Party for the Global Treehouse Network Symposium

7:30 pm, Masonic Lodge, Fall City.  Come here Nick Vigarino's "slop jar Delta funk" music.  Cover $10.

October 8, 2008: Children's Harvest Class: Slimy Creatures

10-noon, Pickering Barn, Issaquah.  This FREE* 2 hour class introduce children and parents to insects, flowers and the garden. We will sing songs, find colors and shapes, and taste the flowers and plants growing in the garden. These theme-based, hands-on classes are a great way to introduce children to the wonder of garden ecology. Classes are intended for both parent and child, ages 2-5 years. Dress for weather and mess, and have a blast!

*Pre-registration is required for each class by downloading a registration form at: www.seattletilth.org or by calling (206)633-5045 x2. All classes take place at the Pickering Barn and surrounding Demonstration Garden.

October 7, 2008: Fall City Parks Meetings

7-8:30 pm, Fall City Library.  There will be two meetings dealing with Fall City Parks at the library this Tue. The first will be the Fall City Action committee, which is working on getting the Fall City Parks District voted into existence on the February election. That meeting will start at 7:00pm and should be over by 7:30pm. The second meeting will be the Friends of Fall City Parks and will address what is currently going on with KC and the Fall City park. This meeting should start at 7:30pm and last an hour. Everyone is invited to attend.

October 4-5, 2008: Issaquah Salmon Days

10-6pm, Historic Downtown Issaquah.  FREE fun for the whole family!  Join the fun this October at the Northwest’s most-loved, award-winning community event!

The salmon are returning to our lakes, streams and our historic, downtown hatchery! The Issaquah Salmon Days Festival is 39 years old and we're celebrating with special fishy attractions: the Grande Parade, Foods of the Whirled, “whirled-class” arts & crafts, whirling live entertainment, whirledly-wild Field of Fun for kids of all ages, and a whirl of sporting attractions.  More info, including schedules at www.salmondays.org.

October 4, 2008: Clean Greens 1st Harvest

10-2pm, Clean Greens Farm, 20121 W. Snoqualmie River Rd NE, Duvuall.  This is one of the great programs recognized in our Urban-Rural Connections Project.  Read about it HERE.  We encourage everyone and anyone with a volunteer spirit to come out and help harvest, even if you don't have gardening or farming experience.  It will be some work, great fun, and it's for a great cause.  Shuttles leave from New Hope Baptist Church (116 -21st Ave. Seattle / cross street is Yesler) at 8:00am.    Visit http://cleangreens.ning.com/ for more info.

Sept 27, 2008: 10th Annual Harvest Celebration Farm Tour

10:00am to 4:00 pm, King County.  FREE!  WSU King County Extension is pleased to announce the 10th Annual Harvest Celebration Farm Tour in King County.Since 1999, this event has provided an opportunity for citizens of King County to experience the vitality of our local agriculture, to learn the importance of supporting farmers, and to realize the value and joy of eating locally grown and prepared food. This year 27 farms are participating—including five new farms to the tour. We encourage people to come by carpool, van or bus or by bicycle! Families welcome!  Contact us or check our website for some ideas for alternative transportation or group trips.

· Meet local farmers—the people who grow your food!

· Taste local food: Farm-fresh produce, samples and chef cooking demonstrations!

· Walk the fields of local farms and pick your own vegetables, flowers and pumpkins!

· Activities galore: live music, corn and bamboo mazes, hay rides, alpaca fiber spinning, cider pressing, butter churning, farm skills demos, composting workshops and so much more!

For more information please CLICK HERE.

September 27, 2008: Living Green Learning Event

10-5pm, 12717 322nd Ave NE, Duvuall.  FREE!  Visit a sustainably built log home and see the many green upgrades that speak to architectural art and energy conservation.  View the grey-water fed bogscape, learn about heating your water with solar and much much more.  For more information please visit www.UniversalAndGreen.com. 

September 27, 2008: National Public Lands Day

Bare Mountain Trail - Snoqualmie Ranger District.  Join thousands of volunteers for a nationwide day of caring, lending a hand to improve and preserve recreation opportunities on our cherished public lands. Events will take place on federal, state, and local lands throughout Washington State and across the country. WTA's trail maintenance efforts range from annual maintenance to new trail construction. Sign up to join HERE.

September 23, 2008: Living with Bears Presentations

Noon, Issaquah Rotary Club, Tibbits Creek Manor, Issaquah - OR - 7pm  Issaquah REI Store next to Safeway on Gilman Blvd.  Issaquah has bears!  Sometimes these residents venture over to Issaquah Highlands and surrounding communities.  Wildlife biologist Julie Hopkins is presenting her popular "Living with Bears" presentation.  Learn about these beautiful and intermitting creatures, how to avoid attracting them and what to do if you encounter one.  Families are welcome to attend.  FREE! 

September 18, October 2, 2008: Issaquah Intelligent Transportation System Feedback

6-8pm, Council Chambers in City Hall South (135 E. Sunset Way, Issaquah.  In November 2004, Issaquah voters approved a $3.63 million bond to pay for the system, which includes upgraded traffic signals (including the ability to remotely access the signals), a Traffic Management Center, 19 new traffic cameras and four variable message signs, among other improvements. The ITS enables the city to monitor and manage traffic conditions in real-time and respond more quickly and efficiently to signal malfunctions and blocking incidents. In addition, along the primary road corridors where Issaquah’s traffic signals were upgraded, the city has seen an average 28 percent improvement to travel times during peak weekday hours.

Now, the city is asking for the public’s feedback on what should happen next.

While voters approved a $3.63 million bond for the ITS, the City of Issaquah saved $1.89 million by receiving both state and federal grants after the election. The city is now soliciting the public’s opinion on whether the remaining funds should be used to further enhance the ITS, such as adding a traffic flow map and real-time images from the traffic cameras on the city’s Web site.

You can learn more and also take the city's Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) survey HERE.

The city will host open houses to collect the public’s feedback from 6-8 p.m. at Council Chambers in City Hall South (135 E. Sunset Way) on the following dates:

Tuesday, Aug. 26
Thursday, Sept. 4
Thursday, Sept. 18
Thursday, Oct. 2

September 17, 2008: Children's Harvest Class: Ladybug Picnic

10-noon, Pickering Barn, Issaquah.  This FREE* 2 hour class introduce children and parents to insects, flowers and the garden. We will sing songs, find colors and shapes, and taste the flowers and plants growing in the garden. These theme-based, hands-on classes are a great way to introduce children to the wonder of garden ecology. Classes are intended for both parent and child, ages 2-5 years. Dress for weather and mess, and have a blast!

*Pre-registration is required for each class by downloading a registration form at: www.seattletilth.org or by calling (206)633-5045 x2. All classes take place at the Pickering Barn and surrounding Demonstration Garden.

September 17, 2008: Milling & Manufacturing for FSC Markets

1-5pm, Tumwater (near Olympia).  Demand for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood products is quickly growing in the Pacific Northwest and throughout the country. Driven primarily by the residential and commercial green building industry, homeowners, architects and builders are increasingly specifying locally produced and FSC-certified wood products. This afternoon technical session will highlight current and emerging markets for certified wood products and provide an introduction to FSC chain-of-custody (CoC) certification for wood manufacturing businesses. FSC certified business owners will discuss their experiences with chain-of-custody certification and the certified marketplace. Topics include:  FSC chain-of-custody,  Green building programs in WA,  FSC markets: regional, national & interntl., What FSC products are in demand, How to find FSC timber & lumber, Growth trends in FSC markets, FSC certified companies in the Pacific NW,  FSC marketing strategies.  More info. and to register CLICK HERE.

Sept 17 - Nov 5, 2008: Forest Stewardship Coached Planning Class

6:00 to 9:00 pm, Community Center at Mercer View, Mercer Island. Wonderful low-cost ($100) forest management class for people with forested acreage.  Through the class you will develop a Forest Stewardship Plan for your property which can be used for sustainable harvesting, mitigating fire danger and ensuring optimal health and biodiversity of your forest.  A Forest Stewardship Plan is required to enroll in many of the tax benefit programs.  This is the last class to be held in King County in 2008; the class is filling quickly. More details can be found at http://king.wsu.edu/forestry/documents/Fall08FSbrochure.pdf  or by calling Amy at 206-205-3132.

Sept 13, 2008: City of Issaquah Recycling Event

9:00 am-1:00pm, Costco Parking Lot (800 Lake Drive).  City of Issaquah residents ONLY (No commercial or business items accepted).  Bring These Items: Monitors ($10.00 cash each),TV's ($15.00 - $30.00 cash depending on size). Batteries, computers, printers, concrete and brick, clothing and household goods, compact fluorescent bulbs and tubes (no broken bulbs or tubes), scrap wood waste, and scrap metal. (No fees)  No tires or cardboard accepted. Do not bring household hazardous waste. Call 206-296-4692 or visit www.govlink.org/hazwaste/house/disposal.

September 13, 2008: Helping Hands Fight Hunger

10am-2pm, Full Circle Farm, Carnation.  Exchange your labor for donations of fresh produce to local food banks. The program named “Helping Hands”, (formerly Northwest Farming for Humanity) is part of the Cascade Harvest Coalition, which works to create a healthy food and farm system in Washington State. Helping Hands is collaborating this year with Full Circle Farm’s new Experience Farming Project, which gives participants an experience of what life is like on an organic farm, while making a contribution to a more sustainable agricultural food system. Full Circle makes donations after work party events of freshly picked crops to the Hopelink food banks in north and east King County in the participants’ names.

For more information and to register call or e-mail Tim Bernthal, (206) 783-3088, or tbernthal@gowebway.com, or Mark McIntyre, (206) 632-0606 or mark@cascadeharvest.org. More information is available on-line at the Cascade Harvest Coalition website, http://www.cascadeharvest.org at Progams/Helping Hands.

September 11, 2008: Living with Bears Presentation

7pm, Blakely Hall, Issaquah Highlands.  Grand Ridge Park/Mitchell Hill Forest  has bears!  Sometimes these residents venture over to Issaquah Highlands and surrounding communities.  Wildlife biologist Julie Hopkins is presenting her popular "Living with Bears" presentation.  Learn about these beautiful and intermitting creatures, how to avoid attracting them and what to do if you encounter one.  Families are welcome to attend.  FREE! 

September 7, 2008: Growing Things Farm Community Workparty

10am-1pm, Growing Things Farm, (23707 NE 100th Street, Carnation.  PCC Farmland Trust and Growing Things Farm invite you to bring friends and family (children age 12 and over) to the farm to help remove morning glory from the fields and property.  This is a great opportunity to visit a PCC Farmland Trust Farm.  Please bring water and gloves.  Contact Melissa Campbell at 206-547-9855 for more information.

September 2, 2008: Webster Nursery getting ready for 2009 planting season

DNR’s Webster Forest Nursery now has its list of seedlings available for 2009 planting posted online HERE.  You can also call nursery customer service at 1-877-890-2626. Orders will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis beginning Tuesday, Sept. 2.

September 2, 2008: Fall City Parks District Meeting

7pm, Fall City Library. We will be talking about where we are in the process of getting a park district on the ballet and what are our next steps. Hope you can make it.

AUGUST 2008

August 22-24, 2008: Household Hazardous Waste Mobile in Snoqualmie/North Bend

10am-5pm, Snoqualmie Elementary School.  FREE for King County Residents.  Bring solvents, batteries (lead acid, button or rechargeable only), oil-based paint, cleaners, pesticides, oil, antifreeze, gasoline, mercury products, fluorescent tubes, propane tanks.  Do not bring: empty containers, computers, tvs, alkaline batteries, explosives, asbestos, appliances, medicines, solid waste, sharps, tires, latex paint.

August 24, 2008: 3s for Trees in the Greenway—Meet the storm!!

12-2 pm, Lake Sammamish State Park, Issaquah. You are invited to "3's for trees in the Greenway" presented by Carter Subaru and Mountains to Sound Greenway.  This event is to recognize Carter Subaru and the Seattle Storm and their commitment to planting trees in the Mountains to Sound Greenway as part of the Seattle Storm’s Go Green campaign. We will have a variety of food, games, and green activities that you and your favorite Storm player can enjoy together. Seattle Storm forward Sheryl Swoopes, center Ashley Robinson and guard Kristen O'Neill will be on-hand and take part in the festivities.

For additional information, please contact Wendy Tyner at wendy.tyner@mtsgreenway.org or 206.382.5565. Bring your family!

August 15-17, 2008: Household Hazardous Waste Mobile in Sammamish

10am-5pm, Eastlake HS, Sammamish.  FREE for King County Residents.  Bring solvents, batteries (lead acid, button or rechargeable only), oil-based paint, cleaners, pesticides, oil, antifreeze, gasoline, mercury products, fluorescent tubes, propane tanks.  Do not bring: empty containers, computers, tvs, alkaline batteries, explosives, asbestos, appliances, medicines, solid waste, sharps, tires, latex paint.

August 9, 2008: Helping Hands Fight Hunger

10am-2pm, Full Circle Farm, Carnation.  Exchange your labor for donations of fresh produce to local food banks. The program named “Helping Hands”, (formerly Northwest Farming for Humanity) is part of the Cascade Harvest Coalition, which works to create a healthy food and farm system in Washington State. Helping Hands is collaborating this year with Full Circle Farm’s new Experience Farming Project, which gives participants an experience of what life is like on an organic farm, while making a contribution to a more sustainable agricultural food system. Full Circle makes donations after work party events of freshly picked crops to the Hopelink food banks in north and east King County in the participants’ names.

For more information and to register call or e-mail Tim Bernthal, (206) 783-3088, or tbernthal@gowebway.com, or Mark McIntyre, (206) 632-0606 or mark@cascadeharvest.org. More information is available on-line at the Cascade Harvest Coalition website, http://www.cascadeharvest.org at Progams/Helping Hands.

August 8-10, 2008: Household Hazardous Waste Mobile in Duvuall/Carnation

10am-5pm, Safeway Parking Lot, Duvuall.  FREE for King County Residents.  Bring solvents, batteries (lead acid, button or rechargeable only), oil-based paint, cleaners, pesticides, oil, antifreeze, gasoline, mercury products, fluorescent tubes, propane tanks.  Do not bring: empty containers, computers, tvs, alkaline batteries, explosives, asbestos, appliances, medicines, solid waste, sharps, tires, latex paint.

August 2-3, 2008: CLEAN GREENS Project Planting Party (Volunteer Event)

9am-Sundown, Cutting Edge Farm, 20121 W. Snoqualmie River Rd NE, Duvuall.  This is one of the great projects recognized in our Urban-Rural Connections Project.  Read about it HERE.  We encourage everyone and anyone with a volunteer spirit to come out and plant, even if you don't have gardening or farming experience - as we will have Planting Instruction sheets for people to follow.  It will be some work, great fun, and it's for a great cause.  Shuttles leave from New Hope Baptist Church (116 -21st Ave. Seattle / cross street is Yesler) at 8:00am. 

August 2, 2008: Eastside Audubon Marymoor Bird Festival

10am-2pm, Marymoor Park in Redmond.  Come celebrate the grand opening of our new Bird Loop Nature Trail. We will have bird and native plant walks, food, entertainment, hands-on activities for children and adults, and informative displays. The opening ceremonies at noon feature a special appearance by King County Executive Ron Sims and Marymoor bird expert Michael Hobbs.  For more info please visit: http://www.elwas.org/chapter_events/eastside-audubon-marymoor-bird-festival-august-2-saturday.

August 1-3, 2008: Household Hazardous Waste Mobile in Issaquah

10am-5pm, Issaquah Highlands Park and Ride, Issaquah.  FREE for King County Residents.  Bring solvents, batteries (lead acid, button or rechargeable only), oil-based paint, cleaners, pesticides, oil, antifreeze, gasoline, mercury products, fluorescent tubes, propane tanks.  Do not bring: empty containers, computers, tvs, alkaline batteries, explosives, asbestos, appliances, medicines, solid waste, sharps, tires, latex paint.

JULY 2008:

July 30, 2008: Summer Children's Harvest Class: Get Dirty

10am-noon, Pickering Barn, Issaquah.  Even our youngest friends enjoy the garden. These FREE* 2 hour classes introduce children and parents to insects, flowers and the garden. We will sing songs, find colors and shapes, and taste the flowers and plants growing in the garden,  Ages 2-5 years. Dress for weather and mess, and have a blast!

*Pre-registration is required for each class by downloading a registration form at: www.seattletilth.org or by calling (206)633-5045 x2.

July 23, 2008: Summer Children's Harvest Class: Fantastic Flowers

10am-noon, Pickering Barn, Issaquah.  Even our youngest friends enjoy the garden. These FREE* 2 hour classes introduce children and parents to insects, flowers and the garden. We will sing songs, find colors and shapes, and taste the flowers and plants growing in the garden,  Ages 2-5 years. Dress for weather and mess, and have a blast!

*Pre-registration is required for each class by downloading a registration form at: www.seattletilth.org or by calling (206)633-5045 x2.

July 19, 2008: TrailsFest

9am-4pm, Rattlesnake Lake, North Bend.  The great outdoors of is calling! This outdoor extravaganza features clinics on everything from wilderness first aid to hiking with kids to backcountry cooking. Take a guided hike, tie a fly on, or climb a rock wall. Try out a new s’mores recipe, or hang out with packgoats. Say "hi" to the dozens of exhibitors, including Grizzley Bear Outreach Project and several gear companies and outdoor groups.

Been wanting to explore the North Cascades? Attend a clinic with Craig Romano, author of Day Hiking – North Cascades published by Mountaineers Books. Learn how to whip up a tasty backcountry meal in no time from the author of Freezer Bag Cooking. Want to be a responsible hiker with your dog? Check out the clinic on hiking with dogs and trail etiquette. Wanting to try backpacking? Go to Hilleberg the Tentmaker’s clinic on smart packing and learn how to take less, still be comfortable and safe, and have lots more fun! "Living with Bears" talk at 2:00 at the Cedar Watershed Education Center. Admission to all is FREE!

To get to TrailsFest, take I-90 to exit 32, then turn right on 436th Ave SE. Follow this road 2.7 miles to Rattlesnake Lake. For more information on TrailsFest: (206) 625-1367 / www.trailsfest.org.

July 9, 2008: FREE workshop on Removing Knotweed

7-8:30 p.m, Meadowbrook Farm Interpretive Center, 1711 Boalch Ave, North Bend.  King County working with landowners, agencies to protect river banks from invasive knotweed. Free workshops offered for residents living in affected watersheds. The battle is on to protect some of King County’s highest quality riverside habitat from knotweed, a tough, invasive plant.  With help from state and federal funding, the cooperation and support of many landowners and public land managers the King County Noxious Weed Program is leading a cooperative effort to get control of this fast-spreading invasive weed.  This session will also include control methods for other invasive weeds of concern to Snoqualmie River basin landowners.

July 12, 2008: Green My Ride Eastside.

9am-2pm, Issaquah Farmer's Market, Pickering Barn, Issaquah.  The future of your transportation choices will be on display at the Pickering Barn Farmers Market. Come learn about choices to reduce your carbon footprint. Become less dependent on gasoline, or eliminate your need entirely!

July 12, 2008: Helping Hands Fight Hunger Season Kick-off

10am-2pm, Full Circle Farm, Carnation.  Exchange your labor for donations of fresh produce to local food banks. The program named “Helping Hands”, (formerly Northwest Farming for Humanity) is part of the Cascade Harvest Coalition, which works to create a healthy food and farm system in Washington State. Helping Hands is collaborating this year with Full Circle Farm’s new Experience Farming Project, which gives participants an experience of what life is like on an organic farm, while making a contribution to a more sustainable agricultural food system. Full Circle makes donations after work party events of freshly picked crops to the Hopelink food banks in north and east King County in the participants’ names.

This year’s kick-off event is a half-day work party at Full Circle Farm on Saturday, July 12 from 10 am to 2 pm. Volunteers will be helping with stream restoration work on the farm under the Salmon-Safe Certification program of Stewardship Partners. Salmon-Safe Certification recognizes farm operations that adopt conservation practices that help restore native salmon habitat in Pacific Northwest rivers and streams.

For more information and to register call or e-mail Tim Bernthal, (206) 783-3088, or tbernthal@gowebway.com, or Mark McIntyre, (206) 632-0606 or mark@cascadeharvest.org. More information is available on-line at the Cascade Harvest Coalition website, http://www.cascadeharvest.org at Progams/Helping Hands. 

JUNE 2008:

June 23, 2008: King County Sherriff Q&A Meeting

6pm-8pm, Fall City Fire Station.  The King County Executive, through the King County Office of Management and Budget (OMB) informed all county agencies that in 2009 there will be an estimated $68million shortfall in the County's "Current Expense" fund (also referred to as "CX"). The Current Expense fund -- or CX -- has two primary sources of revenue: property tax (including new construction) and sales tax. CX funds all of King County 's criminal justice system.  If you have any questions regarding the meeting, please contact Elisa Elliott at 206-205-7920 orelisa.elliott@kingcounty.gov.

June 22, 2008: Family Hike: Exploring the west side of Tradition Plateau

1pm, Issaquah Public Library. School age children and their parents are invited to join in month's hike connecting the library and our outdoor environment. The Adventure Trail and Wetlands Trail will lead us to Round Lake. We will gain about 600 feet of elevation and cover about 4 miles. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. All participants need appropriate footwear, clothing, and a small pack with water and snack. This series of family hikes and earth friendly resources is being cooperatively sponsored by Issaquah Alps Trails Club, the Friends of the Issaquah Library and the Issaquah Environmental Council. For more information contact Ann Fletcher or David Kappler at 425-392-3571 and www.issaquahalps.org.

June 17th, 2008: Growing Great Tomatoes

7:00pm-8:30 pm, Pickering Barn, Issaquah.  Homegrown tomatoes, peppers and eggplant are some of the best things to come out of a summer garden, but can be tricky to grow. Grow the best by learning season extension techniques, trellising options, pruning tips, and how to fertilize, water and harvest at the peak of perfection. Heirloom tomatoes, best Northwest varieties, and beefsteaks all covered. If you've had trouble growing these veggies in the past, don't miss this class!  Visit the Issaquah RCO webpage for more info.

June 17th, 2008: Timber Stand Improvement

6:30 pm, Auburn-Black Diamond area.  WSU Extension is conducting three evening field tours that will feature projects that have been funded through various cost-share programs. Bring a neighbor, meet agency staff that can explain the ins and outs of cost-share funding, and enjoy an educational evening!  We will tour a family forest that was pre-commercially thinned in 2001, and now growing well on its way to commercial size. Learn about the Landowner Incentive Program, a new opportunity sponsored by the King Conservation District available to help fund projects of this nature and other forest health improvement projects. Directions will be provided upon RSVP. To sign up, email amy.grotta@kingcounty.gov or call 206-205-3132.

June 17th, 2008: Department of Natural Resources Public hearing on proposed new laws regarding recreational use and enforcement on State DNR lands.

6:00pm, King County Library Service Center (Newport Way),  Public Meeting Room (2A/B), Issaquah. The "trails" section creates some concern, as it makes even the smallest act of trail maintenance a criminal misdemeanor if not approved in advance in writing. This is the only hearing in this area. Text of proposed changes to law: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/laws/wsr/2008/10/08-10-059.htm.

June 14-29, 2008: Remlinger Farms Strawberry Festival

10am-4pm, Remlinger Farms, Carnation.  Special guest JP Patches.  Fun for the whole family.  For more info please visit: http://www.remlingerfarms.com/.

June 14th, 2008: Volunteer at Log Cabin Natural Area

9:00 am-1:00 pm, Log Cabin Natural Area, Issaquah.  Bring the family and friends and have fun planting trees and shrubs in restoration projects.  For more information, call Tina Miller at 206-296-2990 or e-mail at tina.miller<@>kingcounty.gov

June 10th, 2008, Fish Habitat Enhancement Tour

6:30 pm, Snoqualmie area.  WSU Extension is conducting three evening field tours that will feature projects that have been funded through various cost-share programs. Bring a neighbor, meet agency staff that can explain the ins and outs of cost-share funding, and enjoy an educational evening!  This tour will feature a culvert replacement project implemented with Family Forest Fish Passage Program (FFFPP) cost-share funds. Think your stream may have a barrier to fish passage? Attend this tour to learn about opportunities to help get it fixed!  Directions will be provided upon RSVP. To sign up, email amy.grotta@kingcounty.gov or call 206-205-3132.

June 7th, 2008: Volunteer at Dorre Don Natural Area

9:00 am-1:00 pm, Dorre Don Natural Area along the Cedar River near Maple Valley.  Bring the family and friends and have fun planting trees and shrubs in restoration projects.  For more information, call Tina Miller at 206-296-2990 or e-mail at tina.miller<@>kingcounty.gov

June 4th, 2008: Fall City Parks District Meeting

7:00 pm, Fall City Library.  We will be talking about where we are and where we are going. and Fall City Days.  Volunteers for helping with the Float and the Booth are welcome.  Also we could use some more children to give out candy from the Float during the parade. Hope to see you there!

June 3rd, 2008, Issaquah Environmental Council Meeting

7-9pm,  King County Library Distribution Center (on Newport Way near Target), Issaquah.  We'd like to share some ideas and get your input on the most critical issues now requiring our attention and effort.  We will try to provide you with updates on the City of Issaquah's plans and answer your questions. Of course there will be refreshments and neighbors to meet too.

June 3rd, 2008, Reforestation, Conifer Release, and Site Maintenance Tour

6:30 pm, Enumclaw area.  WSU Extension is conducting three evening field tours that will feature projects that have been funded through various cost-share programs. Bring a neighbor, meet agency staff that can explain the ins and outs of cost-share funding, and enjoy an educational evening!  This tour will feature a stand improvement project implemented in 2008 with Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) cost share funds. An understocked stand was interplanted, competing vegetation was controlled and a young alder stand thinned. NRCS program staff will be on hand to explain the EQIP application process and ranking criteria. Deadline for 2009 EQIP applications is July 15th!  Directions will be provided upon RSVP. To sign up, email amy.grotta@kingcounty.gov or call 206-205-3132.

MAY 2008:

May 31, 2008: Eastside Edible Plant Sale

9am-2pm, Issaquah Farmer's Market, Pickering Barn, Issaquah.  Buy Edible Plants for Your Garden and Kitchen.  This exceptionally popular edible plant sale has expanded to Issaquah compliments of our Resource Conservation Office and Seattle Tilth Eastside! Come to the Pickering Barn Farmers Market to take advantage of easy shopping for a wide range of organic starts and get your garden growing right! Buy organically grown vegetable and herb starts for your garden. All plant varieties are hand-selected by the Tilth experts to perform well in our climate.

May 28, 2008: See what’s planned for Lake Sammamish State Park!

6:30 to 8:30 pm, Issaquah City Hall Eagle Room (police station), Issaquah.  A combined advisory committee meeting and public open house will be held at the Issaquah City Hall Eagle Room (police station). The purpose of this meeting is to answer questions and get your input on schematic design for renovation of Sunset Beach. See the agenda at this link: www.ci.issaquah.wa.us/News.asp?NewsID=907. 

May 28, 2008: Rainer Trail Restoration Event

2:30-5:00pm, Evans St, Issaquah  Join us for more restoration activities on the corridor that would have been paved for the bypass. We’ll work on the extension of the Rainier Trail which winds northeastward from 2nd Avenue to the Sunset Interchange. Park on Evans near the trail gates. Bring gloves and a shovel.   For information, contact Barbara Shelton, bshelton<<@>seanet.com.

May 27, 2008: Hummingbirds 101

7:00pm, King County King.County Library System Service Center, 960 Newport Way NW (behind the Target Store),  Issaquah.  Chris Caviezel will present Hummingbird 101, or how to provide a sanctuary in your yard including food, nesting areas and cover, which humming birds you might see, whether to use feeders or not. Let Chris help you to encourage them to stop at your house. Presented at the Mountaineers FootHills Branch monthly meeting.  Everyone is welcome.

May 24-25, 2008: Washington Wine Highway

11am-5pm, Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery, Woodinville.  Taste local foods and regional wines.  Call 425-481-8300 for ticket information.

May 21, 2008: Rainer Trail Restoration Event

2:30-5:00pm, Evans St, Issaquah  Join us for more restoration activities on the corridor that would have been paved for the bypass. We’ll work on the extension of the Rainier Trail which winds northeastward from 2nd Avenue to the Sunset Interchange. Park on Evans near the trail gates. Bring gloves and a shovel.   For information, contact Barbara Shelton, bshelton<<@>seanet.com.

May 20, 2008: Learn to Be an Organic Gardener

7:00pm-8:30pm, Pickering Barn, Issaquah.  It's time to begin preparing your garden for a bountiful spring and summer.
This is a FREE class BUT please pre-register by Friday 5/16 at 425-837-3428.

May 20, 2008: Comment on the Duthie Hill Mtn. Bike Skills Park Proposal

6:30pm, Duthie Hill Park, Sammamish.  This primarily meeting is intended for immediately adjacent neighbors to discuss existing issues and concerns at Duthie Hill Park, as well as, issues or concerns related to potential trail improvements. Another public meeting will be scheduled, as well, with trail stakeholders and the public at large to discuss ideas more broadly after King County Parks has had a smaller conversation with immediate neighbors.

May 18, 2008: Family Hike: Exploring Lake Sammamish State Park’s Hidden Treasures

1pm, Issaquah Public Library. School age children and their parents are invited to join in month's hike connecting the library and our outdoor environment. We will meet at the Library and carpool to the Pickering Barn. There will be little elevation gain, but we will walk about three miles. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. All participants need appropriate footwear, clothing, and a small pack with water and snack. This series of family hikes and earth friendly resources is being cooperatively sponsored by Issaquah Alps Trails Club, the Friends of the Issaquah Library and the Issaquah Environmental Council. For more information contact Ann Fletcher or David Kappler at 425-392-3571 and www.issaquahalps.org.

May 10, 2008: Issaquah Recycling Opportunity

9am-1pm,  New location! This years recycling event will be located at the end of NW Lake Drive, behind all Costco buildings.

Recycle fluorescent lamps, compact fluorescents, batteries, scrap metal and more. Recycle fluorescent lamps, compact fluorescents, batteries, scrap metal and more. TV's larger than 21" screens accepted at the event for a fee.  Watch for the brochure, check the RCO website, or call 425-837-3400 for complete details

May 10, 2008:  WNPS Native Plant Sale

10 am-4 pm, Bellevue Botanical Garden.  For plant list and more information please visit http://www.wnps.org/chapter_info/chapter_sales.html.

May 7, 2008: Fall City Park District Meeting

7pm, NEW Fall City Library.   We will be talking about our plans for Fall City Day.  We have a booth and a float.  All Fall City area residents are invited to attend.

May 4, 2008: Why should we SAVE THE SAMMAMISH VALLEY?

4pm on,  Sammamish Valley Grange Hall, 14654 148th Ave NE, Woodinville (in Woodinville’s Tourist District just north of the Old Hollywood Hill Schoolhouse, on the Woodinville-Redmond Rd.) Sammamish Valley Alliance presents Talk, Food, and Film.  The Sammamish Valley, between and within the cities of Redmond and Woodinville, is a jewel of open space. It also lies in close proximity to dense human populations. Some of this space is publicly held, while some is protected as agricultural land. But it is all under pressure from surrounding development. Redmond, Kirkland and Woodinville spill out into this central rural area. While the Growth Management Act is intended to preserve the remaining swaths of regional open space, market demand for land and the environmental consequences of adjacent development can overwhelm this goal.  Guest speaker John Lombard,  Author of Saving Puget Sound with discussion to follow.  For more information, contact: Ron Baum at 425 806 8044.

May 3, 2008: Horses for Clean Water Farm Tour

10am to noon, Maple Valley. Visit the working horse farm belonging to the director of Horses for Clean Water, Alayne Blickle, and her husband Matt Livengood in Maple Valley, WA. In addition to running an environmentally friendly horse farm, Alayne and Matt ride and show reining horses. Five acres is set up for 5+ horses with 2 riding arenas, grassy pastures, mudless paddocks, composting areas, garden, barn & shelters. An additional 5 acres is wooded with trails, creek & wetlands. The property is in the Public Benefit Rating System, lowering property taxes in exchange for keeping open spaces. Learn how this farm coexists with a herd of 15 majestic elk and concessions made to enjoy the “Northwest Trek” feeling. BONUS: Come early to visit, check out barn sale items & learn about adjacent riding trails on state land. To register and receive directions contact the King Conservation District at 425-277-5581 ext. 122, or paul.borne @ kingcd. org.

APRIL 2008:

April 30, 2008: Financial Opportunities for Small Woodland Owners in King County

6 - 9pm, Miller's Community & Arts Center, 4597 Tolt Ave., Carnation, WA.   Learn about three new financial opportunities for small woodland owners in King County. Taken together, these markets offer a compelling new model for forest landowners who are interested in capitalizing on conservation-based management of their forests:
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification - The growing green building movement in the Northwest has created a demand for locally produced and FSC certified wood products. Northwest Certified Forestry is developing a network of small woodland owners and wood products manufacturers who can supply the region’s green building industry with locally produced and sustainably harvested wood products.
Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) - King County offers an incentive based approach to land conservation with their transfer of development rights program, which brings together rural landowners and urban developers to maintain forestlands in perpetuity through the purchase of development rights.
Forestry Based Carbon Offsets - Deforestation emits more carbon dioxide every year than the entire transportation sector, but forests also have the capacity to sequester carbon through longer rotations and greater retention. Conservation based management practices can translate into significant income for forest landowners.

Registration: Contact Kirk Hanson at 360-316-9317 x 2 or by email to register. Registration is required as space is limited.

This workshop is free thanks to the support of King County's Forestry Opportunity Grant Program.

April 26, 2008: Redmond Spring Garden Fair

9:00-3:30, Redmond City Hall. Admission is FREE. More info can be found here.

April 26, 2008: Issaquah Arbor Days Festival

11:00am-3:00pm, Grand Ridge Elementary School, Issaquah Highlands.  A great family event. Click here for more info.

April 26, 2008: Meet Darcy Burner

North Bend Library. Darcy Burner is a candidate up for the 8th Congressional District in the 2008 election.

April 26, 2008: Horses For Clean Water Farm Tour

10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, Blickle-Livengood Farm, Maple Valley. FREE! Visit the working horse farm belonging to the director of Horses for Clean Water, Alayne Blickle, and her husband Matt Livengood. In addition to running an environmentally friendly horse farm, Alayne and Matt ride and
show reining horses. Five acres is set up for 5+ horses with 2 riding arenas, grassy pastures, mudless paddocks, composting areas, garden, barn and shelters. An additional 5 acres is wooded with trails, creek and wetlands. The property is in the Public Benefit Rating System--property taxes are substantially lowered in exchange for keeping the property as open
spaces. Learn how this farm coexists with a herd of 15 majestic elk and the concessions made to enjoy the "Northwest Trek" feeling. BONUS: Come early to visit, check out barn sale items and learn about adjacent riding trails on state land. To register and receive directions contact the King Conservation District at
425-277-5581x122 or <paul.borne@kingcd. org>.

April 23, 2008: Natural Ways to Control Mud, Dust, Bugs & Weeds

6:30 – 9pm, Preston Community Center, Preston, WA. FREE! Reduce chemical use on your property while making it healthier for your horses, you & wildlife! Find out about "natural” insect control, mud reduction, dust barriers, visual screens between neighbors, cooling of buildings, summer shade for horses & low-cost/low care landscaping. We will also cover environmentally sensitive ways to manage odors, useful water conservation tips and how to manage creeks or wetlands on horse properties.  To register and receive directions contact the King Conservation District at 425-277-5581 ext. 122, or paul.borne@kingcd. org.

April 20, 2008: Family Hike: Signs of Spring Along Issaquah Creek and Lower Squak Mountain

1pm, Issaquah Public Library. School age children and their parents are invited to join in month's hike connecting the library and our outdoor environment. We will gather in the meeting room of the Issaquah Library for an introduction, storytelling, and an overview of library materials related to the topic. Experienced leaders and teachers will guide this hike lasting about 3 hours with a maximum elevation gain of 300 feet. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. All participants need appropriate footwear, clothing, and a small pack with water and snack. This series of family hikes and earth friendly resources is being cooperatively sponsored by Issaquah Alps Trails Club, the Friends of the Issaquah Library and the Issaquah Environmental Council. For more information contact Ann Fletcher or David Kappler at 425-392-3571 and www.issaquahalps.org.

April 19, 2008: Earth Day Festivities

9am-2pm,  Pickering Barn, Issaquah.  Stay tuned for more information. The City’s Resource Conservation Office will host Earth Day activities with local environmental groups and organizations, including PRKC! This event takes place during the Saturday Farmers’ Market.   Earth Day Classes include:
9:30-10:30  Invasive Weeds in Urban Lands
11-noon      Holistic Gardening
12:30-1:30  Make Your Own Organic Fertilizer 

April 19, 2008: Living with Bears Presentation

1pm,  Preston Community Center.  Free.  Local biologist and endangered species specialists Julie (Hayes) Hopkins will be giving a slide show presentation on living and recreating in Bear Country. 

April 15, 2008: Volunteer at the Hazel Wolf Wetlands

10am-noon, Sammamish. Come out and help with restoration efforts on Cascade Land Conservancy's  beautiful wetland

April 8 to 19, 2008: Volunteer Trail Work: Grand Ridge

8:30 am-2:30 pm, Grand Ridge Park, near Issaquah/Fall City/Preston/Sammamish.  Contact Washington Trails Association (WTA) to sign up for 1 or more days: www.wta.org or call 206-625-1367.

April 14, 2008: Charter Review Commission Public Comment on Open Space Amendment (OSA)

6:30pm, Preston Community Center, 8625 310th Ave SE, Preston. The King County Charter Review Commission is proposing an innovative amendment to the Charter. The Open Space Amendment (OSA) would provide additional protection for over 100,000 acres of open space land owned by the county. These lands are among our most treasured natural spaces, and were originally acquired for their high conservation value.

This amendment would prohibit the sale or transfer of Charter-protected properties by the county. The conservation-oriented uses of the lands would also be permanently preserved. A majority vote of the county council and the voters will be required for the OSA to take effect, and for properties to be removed from (or added to) Charter protection.  There would be no change in how residents currently use these spaces, no new land would be purchased under this amendment, and there are no direct costs are associated with OSA. The lands protected by the Amendment would remain as natural, open spaces unless an exception must be made for the public good, such as a utility project or in the event of a natural disaster.

You can find out more about the OSA on the Commission's website.  

April 14, 2008: Living and Recreating Safely in Bear Country

7pm, REI Store, Issaquah.  Free.  Local biologist and endangered species specialists Julie (Hayes) Hopkins will be giving a slide show presentation on living and recreating in Bear Country.  Click here for more information.

April 12, 2008: Volunteer at the Tibbetts Valley Park

9am-3pm, Issaquah. Volunteer to Restore Habitat with the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust.  Visit Mountains to Sound's website to sign up.

April 5, 2008: ELWAS Marymoor Bird Loop Workparty

9 am to noon.  Parking Lot G , East Meadow Kiosk at Marymoor Park.  We will be planting, laying down cardboard, and covering that with wood chips. We need about 15 volunteers. Parking passes will be given at sign-in. Dress for the weather. Wear gloves. Bring water. If you have them, bring shovels, garden rakes, and cardboard!

April 2, 2008: Shopping for Horse Property: How to Select a Suitable Site

6:30 – 9pm, Preston Community Center, Preston, WA. FREE! Many things go into selecting a suitable horse property – beyond the barn and arena. Join HCW in this presentation to discuss soils, vegetation, drainage and other considerations that can save you frustrations and heartache down the road. Learn about resources available to you at the your Conservation District to help with assessing your potential new property. BONUS: the King County Rural Permit Coordinator will join us to discuss building and zoning issues to consider when having animals or going through the permitting process – from property setback requirements to grading for arenas. Learn things now to help you better enjoy your new horse property later! To register and receive directions contact the King Conservation District at 425-277-5581 ext. 122, or paul.borne@kingcd. org.

April 2, 2008:  Fall City Parks District Meeting

7p.m. Chief Kanim Middle School, Fall City.  The petition is done.  Thank you for everyone’s help.   Now the next step: what do we want to make of this Parks District?  We need your input!

April 1- May 27, 2008: Forest Stewardship Training Class

6:30-9:30pm, Tolt Middle School, Carnation.  The Forest Stewardship Coached Planning program is an excellent learning opportunity for forest landowners, whether you have 3, 30, or 300 acres of trees. This course emphasizes practical stewardship of forest resources. With guidance and one-on-one assistance, you will develop a written forest stewardship plan for your property. The $100 course fee includes course materials, an individual site visit, and a Saturday field day (April 26th). Download a brochure or contact Amy Grotta for more details.

MARCH 2008:

March 30, 2008: Bye Bye Bypass Celebration, Trail Restoration and Block Party

Noon-4pm, Park at either end--2nd Avenue trailhead or below/south of the Sunset Interchange, Issaquah.  Issaquah Environmental Council celebrates the Issaquah City Council's No Build decision on the SE Issaquah Bypass, a great victory for our green spaces! The party begins at noon with restoration activities on the corridor that would have been paved for this road: the extension of the Rainier Trail which winds northeastward from 2nd Avenue to the Sunset Interchange.

Following trail work, approximately 3pm, the party reconvenes for a block party of food and fun on 6th Avenue S at Front St. S in front of homes that would have been destroyed by the bypass! Come for all or part of the afternoon!

For information, contact Barbara Shelton, bshelton at seanet.com or 425-466-8470 or Connie Marsh, auntgrumpy  at comcast.net or 425-392-4908.

March 29th, 2008: Volunteer at Log Cabin Natural Area

9:00 am-1:00 pm, Log Cabin Natural Area, Issaquah.  Bring the family and friends and have fun planting trees and shrubs in restoration projects.  For more information, call Tina Miller at 206-296-2990 or e-mail at tina.miller<@>kingcounty.gov

March 25, 2008: Public Input on Central Park Field Improvements

7-8:30 p.m. Grand Ridge Elementary School located at 1739 NE Park Drive in the Issaquah Highlands.  The City of Issaquah is considering improvements to Central Park Pad #3, including the installation of artificial turf and sports field lights. Central Park is located at 1907 Park Drive NE in the Issaquah Highlands.    A second meeting will be held at City Hall/Police Station in the Eagle Room, on March 27, 2008, 7-8:30 p.m., which is located at 130 E. Sunset Way in downtown Issaquah.

All members of the public are encouraged to attend and provide input.  Those unable to attend are encouraged to send their input to:   Attention: Brian Berntsen, Parks & Recreation Manager, Brianb@ci.issaquah.wa.us.

March 25, 2008: Mountaineer's Foothills Branch Guest Speaker

6:45 pm, King County Library Systems Admin Service Center (not the Issaquah Library) 960 Newport Way NW, Issaquah. Open to the public. No charge. All are welcome!  Award-winning writer, naturalist, illustrator, avid wild harvester, and solo kayaker, Jennifer will share slides and stories from her adventure narrative, published by Mountaineers Books. In a kayak named "Yemaya" with a cedar wreath lashed to the stern, Jennifer launched from Ketchikan, Alaska on a solo voyage home to Bellingham, Washington. Her presentation chronicles the 750-mile solo journey through the Inside Passage over two springs and summers. Jennifer will have copies of her book Spirited Waters: Soloing South through the Inside Passage to sell and sign. Credit cards are accepted.

Apply Now for Watershed Stewardship Training.  Extension Watershed Stewards are a group of nearly 300 community-based volunteers that teach youth and adults how to become better stewards of our region’s unique environment. Washington State University experts train stewards in forestry, salmon enhancement, habitat restoration, wetland resources, and much more! In exchange for over 70 hours of classroom and field training, volunteers commit to giving 60 hours of their time to a stewardship project of their choice.

When: Fridays 9 am to 4 pm, March 28th to May 16th with three Saturday field trips.
Location: Renton, WA with field trips throughout King County
Apply: Completed applications must be received by February 29th. Call 206.205.3203 for an application or download here:  http://www.king.wsu.edu/enviro/stewardship.htm 
Cost: $75 for training materials and some transportation

March 22, 2008: Neighborhood Seed and Plant Exchange

10-11am, Duthie Hill Park Parking Lot, 27101 S.E. Duthie Hill Road Issaquah/Sammamish.  Gardeners and plant enthusiasts are invited to bring extra seeds and plants to Duthie Hill Park to exchange with fellow gardeners. 
What is exchanged: Last year's seeds, starts, separated plants, mature plants and bulbs of all types. 
What to bring:
  - A sharpie and envelopes for the seeds you plan to take. 
  - Seeds you plan to share or leave in marked envelopes
  - Plants you plan to leave with some type of labeling of common or scientific names.  Plants can be brought in paper bags, pots or plastic shopping bags.
Cost: There is no cost to participate or for the seeds and plants. 
Other details: Anything left over will be given to local schools and community gardens.  To the best of your ability, please make sure your plants are not invasive and are disease and pest free - when in doubt, please leave it home.   Dress warm and you may want to bring a hot drink if it is cold and rainy - we will be meeting outside.

March 21, 2008: Living with Bears

7:00pm, Meadowbrook Farm Interpretive Center 1711 Boalch Ave SE, North Bend.  Join Julie Hopkins, wildlife biologist, to learn black bear and grizzly biology and behavior, bear signs, and bear safety in the woods. Time for questions included.  Free.

March 19, 2008: Central Issaquah Area Open House

4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Pickering Barn, 1730 10th Avenue NW.  The purpose of the Open House is for the public to review and provide feedback on the preliminary land use alternatives.  The preliminary alternatives are compilations of the 11 land use options created at Workshop 2. They include proposed densities, open space, parks, trails and transportation alternatives. No formal presentation will be made. Please stop by at your convenience. 

For questions or more information, contact Trish Heinonen at 425.837.3095, or log on to our website at www.ci.issaquah.wa.us/planning.

March 18 to 22, 2008: Volunteer Trail Work: Grand Ridge

8:30 am-2:30 pm, Grand Ridge Park, near Issaquah/Fall City/Preston/Sammamish.  Contact Washington Trails Association (WTA) to sign up for 1 or more days: www.wta.org or call 206-625-1367.

March 18, 2008: Planning for Tree Preservation in Issaquah

7:00 pm, Eagle Room, Issaquah City Hall Police Station.  The City Council will host a Town Hall meeting to receive citizen input about this important topic.

March 14, 2008: Landscaping with Wildlife

7pm,  Meadowbrook Farm Interpretive Center 1711 Boalch Ave SE, North Bend.  Russell Link, WDFW area biologist, will discuss ways to enhance wildlife habitat around homes and properties, including nesting boxes, feeders, ponds, preventing damage, and creating specialty gardens. Families welcome.  FREE! 

March 13, 2008: Pasture Management: Becoming a Grass Farmer

6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Issaquah Salmon Hatchery. FREE!  Hands-on workshops on livestock management practices. See a variety of options and work with technicians to discover ways you can have less mud, better pastures, manage manure and deal with wetlands. To register and receive directions contact the King Conservation District at 425-277-5581x122 or <paul.borne@kingcd. org>.

March 10, 2008: What is Toxic in YOUR Home?

11:00am, Lilypad Books at Gilman Village, 317 NW Gilman Blvd, #40, Issaquah.   Come to Lilypad Books with five items from your home: toys, lunchboxes, shower curtains, dishes, booster seats. Representatives from the Washington Toxics Coalition will be on hand with an XRF Analyzer to scan your items. You will come away with specific ratings for your personal items. Equally important, they will talk about the likelihood your children are being exposed to lead, cadmium, phthalates, PVC, toxic flame retardants, even banned PCBs on a daily basis; what items are likely to be a problem and why; the effect of continued exposure to toxins on developing bodies; the lack of regulation in the US against use of damaging chemicals and what you can do about it. A tax deductible donation of $25 to the Washington Toxics Coalition is requested.

March 8, 2008: Plant Salvage at Issaquah Highlands (Free Natives!)

10am-3pm, Issaquah Highlands. Bring your boots and shovel, and take away any plants you can carry. Port Blakely is holding a plant salvage on a property slated for development. This is a great opportunity to get some native plants for your yard for just the price of a little sweat. Participants will be required to sign a liability waiver before salvaging. No one under 14 allowed without parent or guardian present. Please bring all your own equipment as none will be available.

For location, check out this google map. Parking available South of NE Park Drive just East of Fire Station 73. For more infomation, please contact Gaila Gutierrez at 425-837-3414, gailag@ci.issaquah.wa.us or Michelle Wright at 425-837-3421, Michellew@ci.issaquah.wa.us. 

March 8, 2008: Volunteer at Chinook Bend Area near Carnation 

9:00 am-1:00 pm, Chinook Bend near Carnation.  Bring the family and friends and have fun planting trees and shrubs in restoration projects.  For more information, call Tina Miller at 206-296-2990 or e-mail at tina.miller<@>kingcounty.gov.

March 8, 2008: Hobby & Volunteer Expo Saturday

10:00am-2:00pm, Pickering Barn, Issaquah.  Discover local clubs, hobby groups, service organizations, and community activities for you and your family. The Issaquah community has numerous ways to get involved and volunteer! If you are interested in having a booth at the Expo, call Cathy Jones at 425-837-3317.

March 6, 2008: Manure Management: Got Livestock? Got Manure!

6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Issaquah Salmon Hatchery. FREE!  Hands-on workshops on livestock management practices. See a variety of options and work with technicians to discover ways you can have less mud, better pastures, manage manure and deal with wetlands. To register and receive directions contact the King Conservation District at 425-277-5581x122 or <paul.borne@kingcd. org>.

March 1, 2008: Volunteer at Chinook Bend Area near Carnation 

9:00 am-1:00 pm, Maple Valley.  Bring the family and friends and have fun planting trees and shrubs in restoration projects.  For more information, call Tina Miller at 206-296-2990 or e-mail at tina.miller<@>kingcounty.gov

March 1, 2008: Plant Salvage at Issaquah Highlands (Free Natives!)

10am-3pm, Issaquah Highlands. Bring your boots and shovel, and take away any plants you can carry. Port Blakely is holding a plant salvage on a property slated for development. This is a great opportunity to get some native plants for your yard for just the price of a little sweat. Participants will be required to sign a liability waiver before salvaging. No one under 14 allowed without parent or guardian present. Please bring all your own equipment as none will be available.

For location, check out this google map. Parking available South of NE Park Drive just East of Fire Station 73. For more infomation, please contact Gaila Gutierrez at 425-837-3414, gailag@ci.issaquah.wa.us or Michelle Wright at 425-837-3421, Michellew@ci.issaquah.wa.us. 

March 1, 2008: Plant Salvage at Redmond Ridge 

9:00 am or 1:00 pm, Redmond Ridge/Trilogy.  Volunteers are needed to assist with King County's Native Plant Salvage Program.   In the morning, volunteers will dig up trees and shrubs from this site scheduled for development. In the afternoon, volunteers can help with potting up the salvaged plants so they can recuperate before going to King County habitat restoration sites. Once replanted, these native plants will help reduce erosion, shade streams and improve habitat. Sign up to participate by contacting Greg Rabourn at (206) 296-1923 or by e-mail at greg.rabourn@kingcounty.gov.

FEBRUARY 2008

February 28, 2008: Mud Management: Record Rainfall/Record Mud

6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Issaquah Salmon Hatchery. FREE!  Hands-on workshops on livestock management practices. See a variety of options and work with technicians to discover ways you can have less mud, better pastures, manage manure and deal with wetlands. To register and receive directions contact the King Conservation District at 425-277-5581x122 or <paul.borne@kingcd. org>.

February 27, 2008: Participate in King County’s Stormwater Management Program Planning

6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. KC Department of Development and Environmental Services, Black River Corporate Park, 900 Oakesdale Avenue SW, Renton.  King County residents can provide feedback on local stormwater management practices and learn more about planned updates to the county’s stormwater management program at an upcoming public meeting. This effort is part of King County’s ongoing commitment to protect public health and improve environmental conditions in Puget Sound and elsewhere. 

February 23, 2008: Caring for Your Horse and His Home Workshop

9:00 am-5:00 pm, Maple Valley.  Are you new to horse ownership or do you have children who want a horse? Do
you know what the regular health, dental and shoeing needs are for horses?  Would you like to learn about shelters requirements and horse-safe fencing?  Join Alayne Blickle and her horses on her Maple Valley, WA demonstration farm for an all day workshop geared for novice horse owners. Topics include horse behavior, horse and handler safety, planning your horse facility, how
to buy a horse, nutrition and feeding, vet and farrier care, and pasture, manure and mud management.  Cost: $95 per person.
To register or for more information contact Alayne at
<alayne@horsesforcle anwater.com> or visit the Horses for Clean Water website.

February 21, 2008: Living with Livestock near Water

6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Issaquah Salmon Hatchery. FREE!  Hands-on workshops on livestock management practices. See a variety of options and work with technicians to discover ways you can have less mud, better pastures, manage manure and deal with wetlands. To register and receive directions contact the King Conservation District at 425-277-5581x122 or <paul.borne@kingcd. org>.

February 16, 2008: Horse Farm Tour - It's a Guy Thing Here!

10:00 am-noon, Maple Valley.  FREE! This horse owner, an endurance competitor, set up his farm 7 years ago after attending HCW and KCD events--and he testifies it's been chore-efficient since then. See mud management in place and working, even in the dead of winter. View easy-to-use compost bins with unique aeration and cover, wildlife hedgerows, uniquely shaped paddocks designed to encourage horses to move, a horse-safe feed storage area and more! To register and receive directionscontact the King Conservation District at
425-277-5581x122 or <paul.borne@kingcd. org>.

February 6, 2008: Fall City Parks District Meeting

7pm, Chief Kanim Middle School, Fall City.  The Friends of Fall City Parks is hosting a meeting to kick off the Petition Drive to put a Fall City Park District on the November ballot. This will be a quick meeting. 30 mins at the most. Please drop in to get more information, sign a petition, or pick up a petition and help us get signatures. Questions?  Email perrycwilkins<'@'>yahoo.com.

February 4, 2008: Farmer Chef Connection

8:30 am-4:30 pm, Seattle Mountaineers Club, 300 3rd Ave. W., Seattle.   Learn more and download an invitation at:
www.farmerchefconnection.org/news-events/seattleFCC08
(click on '2008 Seattle FCC Invitation').

Cost: $25/person if registered by Jan 21, $30 thereafter (including at the door)

Producers & Chefs: We would love to showcase your work at this event! If you would like to donate food, or prepare a dish from donated product, contact Zach Lyons at zach<@>cowswithguns.com.

February 2, 2008: ELWAS/Sierra Club Global Warming Workshop.

9 am-3 pm at Bastyr University in Kenmore. East Lake Washington Audubon and the Cascade Chapter of the Sierra Club, will host a Global Warming Workshop. Global warming is a huge, overwhelming issue. Many feel something should be done, but don't know what to do . Here is a chance to learn how to take action as a concerned citizen and make a difference!

February 2, 2008: Tree Fruit & Wine Grape Production Workshop

10:00 am-2:30 pm, Ed's Apples, 13420 339th Ave SE, Sultan.   Join WSU Tree Fruit expert Gary Moulton and vintner/grower Brent Charnley from Lopez Island Vineyards as they share their expertise on growing and utilizing tree fruit and wine grapes suitable for production in Western Washington's challenging climate. There will be pruning demonstrations, a discussion of the latest varieties suitable for the region, care & feeding, planting & trellising options, irrigation, organic methods, and much more.  Cost is $45 and includes box lunch. 

Register: Pre-registration required, call 425.338.2400 or download the form at http://snohomish.wsu.edu/ag/workshops/registrationform.pdf and mail with your check. For more information, contact Kate Halstead: khalstead @ wsu(dot)edu, 425.357.6024.

JANUARY 2008

January 22, 2008, Presentation on the Issaquah SE ByPass Environmental Process

6:00pm, Issaquah City Council Chambers, 135 E. Sunset Way, Issaquah. The Issaquah Environmental Council filed a SEPA appeal (state process) of the FEIS and encourages folks with environmental concerns for the proposed SE Bypass to attend this meeting of the City Council. If you are interested in their analysis, contact bshelton<< at >>seanet.com or 425-466-8470.

January 15-March 4, 2008: WSU Extension/King County Forest Stewardship Class

Tuesdays, Maple Valley.  The dates are set for the next Forest Stewardship for small to medium size private woodland owners.  This class will be in Maple Valley, Tuesday evenings from Jan. 15th through March 4th, 2008.  Please visit http://king.wsu.edu/forestry for more information or contact Amy Grotta at (206) 205-3132 or Amy.Grotta@kingcounty.gov. 

January 15, 2008: PSRC Destination 2030

4-7pm, Bellevue.  The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) is updating it's Destination 2030, the regions long range transportation plan, and is asking for public input.  More information at www.psrc.org.

January 10, 2008: Faith, Energy, and the Environment: An Evening with U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee

7pm, St. John United Lutheran Church, 5515 Phinney Avenue N., Seattle.  FREE!  Earth Ministry is partnering with the American Jewish Committee to host an evening of faith and energy with U.S. Representative Jay Inslee (D-WA). Rep. Inslee will read selections from his new book, Apollo's Fire, which focuses on building a clean energy economy as a solution to oil dependence and climate change. Representatives from the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions will join him to share what our faiths say about climate change, and what we are called to do in response. 

Please join us to learn more about green jobs, economic development, and clean energy technologies in a faith context. Climate Solutions, National Wildlife Federation, and Northwest Interfaith Community Outreach (NICO) are also co-sponsors of this event.

January 9, 2008: Fall City Parks District Meeting

7pm, Methodist Church, Fall City.  Come learn about the community's efforts to establish a Parks District for Fall City.  Thank you for being involved and please involve your friends and neighbors.  Questions?  Email perrycwilkins<'@'>yahoo.com.

January 5, 2008:  Adytum Cellars Mead Tasting

Noon until 5:00 pm, 15114 148th Avenue N.E.. Woodinville.  Come join us in a “cheer” to the NEW YEAR. Sample and place your order for our newest release “Oranj” - a varietal sweet mead made with orange blossom honey.  Visit http://www.adytumcellars.com/ or email mead <'at'>  adytumcellars.com for more info.

January 5, 2008:  Marymoor Birdloop Work Party.

9am-3pm, Parking lot G, Marymoor Park, Redmond.  Join Eastlake Audubon Society (ELWAS) at this work part to build forms, fill the holes under the kiosks with gravel, clean the kiosk panels and install the Lexan II in the panel opening, lay pavers on the gravel, cut the pavers to go around the kiosk supports, and put a border around the edges.   If there are enough people. we can also plant more native plants, lay down cardboard, and spread mulch.  If  you can come in the afternoon, that would be appreciated as this when they need help with the last item, the pavers.  Thank you.

Dress for the weather. Wear gloves. Bring water. If you have them, bring tools.  If you have questions about the kiosk work contact sunny<.at.>sunnywalter.com or 425-271-1346.

DECEMBER 2007

December 14, 2007: ELWAS Christmas Bird County (CBC)

8:00 am to 4 pm, Various Locations throughout Eastern King County.  Come and join one of the 8 teams of bird counters in the East Lake Washington Audubon Society (ELWAS) annual CBC. We welcome anyone who wants to help - from beginner to expert. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes/boots, warm clothes and bring lunch.  

You can also stay at home and count birds in your backyard, be sure to count for at least two hours. – then email Hugh Jennings at hughbirder<at>earthlink.net or phone 425-746-6351 and leave a message with your results before 5 p.m. on Dec. 15. All results will be tallied at the dinner following the count.

After the bird count, counters are invited to join ELWAS for a warm, wholesome meal. Dinner is served at 6:00 p.m. and will be held in a private home. Space is limited only to count participants. Cost is $5.00, which includes dinner (vegetarian and meat), dessert and drinks. Please call the office (425-576-8805) for dinner reservations.

Click here for more information on the Christmas Bird Count.

December 13-14, 2007: The best meteor shower of 2007

10pm through the following night.  "It's the Geminid meteor shower," says NASA astronomer Bill Cooke of the Marshall Space Flight Center. "Start watching on Thursday evening, Dec. 13th, around 10 pm local time," he advises. "At first you might not see very many meteors—but be patient. The show really heats up after midnight and by dawn on Friday, Dec. 14th, there could be dozens of bright meteors per hour streaking across the sky."  More info: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2007/

December 11, 2007: Conversation about Priorities for a Healthy Washington

6-8pm, Bellevue Community College (3000 Landerholm Circle SE) ,  The 2008 legislative session is nearly here! The “Priorities for a Healthy Washington” has selected four priorities for this session: Washington Climate Action, Local Solutions to Global Warming, Evergreen Cities and Local Farms-Healthy Kids.

We’d like to invite you to join the conversation about these priorities at our upcoming community forums. At the forum you’ll get to learn more about the priorities, talk with elected officials and find out how you can help us pass these priorities in the upcoming session.

RSVP online at www.wcvoters.org or by emailing brendon@wcvoters.org.

December 4, 2007: Fall City Parks District Community Meeting

7pm, Fall City Fire Hall (4301 334th Pl SE).  The community is considering a Metropolitan Park District for the Fall City area. The benefits of a Park District and consideration of boundaries will be topics of discussion.  Please pass this on to anyone you feel would be interested. And please come and share your ideas. All are welcome!  Email questions to Jack Kelley (jackkelley29 <at>comcast.net) or Perry Wilkins (perrycwilkins<at>yahoo.com).

December 3, 2007: Greater Snoqualmie Valley Unincorporated Area Council (UAC) Study Group & Community Meeting

7pm, Chief Kanim Middle School, Fall City.  Do you live in unincorpated eastern King County and have no UAC representation?  Come learn what a UAC is all about and how forming a UAC will let the citizens of rural eastern King County have a say in our future.  For more information visit: www.98024UAC.org or call Dave Reed at 425-941-7964.

December 1, 2007: King County Native Plant Salvages

9am-12:30pm salvage at Redmond Ridge site 12:30-4:00pm, potting at holding facility.  Dig in with other volunteers digging up trees and shrubs from this site scheduled for development. In the afternoon, we’ll be potting up the salvaged plants so they can recuperate before going to King County habitat restoration sites. Once replanted, these native plants will help reduce erosion, shade streams and provide habitat. Special thanks to Quadrant and PacTrust for providing the salvage sites.

Directions to Salvage Site: From I-405, I-5 or Hwy 520: Drive Eastbound 520 through Redmond and continue north onto Avondale Road. Turn right (south) on to Redmond Ridge Dr. NE. After you cross NE Alder Crest Dr. Watch for signs directing you to the site on the left.

Directions to Holding Facility: From I-5 or I-405, take I-90 east to Highland Drive exit (exit 18) in Issaquah. Stay left on the off ramp to continue onto Highland Dr. Drive through several lights. Turn right onto Issaquah–Fall City Road. Just past Endeavor Elementary School, stay straight onto Duthie Hill Road. The holding facility is in Duthie Hill Park (on the right) 27101 Duthie Hill Road.

A parent or guardian must accompany volunteers under 16 years old.  Dress for the weather and be prepared to get dirty. Sturdy shoes or boots are recommended. We’ll provide gloves, tools and light refreshments.

To download event .pdf with maps, go to http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/PI/pdf/
2007NovDecSalvageFly.pdf.

Please call Greg Rabourn at 206-296-1923 or email greg.rabourn@kingcounty.gov if you can participate.

December 1, 2007: Coffee with our State Representatives

All day.  State Representatives Jay Rodne and Glenn Anderson will be visiting our area to hear your concerns. 

Snoqualmie: 9am-10:30am, Snoqualmie Ridge Starbucks, 7730 Center Blvd. SE.

Sammamish: 11:00am-12:30pm, Starbucks by Eastlake High

Issaquah: 2:00-4:00pm, Caffee Ladro, 1200 10th Ave NE

Maple Valley: 4:30-6:00pm, Kent Kangley Starbucks, 26910 Maple Valley Hwy.

NOVEMBER 2007

November 17, 2007:  Preparing Your Horse Farm for Winter

10:00 am to 12:00 noon, Fall City.  FREE!  This large-scale reining horse breeding operation is beautifully set-up and managed. Tour this 20-horse Fall City, WA facility with the owners to hear and see how they designed and built it from the ground up. Learn what works for chore efficiency and what doesn’t. See winter pasture management techniques in place, tour a covered arena which doubles as turnout, hear about dust control, see gates designed for tractor access, and learn about green alder shavings which compost beautifully in their cement compost bins.

To register and receive directions contact the King Conservation District at 425-277-5581x122 or signup@kingcd.org.

November 16-18, 2007: REI Issaquah Store Grand Opening

9am-7pm, 735 NW Gilman Blvd, Issaquah. Free Breakfast, Prizes and Deals on eco-wear.  See http://www.rei.com/stores/116 for more info.

November 14, 2007:  Cisterns and Water Catchment: Getting Started!

6:30-8:30 PM, Lake Wilderness Lodge, 22500 SE 248th Street, Maple Valley. WSU King County Extension, in partnership with the City of Maple Valley, is delivering this series of classes to help you save money while reducing your impact on the environment through making simple changes in your home and your garden.  Class is FREE!

Register and info http://king.wsu.edu/enviro/events.htm  or call Darcy Batura at 206.205.3130. Registration is preferred but not required.

November 13th, 2007: King County Council Public Hearing and Vote on Soaring Eagle Proposal

1:30 PM, King County Courthouse, Council Chambers, Seattle. On September 4, 2007, Councilmember Lambert proposed ordinance No. 2007-0353 which, if passed, will transfer 30 acres of the 640 acre Soaring Eagle Park to the City of Sammamish.    Concerned members of the public are invited to give a 2-minute public comment.  For information on PRKC's position, please click here.

November 10, 2007: Sammamish Stewardship Saturday - FULL!

9 AM – 3 PM, Pickering Barn Hub, Issaquah.  The City of Issaquah, in partnership with Save Lake Sammamish, Issaquah Kiwanis Club and Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust is holding a planting event at the Pickering Hub for Sammamish Stewardship Saturday. You can sign up for this event through the Mountains to Sound website.

November 8, 2007: Pasture Management: Becoming a Grass Farmer

6:30-9pm, Issaquah Salmon Hatchery, Issaquah.  FREE! Hands-on workshop on livestock management practices.  Take the plunge and protect your property, water quality, as well as fish and wildlife habitat.

To register and receive directions contact the King Conservation District at 425-277-5581 ext. 122, or paul.borne@kingcd.org. Class size is limited so please call to register or for directions.

November 8, 2007: Central Issaquah Planning Workshop

6:30-9pm, Pickering Barn, Issaquah.  Click Here to check out the City’s website for results from the first workshop, and other Central Issaquah Area information.  Contact if you have questions: Trish Heinonen, Planning Manager,  trishh@ci.issaquah.wa.us.

November 3, 2007: King County Native Plant Salvages

9am-12:30pm salvage at Redmond Ridge site or 12:30-4:00pm, potting at holding facility.  Dig in with other volunteers digging up trees and shrubs from this site scheduled for development. In the afternoon, we’ll be potting up the salvaged plants so they can recuperate before going to King County habitat restoration sites. Once replanted, these native plants will help reduce erosion, shade streams and provide habitat. Special thanks to Quadrant and PacTrust for providing the salvage sites.

Directions to Salvage Site: From I-405, I-5 or Hwy 520: Drive Eastbound 520 through Redmond and continue north onto Avondale Road. Turn right (east) onto Novelty Hill Road.  Turn right (south) on to Eastridge DR. NE. Watch for signs directing you to the site.
Directions to Holding Facility: From I-5 or I-405, take I-90 east to Highland Drive exit (exit 18) in Issaquah. Stay left on the off ramp to continue onto Highland Dr. Drive through several lights. Turn right onto Issaquah–Fall City Road. Just past Endeavor Elementary School, stay straight onto Duthie Hill Road. The holding facility is in Duthie Hill Park (on the right) 27101 Duthie Hill Road.

A parent or guardian must accompany volunteers under 16 years old.  Dress for the weather and be prepared to get dirty. Sturdy shoes or boots are recommended. We’ll provide gloves, tools and light refreshments.

To download event .pdf with maps, go to http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/PI/pdf/2007NovDecSalvageFly.pdf.

Please call Greg Rabourn at 206-296-1923 or email greg.rabourn@kingcounty.gov if you can participate.

November 1, 2007: Washington Toxics Coalition Auction for Action Celebration and Dinner

530 pm Reception and Silent Auction, 7:30 Dinner Program and Live Auction, Bell Harbor International Conference Center, Pier 66, Alaskan Way, Seattle.  Join us for a reception and silent auction with more than 300 diverse and enticing items, delicious organic hors d'oeuvres and wine, lively music by Greg and Jere Canote, and beautiful views of overlooking the Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains, a scrumptious organic dinner and fun live auction with unique opportunities, travel packages, and one-of-a-kind art from Northwest artists and a n engaging program with special guest Allyson Schrier, PRKC Board Member, children's book author and mom who participated in the Pollution in People study.

Tickets for this fabulous evening are $85. Our RSVP deadline is October 25, 2007.

You may register by email lmudge@watoxics.org or phone Lori Mudge at 206-632-1545 ext. 115.

November 1, 2007: Manure Management: Got Livestock? Got Manure!

6:30-9pm, Issaquah Salmon Hatchery, Issaquah.  FREE! Hands-on workshop on livestock management practices.  Take the plunge and protect your property, water quality, as well as fish and wildlife habitat.

To register and receive directions contact the King Conservation District at 425-277-5581 ext. 122, or paul.borne@kingcd.org. Class size is limited so please call to register or for directions.

OCTOBER 2007

October 27 & 28th, 2007: Walk, Ride or Run to Save Soaring Eagle Park

ALL DAY, Soaring Eagle Park, Sammamish.  The Friends of Soaring Eagle Park are working so hard to save this beautiful Park from being parceled out to the City of Sammamish and being developed.  They have until NOVEMBER 13th to show the King County Council why Soaring Eagle is so special and to prove that this is not a park no one knows about or uses.

Weather forecast for this weekend is AMAZING and Soaring Eagle is in the peak of it’s Fall glory.

Please come out with your friends and family and enjoy some time in the forest.

 - Mountain Bike ride starts at 8am from the Main Street Entrance. - FOSEP will be at the Trossachs Blvd Entrance at 9am to answer questions.
- Press and County staff will be escorted on tours throughout the day.

Directions to Soaring Eagle Park:

Trossachs Entrance (proposed transfer location):
From I90:
Take Issaquah Highlands Exit, Go Left. Turn Right at Issaquah-Fall City Road (~2 miles). Turn Left at Trossachs Blvd (~3 miles). Park entrance is at the end of this road.
From Hwy 202/Redmond-Fall City Road:
Turn West (Right from Redmond, Left from Fall City on 292. Turn Right on Trossachs Blvd. Park entrance is at the end of this road.

Main Street Entrance:
The Main Street (West) entrance is accessed from SE 8th Street (directly opposite Sammamish City Hall). Go straight about 2 miles on SE 8th Street and turn right on Main Street. The parking lot and entrance is at the end of Main Street.

Beaver Lake Preserve Entrance:
The Park can be entered from the Beaver Lake Preserve Parking lot off of Beaver Lake Drive (about 5 blocks down and across the road from the Beaver Lake Lodge Entrance).

October 27, 2007: Tremendous Tubers – The Great Dahlia Dig

10-11 AM Pickering Barn, Issaquah. Nothing beats dahlias for fall color in your garden. Join a local dahlia expert from the Dahlia Society for a brief demonstration of how to correctly divide tubers for next year’s growth and bloom, then adjourn outdoors to dig and divide the terrific tubers now on display in the Dahlia Bed at Pickering Barn. You’ll have a chance to take home a tuber or two for your own fall display next year!   Please reserve a space in the class: call Pandora at 425-837-3442.

October 25, 2007:  Mud Management: Record Rainfall / Record Mud

6:30-9pm, Issaquah Salmon Hatchery, Issaquah.  FREE! Hands-on workshop on livestock management practices.  Take the plunge and protect your property, water quality, as well as fish and wildlife habitat.

To register and receive directions contact the King Conservation District at 425-277-5581 ext. 122, or paul.borne@kingcd.org. Class size is limited so please call to register or for directions.

It’s Salmon SEEson!

Spot the spawners in the Lake Washington/Cedar/Sammamish Watershed this fall!  Fall is here, and salmon are returning to streams and rivers around the Puget Sound. Naturalists will help you spot these natural beauties around the Lake Washington/Cedar/Sammamish Watershed as they make their seasonal journey home!

Redmond:

September 23 (1-3 p.m.), September 29 (2-4 p.m.), October 6 (1-3 p.m.), and October 27 (1-3 p.m.) 15500 NE 90th St. (on Sammamish River Trail), Redmond.  Sponsored by City of Redmond, 425.556.2822 or pholte@ci.redmond.wa.us

September 29 (1-4 p.m.), October 4 (3-6 p.m.), and October 6 (1-4 p.m.) Along Bear Creek and the Sammamish River near Redmond.  Sponsored by Water Tenders, 425.788.5083 or www.watertenders.org.

Late September to mid-November during business hours each day, Bear Creek at Classic Nursery, 12526 Avondale Rd. NE in Redmond (self-guided).  Sponsored by ROSE, 425.882.1846 or lyhussey@comcast.net

Woodinville:  

October 6 (2:30-4 p.m.) Rotary Community Park Boardwalk along Little Bear Creek, 19518-136th Ave NE, Woodinville. Sponsored by City of Woodinville, 425.398.9327 or www.ci.woodinville.wa.us

Issaquah:

October 13 (10 a.m.-2 p.m.) Pickering Farm along Issaquah Creek.  Follow the signs from the Farmer's Market.  Sponsored by Issaquah Basin Action Team (IBAT). Contact 206.296.1914 or mary.maier@kingcounty.gov.

Renton:

October 13, 20, 21, 27 and 28 and November 3 (11-4 p.m. each day) Along the Cedar River near Renton.  Sponsored by Friends of the Cedar River Watershed, 206.245.0143 or www.cedarriver.org/about/cedarriversalmonjourney.shtml.

Seattle:

Weekends from November 3 through December 9 (and Nov. 23 with special activities!), (11 a.m.-3 p.m. each day), Piper’s Creek (in Seattle’s Carkeek Park).  Sponsored by Salmon Stewards, 206.684.0877 for more information.

For more information on all of these, visit http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wrias/8 and click on Salmon SEEson! Or call 206.205.8755. You’ll also find great links there to learn how you can protect salmon and their habitat this fall – and year-round!

October 16, 2007:  Public Forum on Proposition 1 (RTID) on the November ballot

7:00pm, Northlake Unitarian Universalist Church, 308 – 4th Ave. South , Kirkland, 98033.  The Yes on Proposition 1 campaign (www.yesonroadsandtransit.org ) and the No on Proposition 1 campaign (www.NoRTID.org) will be represented in this panel forum on the benefits and weaknesses of the largest transportation package before the voters in years. Prop. 1 would increase sales tax and vehicle license fees in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties to fund new and expanded freeway lanes, and public transportation.

The environmental community is not united in whether or not to endorse this proposal. Proposition 1 is complex and clearly a compromise from the environmental perspective. Join us for an informative and engaging evening. Sponsored by: East Lake Washington Audubon Society--contact Tim McGruder, Conservation Chair. 425-822-8580.

October 18, 2007:  Streams and Wetlands: Living with Livestock near Water

6:30-9pm, Issaquah Salmon Hatchery, Issaquah.  FREE! Hands-on workshop on livestock management practices.  Take the plunge and protect your property, water quality, as well as fish and wildlife habitat. Attend this workshop to:
-  Design a stream or wetland native plant restoration plan.
- Calculate the length and cost of a livestock exclusion fence to keep
animals out of sensitive areas.
-  Select native plants suited to stream and wetland buffers.
-  Determine plant placement.
-  Outline a maintenance plan.
-  Learn about regulations in effect
-  Find out about coast-sharing programs available.
-  Meet free resource technicians available to assist you.

To register and receive directions contact the King Conservation District at
425-277-5581 ext. 122, or paul.borne@kingcd.org. Class size is limited so
please call to register or for directions.

October 18, 2007:  Fall Natural Yard Care Workshop

7-9pm, City Hall Council Chambers, Issaquah.  FREE! Design your yard naturally! Reshape your own outdoor space into a yard that fits your lifestyle, is safe for family and pets and gives you great pleasure. This workshop will help you create an attractive yard using healthy, natural techniques and materials.

Speaker Doug Rice, landscape architect and host of Yard Talk will provide tips to ensure beauty and balance, using methods that include mulch mowing, building healthy soil and getting the right plants in the right places. 

To register, call Sue or Maggie at 206-352-6402

October 13, 2007: Issaquah Basin Action Team presents the Grand FINale!

10am-2pm, Pickering Barn (across from Costco) in Issaquah.  Every autumn our streams and rivers are busy with migrating and spawning salmon. The Issaquah Creek basin supports five species of salmon and trout and is considered one of the most productive and resource rich basins in the Puget Sound region.

Come celebrate the return of our amazing salmon by joining IBAT at the trail along Issaquah Creek at the Pickering Farm. Docents will be available to provide information about salmon identification and lifecycles and to share ideas about things we can all do to keep our creeks healthy for these northwest treasures. A fish biologist will also be present dissecting salmon carcasses and explaining salmon anatomy.  Free!  Just follow the signs from the Farmers Market to the viewing area.

October 13, 2007: Diversifying Income Opportunities on Small Woodlands

9-5pm, Cedar River Education Center, North Bend.  This FREE workshop will introduce landowners to various opportunities for creating additional income streams from small woodlands. Topics will include: non-timber forest products, ecosystem services markets (e.g. carbon credits), working forest conservation easements, FSC certification and markets, recreational and commercial leasing, small-scale milling & direct sales, financing small woodland enterprises. This workshop will be repeated five different times throughout
Western Washington. For more information visit http://www.nnrg.org/news-events/events or call 360-379-9421.

October 8, 2007: I-90 Bellevue to North Bend Study Needs Your Feedback

6:30-8:30, King County Library Service Center on Newport Way (behind Target) in Issaquah.  Issaquah Alps Trail Club, Save Lake Sammamish, The Mountaineers & Issaquah Environmental Council will sponsor a presentation of “The I90 Bellevue to North Bend Study.” Please come to hear more about what is planned and opportunity to ask questions & provide feedback. Below are issues identified to date:
· I-90 creates a barrier between north & south portions of Snoqualmie Valley with no provisions for non-motorized crossings.
· Concern regarding wildlife crossings farther east along I-90
· Need to balance accommodating growth while preserving rural quality in North Bend .
· Tribal concerns include cultural resources, culverts & fish passageways.
· Prefer to leave a large median on I-90 to add vegetation.
· Water issues & large aquifer on east side of North Bend .
· Look closely at system management & interface between local & freeway systems.
· Integrate freight issues into the design process.
· Problems with congestion & access in Issaquah & Bellevue.
· Increased demand for transit service & park & ride lots in Snoqualmie
· Relationship between congestion on I-90 & increased traffic on county arterials
· Need to coordinate plans & preserve right of way for Sound Transit’s East Link Light Rail connection across I-90.
· Interest in managed lanes
· Regional growth issues & increasingly dispersed rural growth.
· Desire to include transit in the I-90 study.
· Concerns about large freight travel, constraints & impacts along I-90 in Snoqualmie.

For more information, contact Michell Mouton, moutonm@wsdot.wa.gov.

October 10, 2007: Alternative Energy for Around the Home and Farm

6:30-8:30 pm, Lake Wilderness Lodge, 22500 SE 248th Street, Maple Valley.  WSU Extension Educator Todd Murray and David Trione of Sound Power Inc. lead a comprehensive discussion of things to consider when seeking alternative energy supplements.

With rising prices, many landowners are exploring alternative sources for energy. Come join us as we explore biofuels, wind and solar technologies for around the home and farm. David Trione owner of Sound Power, Inc. will provide an overview of photovoltaic solar systems and considerations when adopting supplemental power sources. The class is part of the WSU King County Extension series, Tools for Resourceful Living.

What you'll learn:

· An understanding of alternative energy sources available in our region
· Decision-making tools to help you evaluate energy options that work for you
· Where to find more information and help to get your alternative energy project going

Registration: Class is FREE! Register online at http://king.wsu.edu/enviro/events.htm  or call Darcy Batura at 206.205.3130. Registration is preferred but not required.

October 6-7, 2007:  SALMON DAYS ‘007 Spawn, Just Spawn!!!

All Day, Issaquah.  Join your friends and neighbors for fun filled fishy activities and food. Since Garbage is Forever, The Issaquah RCO will once again rally all its secret agents to collect food scraps from all the food vendors for composting.
Salmon Days schedule and event information available on the oFISHal website: http://salmondays.org/home/. 

October 3, 2007:  Fall in Place: Preparing your Horse Farm for Winter

7-9pm, Preston.  FREE! Tips and techniques to help you get a jump on winter. Join HCW on a pre-winter journey through a checklist and presentation on things to do to prepare your farm for those dark, cold, and blustery winter months. Learn ways to make the coming winter more chore-efficient, less stressful, and healthier for your horses and the environment!

Tentative, please call to confirm!  For details contact Alayne or by phone at 425-432-6116.

SEPTEMBER 2007

Sept 29, 2007: Day at Grand Ridge Park

9:30am – 2pm. Grand Ridge Park (Issaquah/Sammamish).  King County Parks’ back country trail at Grand Ridge Park in Issaquah is be one of eight scenic locations for the volunteer-based work parties taking place as part of Earth Share of Washington’s annual Day in the Park event.

Volunteers will work from the High Point exit end of the trail. Interested volunteers can sign up individually or as a group through the Day in the Park website at http://www.dayinthepark.org/. Directions and additional information will be sent out after registration. Earth Share of Washington is expecting more than 600 volunteers to participate across its eight project sites for the 2007 event - We hope you can join the Grand Ridge work party!

September 27, 2007: Futurewise Event: A Feast with Friends

6-9pm, Kaspar's Special Events and Catering, 19 West Harrison, Seattle.  Please join Futurewise for thier second annual food and wine tasting extravaganza as we celebrate Washington’s diverse food culture and the people who make it all possible. A Futurewise Feast with Friends is more than just another fundraiser, it’s about making a connection with your neighbors by meeting the farmers who grow your food, the winemakers that produce local wines, and the chefs who showcase their talents using fresh Northwest ingredients. Supporting Futurewise means working together to build healthy communities and protecting our valuable natural resources for all to enjoy!

Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased by calling Outreach and Membership Coordinator, Chieu Van at (206) 343-0681 ext 119. For additional information about event details click here.

Ticket Prices:

$75 General Admission (1 ticket)
$150 Individual Host (1 ticket)
$250 Chef’s Choice (2 tickets)
$500 Tasting Sponsor (2 tickets)

September 26, 2007: Global Warming: Changing Co2urse Informational Meeting

7:00pm, Fall City Farms.  Global Warming: Changing Co2urse is a four session course exploring the history and science of global warming, personal values and habits as they relate to climate change, and personal actions to curb the effects of global warming. This course can be easily used in your workplace,
faith center or home.  This is an informal, self-facilitated discussion program.  If, after the initial meeting you choose to join or form a discussion group,  there is a very nominal materials charge ($10-15 for the entire session).  Please call Debbie with any questions at 425-222-7930.

September 24, 2007: Farm Walk: The Children's Garden

noon-3:30, Carnation. PCC Land Trust Recipient Fong Cha grows flowers and vegetables on his 10 acre farm in Carnation. Learn how Fong manages to hold a full time off-farm job and still maintain his farm, farm stand, and attend farmers markets.  Also discussed will be Fongs' intriguing philosophies regarding farming, marketing, and life in general.  Cost: $10 for Tilth Producers members; $15 for non-members.  Beverages provided – please bring a brown bag lunch.  Driving directions available at www.tilthproducers.org.   More info: www.farmingandtheenvironment.org/marketplace/Puget/Childrens

September 24-29: Tree House Building Workshop

Treehouse Point, Fall City.  This workshop is presented by Northwest Treehouse School.  For information please call 425.441.8087 or email Dayn@NWTreeHouseSchool.com.

September 22, 2007: 9th Annual Harvest Celebration Farm Tour

10am-4:30pm, Rural King County.  Farms from around King County invite you to come and get a taste of farm life! It's a day of fun and agricultural learning for children and adults! Last year, over 8,000 tour participants talked to farmers and walked their fields, enjoyed family hay rides, ran through corn mazes and ate produce fresh off the field!  The annual Harvest Celebration Farm Tour is a great opportunity to experience the spectacular diversity and vitality of King County agriculture. Increasingly, people are discovering the importance of supporting local agriculture and recognizing that fresh, local foods are as near as the neighborhood farmers market, a farm-friendly grocery store, a CSA subscription or a visit to on-farm produce stands!  FREE!

The Harvest Celebration Farm Tour is presented by WSU King County Extension, in partnership with King Conservation District and King County, and with the help of our generous sponsors.

Check the website for more information as the date draws near, and look for the 2007 Farm Tour Guide in the September 6th issue of The Stranger!

Can you volunteer?  We need Greeters.  On the day of the Farm Tour greeters will welcome visitors to farms, answer general questions, and distribute, stamp, and collect surveys. Greeter shifts range from 3.5 to 6 hours long on the day of the event, depending on availability. Qualifications: Reliability and an enjoyment of interactions with both children and adults. Willingness to ask visitors to make donations and fill out survey forms. If this opportunity sounds interesting to you, we would love your participation! You can request a specific site, or you can ask us to assign you to where you're most needed.  Please let us know if you are interested in being a Greeter by contacting Tricia Sexton at tricia.sexton@kingcounty.gov or 206-205-3206. Thank you!

September 22, 2007: Living Without Horse Pasture/Mini-Farm Tour

10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, Fall City.  FREE! This 6 acre mini-farm had lots of challenges in the horse pasture department—rocks, no topsoil, lots of big trees. Not having much pasture led to creative thinking and alternatives. Tour this Fall City, WA farm to see good use of turn-out areas, mud-free paddocks, different footing choices, a large all-season riding arena, attractive wood fences—plus ducks, chickens and goats, fruit trees and garden. 

To register and receive directions contact the King Conservation District at 425-277-5581x125 or signup@kingcd.org.

Become a Salmon Watcher!

7-9 pm in various locations.  Attend one class and learn about salmon species, their life cycle and how you can help! Your work as a Salmon Watcher is invaluable! To learn more go to the Salmon Watcher Website.

Thursday, Aug. 30, Renton Community Center, Renton
Monday, Sept 10, Woodinville City Hall, Woodinville
Thursday, Sept 13, Bellevue City Hall, Bellevue
Thursday, Sept 20, Issaquah Salmon Hatchery, Issaquah
Tuesday, Sept 25, Good Shepard Center, Seattle

September 17-19, 2007: Renewable +SmartGrid Summit

Downtown Seattle Sheraton Hotel.  In a world based on economics, it is not enough to be green. Speakers from Industry, Utilities, Government, Investment and more explore brilliant innovations in tech and policy.  Over 45 session, 60+ speakers, Hundreds of ideas.   For more detailed information including cost and registration information visit http://www.discoverbrilliant.com/index.php.

September 12, 2007: Eating Seasonally on a Budget

6:30-8:30 pm, Lake Wilderness Lodge, Maple Valley (22500 SE 248th Street) Chef Joshua Henderson and Nutritionist Stacey White lead a comprehensive workshop covering how to enjoy healthy foods that are in season without breaking your budget.

Class is FREE! Register online at http://king.wsu.edu/enviro/events.htm  or call Darcy Batura at 206.205.3130. Registration is preferred but not required.

September 10, 2007: Affordable Housing and Zero Energy Project Open House

7-9 pm, Issaquah Highlands Blakely Hall, 2550 NE Park Drive, Issaquah.  The City of Issaquah is proposing a transit oriented development (TOD) on a 2.8 acre parcel east of the Issaquah Highlands Park and Ride. The project would include approximately 150 units of affordable rental housing and a 10 unit zero energy residential demonstration project. The YWCA of Seattle, King County, Snohomish County and Noland Homes are the preferred builder candidates for the rental housing and demonstration projects respectively. The TOD proposal requires a modification to the existing Issaquah Highlands Development Agreement, and adoption of a new Development Agreement for the site.

The Issaquah Highlands Sustainability Committee, the City of Issaquah, the YWCA, and Noland Homes are sponsoring a community meeting to discuss this proposal. Representatives from the City, the YWCA, and Noland Homes will provide information about the proposal. A slide show of zero energy residential technologies will be included. Please attend to ask questions and share thoughts/ideas on the proposal.  For more information please call 425-837-3448.

September 8, 2007: Recycling Event

All day, Issaquah High School, 700 2nd Ave S, Issaquah. Recycle wood waste, appliances, scrap metal, electronics and more at this special event.  PLEASE NOTE: Changes this fall are that tires and cardboard will NOT be accepted as local options exist for both at Big O Tires and AtWork Recycling Center respectively.

The lines at the event are LONG due to large volumes of electronics (last spring we collected over 9,000 lbs…in four hours). Save yourself some time and consider recycling electronics at the curb if Waste Management is your hauler.  With an advance request by phone or by logging on their website, you can recycle TVs, computers, monitors, fax and copy machines, cell phones, microwaves and more on your recycling day.  For more curbside electronics recycling information, Call 1-800-592-9995 or go to www.wmnorthwest.com/Issaquah. Items need to be put at least 2 feet from your blue recycling cart. Please call for more detailed information.

For questions about the Fall Recycling Event, call 425-837-3400.

September 7, 2007: artEAST Highlights Local Environmentalists

6-9pm, Issaquah Art Walk, Downtown Issaquah. artEAST artists partnered with local community members who have helped shape our community. Stop in to see artist interpretations of the life & works of Connie Marsh , Ruth Kees, Linda Hjelm and 13 others.  Connie Marsh and Ruth Kees have mentored and inspired PRKC projects and efforts.

September 6, 2007: WSU at Benaroya Hall: In Concert with Communities

6:30-8:30pm, Samuel & Althea Stroum Grand Lobby – Benaroya Hall, Seattle.  This event is a special celebration of 50 of our finest research, outreach, and teaching programs in WSU Extension and the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences. We’ll showcase dozens of university faculty and community-based partners from around the state, who work together to maintain the Washington we all cherish.  More than 15 of the Seattle area’s best-loved restaurants and chefs are preparing a mouth-watering menu for our enjoyment. They’re using foods supplied by the farmers, ranchers, and fishers who work side-by-side with WSU faculty to sustain agriculture and natural resources.

The Harmony of Partnership: Come and hear how WSU is working alongside communities to spur economic development, to protect our air, land and water, and to help build strong, healthy youth and families. All are welcome—please join us!

Tickets: $40 in advance for adults; $15 in advance for youth

Space is limited! Register now at www.cahnrs.wsu.edu/event. 

September 5, 2007: City of Sammamish Park Planning Meeting

6:30pm, City Hall, Sammamish.  This meeting is to get public input on the design and planning of the Evans Creek Preserve.

September 1, 2007: ELWAS Birdloop Workparty

9am, Marymoor Park, Redmond.  (Come later if you can't make it at 9am).   In June 2006 the East Lake Washington Audubon Society adopted the interpretive trail at Marymoor Park. We are in the process of installing interpretive signs, an information kiosk in Parking Lot G, maintaining and extending the Boardwalk, and restoring the habitat in the area.

Meet at parking lot G at 9am and follow signs to work party. Parking passes will be given at sign-in. Dress for the weather. Wear gloves. Bring water and a snack.

AUGUST 2007

Wastemobile is coming to your area!

10AM - 5PM  Kind County residents (not businesses) can drop off their household hazardous waste FREE the following dates and locations: 

• Aug 3-5 Issaquah High School

• Aug 10-12 Cedarcrest High School (Carnation/Duvall)

• Aug 17-19 Eastlake High School (Sammamish)

• Aug 24-26 Snoqualmie Elementary School (Snoqualmie/NorthBend)

What to bring: solvents, batteries, oil-based paint, cleaners, pesticides, oil, antifreeze, gasoline, mercury products, fluorescent tubes, propane tanks, latex paint.

What not to bring: empty containers, computers, TVs, explosives, asbestos, appliances, medicines, solid waste, sharps, tires.

Is it hazardous? Read the label...
Look for the words Poison, Danger, Warning or Caution on the product label. 
Poison and Danger indicate the highest hazard levels. Poison means that a product is highly toxic, and can cause injury or death if ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin
Danger means that a product is either highly toxic, flammable, or corrosive. Look for the word "danger" on cleaners, polishes, paint strippers and pesticides. "Danger" means the product could poison you, cause serious damage to your skin or eyes, or easily cause a fire.
Warning and Caution both indicate that a product is toxic, corrosive, reactive or flammable

See http://www.govlink.org/hazwaste/house/disposal/ for more info.

August 27, 2007: County Council Meeting on Current Historical Projects

6:30-7pm Reception, 7-9pm Committee of the Whole Program, Sammamish City Hall.  The focus of this meeting is historical preservation in King County. Julie Koler, King County's Historical Preservation Officer, will give a presentation highlighting current historical projects in the county. At the reception and during the public comment time, you will be able to address any issues important to you with Kathy Lambert and other Council Members.

August 22, 2007: Eco-Commuting Fair and Outdoor Concert

4-9pm, Redmond Town Center. Join Washington Trails Association at this Redmond REI event to draw the correlation between commuting choices and their impacts on the environment, including our backcountry vegetation, streams and glaciers. Wednesday night is also concert night at Redmond Town Center, so bring the whole family down for free, fun music and pick up information on local environmental programming.

August 20, 2007 Primary Mail-in Ballot: Vote Yes for Proposition 1 and 2.

You should have received your mail-in Ballot by the 2nd week of August.  Propositions 1 & 2 on the King County Primary Election Ballet will do the following:

1. Maintain our parks and protect additional lands and shorelines

2. Provide grants to cities for urban open space and trail expansion

3. Support Woodland Park Zoo's educational outreach to children throughout King County (no funding would go to the proposed parking garage)

4. Cost the average homeowner an additional $20 a year in property taxes (based on a $400,000 home value).

Prop 1 is for Rural parks and open space maintenance and renews the expiring levy.

Prop 2 is for City parks, trails, maintenance and programs.

Please mail your write-in ballot by Aug 21st in order to vote     YES on Prop 1 & 2.

August 18, 2007 Growing Washington Summer Dinner Party

6-9pm, Mona's Bistro and Lounge (6421 Latona Avenue NE, Seattle).  Please join us for this special occasion. This may be the only fancy dinner our farmers eat all summer! Seating is limited, so purchase your ticket soon!

Who: You, your Local Farmers, and some great Side Dishes!

What: A simple yet elegant dinner highlighted by food from our farms, handcrafted beer, fine NW Wine, and cheap tequila shots

Why: Support the new generation of Washington Farmers. Eat authentic food from our farms (Alm Hill Gardens and 21 Acres). Drink. Listen to one of the best singer-songwriters this side of the Mississippi. Sing. Be merry. Door Prizes! Silent Auction! Table Prizes! Prizes!

Price: $600. No, just kidding, tickets are only $40*

To purchase tickets email: Carrie@growingwashington.org or call(206) 679-0482.

August 17 & 18, 2007: Healthy Living Fair

All day, PCC Natural Market, 1810 12th Ave NW, Issaquah. Samples galore! Visit the Healthy Living Fair at the local Issaquah PCC store in Pickering Square. Try a variety of natural food and product samples, and pick-up lots of information. Learn more about food scrap recycling and composting with Master Recycler Composters and join in the effort as they aim to compost and recycle as much as possible at this event!

August 15-18, 2007: Washington Farmers Market Week

Washington State Department of Agriculture News Release: The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) and Washington State Farmers Market Association (WSFMA) join Gov Chris Gregoire in proclaiming Aug 12-18 as Washington State Farmers Market Week—a time to recognize the benefits of local farmers markets. 

The number of markets in Washington has doubled in the last decade, increasing from 60 in 1998 to more than 120 in operation today. Statewide, farmers markets reported $38 million in sales in 2006, up more than 50 percent from the previous year. Most of those dollars go directly to Washington family farmers.

August 14, 2007: Stream Bug Sampling Training

time and location tbd.  Stream bugs, or macroinvertebrates, are a key part of the aquatic ecosystem. They also provide a key indicator of the health of our local streams. Come learn more about these fascinating bugs and then join fellow volunteers in the field to help us collect samples from locations in Issaquah. Please contact Micah Bonkowski to register, (425) 837-3420 or rco@ci.issaquah.wa.us. 

August 12, 2007: Perseid Meteor Shower

9pm until dawn, Night Sky (facing East).   The meteor shower should be great with the new moon.  More info on the NASA site.

August 10, 11 and 12 2007: Festival at Mount Si

Si View Community Center Park, North Bend. The Festival at Mount Si, formerly known as North Bend Alpine Days, honors North Bend’s community spirit as it preserves the past, celebrates the present, and embraces the future.   More info: http://www.festivalatmtsi.org/.

JULY 2007

July 30, 2007: Farm Walk: Learn about Soil Health

noon-3:30, Full Circle Farm, Carnation. Healthy soil functions as a living system to sustain productivity. WSU soil scientists Doug Collins and Andy Bary are conducting research at Full Circle and other Western Washington farms directed at improving soil and monitoring soil health. This farm walk will highlight recent research on soil health indicators as well as innovative management practices that promote soil health, including relay
cover cropping.  Cost: $10 for Tilth Producers members; $15 for non-members.  Beverages provided – please bring a brown bag lunch.  Driving directions available at www.tilthproducers.org.

July 30, 2007: Central Issaquah Subarea Plan Workshop

7:00pm, Pickering Barn, 1730 10th Avenue NW, Issaquah.  The City of Issaquah is about to begin an exciting new project that will shape a large section of Issaquah for years to come and we want your help! We hope you will take an active role from the very beginning and help us craft the best plan possible for this integral area of our City.  To find out more about the Central Issaquah Subarea, click here or contact the Planning Department at 425.837.3080 or CentralIssaquah@ci.issaquah.wa.us. 

July 28, 2007: Issaquah Alternative Transportation Fair

9am-2:00, Pickering Barn, 1730 10th Avenue NW, Issaquah. Your future transportation choices are here now! Come to the Alternative Transportation Fair at the Issaquah Farmer's Market on Saturday the 28th. Check out electric cars (both new and converted), biodiesel cars and small, fuel efficient cars like the Smart Car. There will be electric bicycles, scooters and much more! Find out about bike routes as well as bus and bike options. Learn how to get into a vanpool or ride share. Find out how to make your own biodiesel or where to buy it locally!

July 21, 2007: Wastemobile in Redmond

10AM - 5PM, 17777 NE 76th St., Redmond
Kind County residents (not businesses) can drop off their household hazardous waste. 

Is it hazardous? Read the label...
Look for the words Poison, Danger, Warning or Caution on the product label. 
Poison and Danger indicate the highest hazard levels. Poison means that a product is highly toxic, and can cause injury or death if ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin
Danger means that a product is either highly toxic, flammable, or corrosive. Look for the word "danger" on cleaners, polishes, paint strippers and pesticides. "Danger" means the product could poison you, cause serious damage to your skin or eyes, or easily cause a fire.
Warning and Caution both indicate that a product is toxic, corrosive, reactive or flammable

See http://www.govlink.org/hazwaste/house/disposal/ for more info.

July 21, 2007: Trails Fest

9am, North Bend. Washington Trails Association presents various hands-on events including hiking, kayaking, campfires, bird watching, fly fishing and more.  More info at 206-625-1367, lace@wta.org or www.trailsfest.org.

July 18, 2007: The Chore Efficient Horse Farm

6:30pm to 8:30pm, Fall City. Tour the Chore Efficient Horse Farm. This small farm is big on economizing. The horse portion of this property was carefully designed & built by the owners who wanted maximize space and chore efficiency. Everything for 3 horses has been neatly arranged on 1 acre including barn, mud-free paddocks, arena, compost bins and pasture. Hear about cooperative arrangements with neighbors that result in sharing equipment & pastures. This farm enjoys a picturesque view of the Snoqualmie River Valley -- & helps keep the waters clean, too! BONUS: Learn about King County Parks equestrian trails accessible nearby! FREE! To register and receive directions contact the King Conservation District at 425-277-5581, ext. 125 or Roseanne.Campagna@ kingcd.org.

July 14, 2007: ELWAS Marymoor Birdloop Work Party

9am-noon,  Marymoor Parking Lot G East Lake Washington Audubon Society  (ELWAS) has permission to take the trail through the woods. The blackberries have closed off the entrance again over by the river, but Jim Rettig will lead a crew through the woods, cutting back the vegetation, and bringing it out to the bridge. Since we are now having warmer days, it is very important to bring water with you. Bring a wheelbarrow if you can, and shovels, clippers, loppers and other tools to spiff up the area.  We will have the weed pullers both large and small available.

Parking is in Lot G, the Interpretive Trail parking lot. We will have free parking passes for you at sign-in. It is perfectly fine to come after 9 am, if that works better for you. Thank You!

July 14, 2007: TRIOBA 12 Hour Adventure Race

9am, Snoqualmie Pass. The second stop in the TRIOBA series includes 30-50 mile race featuring trekking, trail running, navigation, mountain biking and more.  Registration and more info at 253-709-8232 or www.trioba.com.

JUNE 2007

July 30, 2007: Tilth Producers Farm Walk

Noon-3:30 PM, Full Circle Farm, 31904 NE 8th St., Carnation Learn about WSU research at Full Circle and other Western Washington farms on improving and monitoring soil health. $10 for Tilth Producers members; $15 for non-members. For more information visit www.tilthproducers.org/farmwalks2007.htm  or email nancy@tilthproducers.org.

June 27-29, 2007: Teaching with the Farm to School Program

Lopez Island Summer Garden Institute, Lopez Island.  3-day course (30 clock hours), explores the link between nutrition, learning and classroom behavior. Participants will learn strategies to teach basic K-12 skills with garden-based curriculum, and
empower kids to start choosing (and loving!) healthy foods.  Information/registration: Carolyn 360.368.2202 ex.2300 or
www.lifefarmtoschool.org/lifewebsite/promo.

June 26-27, 2007: Sustainability Education Retreat

9:00 AM-5:30 PM,  Cedar River Watershed Education Center
North Bend. The Heritage Institute is hosting this retreat to explore the leading issues of our day-climate change-in the context of what we as educators and citizens of the Pacific Northwest can do locally to contribute to a better world.

Utilizing focused learning community, time in nature, presentations and interactive workshops we will integrate subjects relevant to local sustainability education including: --climate change/global warming --bioregional solutions to sustainability -- global sustainability issues -- cultural and biological diversity --peace, human rights and social justice

Retreat fee: $60 (Includes meals and handout materials)

14 clock hours or 1.4 CEUs available for additional $20 fee 2 credit option available for an additional tuition fee of $80 Youth may attend for free but need to bring their own lunch.

To register, please call The Heritage Institute at 360-341-3020, or click on the link below for easy online registration. Email 98236mike@hol.edu  for more info.

June 24, 2007: Grand Ridge Mine Hike

10am at the Issaquah Train Depot.  Led by volunteer Steve Grate, the hike takes visitors to the site of one of Issaquah's mine workings. Gather at the Issaquah Depot for a brief presentation and slide show on the history of the Issaquah & Superior mining operations. Hikers will leave from the Depot afterwards. The hike will last about 2.5 hours and cover approximately two miles over easy terrain.  Hikes are held rain or shine. Bring water and a sack lunch, and leave animal companions at home.

Hikes require advance registration and the completion of a release form.  Registration form available on-line and should be received by the prior Wednesday.  Cost is $3 for Issaquah History Museums members, $6 for non-members. Email info@issaquahhistory.org  for more info.

June 23-24, 2007: The Fourth Annual Greenway Days Festival

This weekend celebration will bring people between Seattle and Central Washington together to enjoy the scenic, recreational and historic treasures in this forested, green corridor.

The 100-mile Mountains to Sound Greenway could have become just another strip city. Thanks to the efforts of the Greenway Trust coalition, many of these lands have been preserved for future generations. We hope Greenway Days will lead you to discover the Greenway!

Major events usually include:

- Mountains to Sound Relay, 100-mile, multi-sport race, Sunday, June 24 - Registration at www.mountainstosound.com. 
- Scavenger Hunt - 100-mile treasure hunt with prizes
- Green Treasures Trek on Family-Friendly Trails
- Cowboy Rendezvous, Cle Elum
- Classic Car Show, Issaquah
- Greenway Geocaching, Team Event in the Woods

Please visit the MTS website for the official details.

June 21, 2007: King County Charter Review Public Hearing

6:30-8:00  PM, Preston Community Center (8625 310th Ave. SE, Preston).  Earlier this year, King County began the once-a-decade review of the Charter, which is our county’s constitution. The process began with the appointment of a 21-member Charter Review Commission, which is meeting monthly on the last Tuesday. Currently, the Commission is undertaking a public outreach effort to get agencies, organizations and citizens involved in recommending modifications to the Charter. In June and July, the Commission will conduct nine public hearings around the county, one in each of the nine King County Council districts. Councilmember Kathy Lambert would like to invite you to participate in this process at our District 3 public hearing.

Comments can be submitted in person at public hearings, or go to http://www.metrokc.gov/exec/charter/default.aspx for more information and to submit comments in writing. The King County Charter is available online at http://www.metrokc.gov/mkcc/code/03-Charter.pdf.

June 16, 2007: Fall City Days!

7am-6pm, Fall City. Have a full day of fun at the 18th annual Fall City Days. Some of the things you will find to do and see include: the Fun Run, Parade, Duck Derby, Carnival, food/arts/crafts vendors, Roar on the River Motorcycle Show down by Model garage, Hoop Fest— a 3 on 3 B-ball tournament, and a watermelon-eating contest at the park.  Parade applications, Schedule of Events and info at http://www.fallcity.org/fallcitydays.html.

June 16, 2007: Survey Middle Fork Snoqualmie Trails for Invasive Weeds

9 am to 5 pm - Snoqualmie Ranger District, North Bend Office Conference Room (behind station) at 42404 SE North Bend Way. The Mountains to Sound Greenway and Cascade Land Conservancy are leading a multi-year effort to control invasive weeds in the beautiful Middle Fork Snoqualmie Valley. If you enjoy hiking and plant identification, you are invited to help survey the valley's spectacular trail system for invasive weeds.

To sign up or for more information, please contact Kelly Kirkland at 206-812-0122 or kelly.kirkland@mtsgreenway.org. 

June 16, 2007: Flying Wheels Summer Century

Cascade Bicycle Club Event. 25, 50, 70 and 100 mile scenic bike loops starting from Marymoor Park in Redmond.  More info 888-334-2453 or www.cascade.org.

June 9, 2007: AWAKENING THE DREAMER, CHANGING THE DREAM

9:00 am - 4:00 pm, 200 - Seattle Unity Church, 8th Avenue North, Seattle. Designed with the collaboration of some of the finest scientific, indigenous and activist minds in the world, this global not-for-profit initiative addresses in an unique way the illusions and delusions that drive the environmental and spiritual crises of our times. We come together to answer these four simple questions:

Where are we?
How did we get here?
What is our new dream?
How do we make that dream real?

This symposium is offered by Seattle Unity Church and ForTheGrandChildren.
Presented by Victor Bremson and Rich Henry, founders of ForTheGrandChildren
with Marian Methner, Mary Brown, and Sheri Herndon.

Entry is $35, Lunch and Beverages will be provided.
(No one will be refused entry)

Pre Register with Seattle Unity before Thursday, June 7 by phone or mail or in person after Sunday Services or contact victor.4tgc@gmail.com.  For more information at www.ForTheGrandChildren.org  or www.awakeningthedreamer.org

June 9, 2007: Beyond where the Black Top Ends (Three Sisters Mule Farm Tour)

10:00 am - noon, Hobart.  Three Sisters Mule Farm, a private 10-acre equine property that lies above Hobart & is surrounded by Seattle’s Cedar River Watershed. This pristine property is superbly managed for benefit of the mules & their humans -- as well as for the environment.  To register and receive a map contact the King Conservation District at 425-277-5581x125 or roseanne.campagna@kingcd.org.

June 5, 2007: Weed Workshop

7:00pm Meadowbrook Farm Interpretive Center (1711 Boalch Avenue NW, North Bend/Snoqualmie)  Come to a free workshop on pasture and invasive weeds. Sasha Shaw from the King County Noxious Weed Program will teach how to identify the worst invaders in this area and how to control them so they don’t overwhelm your property.  Bring your mystery weeds for identification and get answers for controlling the tough weeds on your property.

June 5, 2007: King County Lake and Major River Shoreline Master Plan Update

6pm-7:30pm Carnation Elementary School (4950 Tolt Avenue,
Carnation) King County would like your feedback on the proposed Shoreline Master Program (designations, policies, and regulations) for unincorporated King County lakes. What do you think of existing shoreline conditions, the rules that protect them and future goals? Your feedback will be used to develop a revised draft of the King County Shoreline Master Program for public review in fall 2007. The public comment period for this draft ends on June 22, 2007.

More info: http://www.metrokc.gov/shorelines/   and http://www.metrokc.gov/shorelines/public-meetings-carnation.aspx

June 3, 2007: Duvall Fire District 45 Pancake Breakfast

7:00am-1:00pm Duvall Firehouse (15600 1st Avenue NE), Duvall. A long standing tradition, the Pancake Breakfast is a great way to round out the Duvall Days weekend. Get in line for a great breakfast of pancakes, eggs, ham, apple sauce, milk, juice, cocoa and coffee. And don't forget the Mickey pancakes for the kids! Prices are $6 for adults, $4 for children and $5 for seniors.  More info at http://www.cityofduvall.com/duvalldays/pancakebreakfast.html.

June 2, 2007: Duvall Days

All Day, Main Street, Duvall.  Parade, Art Show, food, games, crafts, music and performances to entertain the entire family!  More info at http://www.cityofduvall.com/duvalldays/index.html.

June 2, 2007: Issaquah Triathlon, 5K Run and Kids Triathlon

7:00 am - 11:00 am, 200 - Lake Sammamish State Park, Issaquah.  Fun for experienced athletes and a friendly and supportive environment for novices. The start times are set so family and friends can all participate and still cheer each other on.   More info: http://www.issaquahtri.com/.

MAY 2007

MTS May Restoration Volunteer Projects

More info and sign-up on the Mountains to Sound website.

Sat, May 5th: Invasive Plant Removal @ Issaquah Creek

Sat, May 12t & h: Trail Work @ Tiger Mountain (Issaquah)

Sat, May 19th: Volunteer Day in the Greenway (Issaquah)

- Projects from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

- BBQ Picnic from 1:00 pm – 3:00 p.m. sponsored by Puget Sound Energy

Sat, June 9th: Trail Work @ Tiger Mountain (Issaquah)

Sat, June 16th: Invasive Plant Removal @ Squak Mountain “Tract D” (Issaquah)

Sat, June 16th: Tree Care @ the Mountains to Sound Nursery (Issaquah)

May 29, 2007: Animal Specialty Services Rezoning Public Hearing

1:30  PM, Council Chambers, King County Courthouse, Third and James, Seattle.  King County Councilmember Kathy Lambert is sponsoring a zoning code amendment to allow animal specialty services to operate in the unincorporated areas of King County. King County currently does not allow businesses such as animal day care, boarding or grooming services to operate outside of cities. If you are interested in allowing animal specialty services to operate in King County’s rural areas, then you can share your opinion of this ordinance with e-mail, a letter and phone calls, or by attending the public hearing. You can learn more about Ordinance 2007-0169 at http://mkcclegisearch.metrokc.gov/legistarweb/.

May 18th - Bike to Work Day!

6:00 am – 9:30 am, NW Sammamish Road & SR 900

May is Bike to Work Month and the 18th is Bike to Work Day. Stop by the City of Issaquah’s Commute Station on the corner of NW Sammamish Road and SR 900. Pick up free stuff, snacks and maps and have your bike checked for free by Pacific Bicycle, our bike shop station sponsor.

Last year, over 11,000 people in the Greater Seattle area commuted to work by bicycle on Bike to Work Day! Do it for your health, do it for the environment. Get out there and have a fun commute! Check out the Cascade Bicycle Club website for more info.

May 16, 2007: Town Hall Discussion of Possible Fall City Arena Park Transfer

6:30 - 8:30 PM, Chief Kanim Middle School Gymnasium (32627 SE Redmond-Fall City Road, Fall City).  King County Councilmember Kathy Lambert will be hosting this Town Hall meeting to discuss the details of the proposed transfer agreement between the King County Executive and the Snoqualmie Tribe. This transfer would include the ball fields and the Hop Shed, which is listed as a King County Historical Landmark. This park is unique because it has many groups that use it: Little League, youth soccer, 4-H, Fall City Arts Council, King County Search and Rescue, ladies’ drill teams, and the Raging River Riders, to name a few. The park also serves as a trailhead for the Snoqualmie Valley Trail, which is used by cyclists, equestrians and hikers. Email kathy.lambert@metrokc.gov if you would like to see a copy of the draft agreement.

King County Parks Division Director Kevin Brown will be at the meeting and this is an opportunity for the community to provide input to the Executive about this possible transfer of ownership.  Please come share your thoughts about this important issue at the Town Hall Meeting. What is determined at this meeting will help set the course for the next steps.

May 15, 2007: Cascade Land Conservancy (CLC) 12th Annual Conservation Awards Breakfast

7:30 - 9:00 AM, Washington State Trade and Convention Center.  The Cascade Land Conservancy has helped PRKC tremendously in our efforts to acquire the neighboring 80 acres. If you would like to show your support for their great work, please try and go to this breakfast fundraiser.  It’s about $60 per person. Info and registration at http://www.cascadeland.org/events/breakfast.

May 15, 2007: Issaquah Hailstone Project Gets Preservation Award

10:30 - 11:30 AM, Issaquah Depot Museum (50 Rainier Blvd. N., Issaquah).  The Hailstone Feed Store and Shell Gas Station restoration project in Issaquah will be recognized this month with one of the King County Executive’s 2007 Awards for Achievement in Historic Preservation. The project was coordinated by the Downtown Issaquah Association and funded with grants and donations.

For more information, contact King County Historic Preservation Officer Julie Koler at (206) 296-8689 or julie.koler@metrokc.gov.

May 9, 2007: 3rd Annual Basin Bash

6:00 - 8:30 PM, King County Library Service Building, 960 Newport Way NW (behind Target it Issaquah).  This year's Basin Bash will be May 9th, from 6-8:30 PM at the Library Service Center behind Target in Issaquah.
 
If you have never attended a Basin Bash, you're in for a treat.  It is a potluck with lots of reps from various environmental non-profit, educational and public organizations and a chance to learn about the environmental health and community in the Issaquah Basin.  It is a fun way to network with other residents who are committed to healthy ecosystems, healthy living and healthy future.  The Instant Grantification at the Bash is also a very simple opportunity to get $$ to do small education, restoration or habitat projects - send email to MaryMaier@metrokc.gov for more info.
 
Please come and pass the invite on to your friends and neighbors.

Tues, May 8th: Green Drinks

5:30 - 8:00PM, evo gear, 122 NW 36th, Seattle, 206.973.4470

Stewardship Partners and Conscious Choice Magazine are co-hosting a "green drinks" event on Tuesday, May 8th at evo gear in Fremont. Green Drinks is a social networking soirée for environmentally oriented Seattleites hosted by a different organization each month.

May 5, 2007: Spring Recycling Event

9:00 AM - 1:00 PM, Issaquah High School (700 – 2nd Ave SE)
Free recycling for those hard to recycle items: batteries, electronics, concrete, sinks and toilets, scrap metal, tires and wood. For households only, no businesses. If you don’t want to wait in line, or for items not accepted at this recycling event, check out these other options:

• King County Solid Waste, “What Do I Do With?” website
  
• For electronics, Take it Back Network.  Note: All Staples office supply stores in King County have joined the "Take it Back Network". Stores will collect computers and related equipment for the following fees per item: $12 - monitors; $8 - CPUs, laptops, printers, scanners, desktop fax machines and copiers;  FREE - cell phones, PDAs, pagers, keyboards, mice, wires, speakers and rechargeable batteries.
  
• Household Hazardous Waste
  
• Sell or give away items that are no longer of use to you: Craig’s List and Freecycle.

If you have an event to put on calendar, please email the details to info@PRKC.org.