Do you know the Yesler Swamp? It is something of a secret in northeast Seattle. Maybe the residents of Laurelhurst want to keep it all to themselves! But the Friends of Yesler Swamp are inviting EVERYONE to join them on Sunday, January 6, 2013, for a Winter Swamp Walk from 1 to 3 PM. The Yesler Swamp is part of the Union Bay Natural Area and is easily accessed from the parking lot of the Center for Urban Horticulture at 3501 NE 41st Street. Meet there at the CUH parking lot at 1 PM. This event is free but donations for the upcoming trail project will be gratefully accepted.
The Winter Swamp Walk will be led by Kern Ewing, University of Washington Professor of Wetland Plant Ecology. After the walk there will be a gathering to look over the design plans for the soon-to-come Yesler Swamp Trail and hear a report on the progress towards construction. The trail would offer views of the wetlands, the beaver lodge and the lagoon while protecting wildlife by directing human foot traffic away from these sensitive areas. Friends of the Yesler Swamp and the UW Botanic Gardens are working together to restore native plants and conserve swamp wildlife.