Paul Son: Portland and WCC

WCC Week 5/6

Port of Seattle - Runway 3 Mitigation

We've begun our work with the Port of Seattle. So far we've covered 3 work sites:

Tyee Golf Course

View Larger Map

Miller Creek/Vaca Farm

View Larger Map

Auburn Mitigation Site

View Larger Map

--

Week 5

We started the project at the Miller Creek site, unloading about 4,000 plants and taking some time to learn about the scope of the project that lay ahead of us. The Port of Seattle has been running a huge mitigation project that stems from the third runway. Well after the third runway has opened, the Port committed to monitor its mitigation sites and continue the on going work. Our role for the month is to plant and maintain the mitigation sites.

Unloading plants!

Trailer with ~2,000 plants

Planes landing... all day long!

In between the truck loads we worked at the Tyee Golf Course, just to the south of Sea-Tac Airport, weeding around the mitigated areas along Des Moines Creek. Here we found many golf balls! During breaks, it was time to work on my swing! =D

Tyee Golf Course

Golf balls

Our make-shift driving range during lunch!

We also spent time unloading plants at the Auburn mitigation site. Here we unloaded ~8,000 plants. The site is about 65 acres of wetlands in close proximity to the Green River.

Yeah this is only HALF!

Max keeping our willow stakes hydrated in an overflow pond.

--

Week 6

We spent our short week at the Auburn mitigation site placing and planting the plants that we had unloaded earlier in the month. Doesn't sound like much, but it is quite the project. During this week, I estimate that we put ~750 plants in the ground. Only about 30,000 more to go!

--

I spent last weekend in Portland! I stayed with The Shoug aka "Matt Hays", visited the Portland H&M (which opens today!), explored the city, explored the parks, took photos, and caught up with friends.

Photos for your viewing pleasure. =D