Just before you get to the creek, the Dime lot or lot E-5 is the space you see before you. Until 1995, this space actually used to be a gigantic parking lot filled with gravel on top of the landfill cap. As the landfill sank and moved, the gravel was uneven so they just kept piling more gravel on this parking lot (Ewing & Hoyt, 2004, p. 4).
After some time, it was decided that portions of the parking lot should be restored. All the gardeners listening know that tons of gravel make a very challenging environment for plants to grow. Scientists and students teamed up together to create mounds with the gravel, and plant native Puget Sound Prairie grasses (Ewing & Hoyt, 2004, p. 4). Mounds were proven through research to help the native prairie grasses thrive (Hough-Snee et al, 2011, p. 1). This environment made it hospitable for some plants that you might recognize, like wild strawberry plants (Ewing & Hoyt, 2004, p. 4). The students also planted lots of snowberry and other larger native plants to make sure invasive grasses would not keep popping up. You might identify snowberry because it looks like little white puffs of snow.
This wonderful habitat is exceptionally close to the Ravenna creek that runs right by the parking lot E-5. If you stand on the bridge across the creek, it is such a serene place to reflect – literally! The reflections of tall trees and the birds are just so beautiful, it’s hard not to fall in love with it.
Is it possible that the Great Blue Heron likes waiting for his little lunch to swim down the river? Well fortunately, I am not the first person to realize how important the creeks are for the birds here. Almost thirty years ago, an ordinary citizen named John Huskinson made sure the creeks were included in the park (Lilly, 1990, p. 1). He saw how important they were, and convinced the decision makers at the time to make sure that these types of waterways have protection. That wise decision makes a big impact today, as these creeks peacefully exist on the bay, and the birds along the bay are undisturbed.
To continue to create a positive impact for the birds and their habitat, scientists from the Washington State Department of Transportation are working to continue the restoration efforts at the Dime Lot, which is so close to the Ravenna Creek. Hopefully in the future, visitors like yourself will never even know that a parking lot exists here. The birds can just rest peacefully on the banks of Ravenna Creek on a new and improved prairie ecosystem, all thanks to the effort of community members in the past and the present.
To see more of these birds, please return to the fork in the trail and head towards the water. This trail is a wonderful loop, and try making some observations as you catch glimpses of the bay in between blades of grass. We will resume the tour once you find a comfortable seat on the bench looking towards the bay.
