We are passing along the following press release from King County's Dennis Clark:

Arbor Lake Shoreline Invasive Plant Removal
On November 20, 2010, we removed about half of the invasive weeds along the southern and western shorelines of Arbor Lake, which is the headwaters of Miller Creek. On February 5, 2011, 33 volunteers removed a lot of the remaining invasives, mostly blackberry and Scotch broom.

We have a third community weeding project this Saturday to remove the rest of the invasive plants along these shorelines.

This stewardship project is a joint effort of the Burien Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services, the Miller and Walker Creeks Stewardship program, and the Arbor Lake neighbors.

IMPORTANT: Please let me know if you will volunteer on Saturday - we are working in a smaller area this time and are limited to 15 volunteers. Contact me to reserve your spot (and donut!).

Address: S. 124th St. and 2nd Ave. S. in Burien, just northwest of the SR509/S. 128th St. interchange; at the park, park at the southwest corner by the jungle gym and then WALK to the NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE LAKE
Date/Time: Saturday, March 19, 2011, 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This park does not have a restroom.
Stewardship Purpose: Improve shoreline habitat around the lake by removing non-native, invasive plants
Activities:
· Seek out Himalayan blackberry plants, cut them back, and then dig out the root balls
· We may do some ivy removal also at the southeast corner of the park if we have enough volunteers
What to bring:
· Your enthusiasm
· Clothing that will protect you from the rain and blackberry thorns
· Filled water bottle
· Gloves if you have them
We provide:
· Gloves
· Tools
· Donuts!
Sign up and questions: Dennis Clark, dennis.clark@kingcounty.gov, 206-296-1909 (Saturday, March 19 only: 206-369-8339)

This volunteer event is an opportunity to visit the pleasant headwaters of Miller Creek. The neighbors around Arbor Lake Park are stepping up to steward park land and it would be great if other watershed residents joined in to help them. The plant community in the park is mostly healthy native trees and shrubs so we will be able to remove nearly all of the non-native plants that do exist along the western/southern shore.