Information from Sustainable West Seattle

Sustainable West Seattle’s summer Outdoors in West Seattle series kicks off June 17th at 6:30 PM with a hike through one of Seattle’s most beautiful watershed environments – Longfellow Creek. This walk will demonstrate how Seattle residents’ everyday activities can impact the natural environment in their own backyards, and what everyone can do to help preserve the health of our urban watersheds.

In cooperation with Feet First, King Conservation District, and Sustainable Seattle, SWS Board Member Bryan Fiedorczyk will lead an urban hike through the Longfellow Creek Watershed. The creek drains almost 3000 acres of West Seattle and is one of only four waterways left in Seattle that flows freely year-round. This family friendly walk is estimated to be between 2 to 3 miles at a slow to moderate pace.

While walking the Longfellow Creek Legacy Trail, you will see wetlands, native meadows, conifer forests, a beaver dam and large-scale public art installations. Along the trail there will be examples of areas highly modified by development, the effects of runoff from rain and stormwater, restoration efforts, and sites featuring low impact development and green infrastructure techniques such as rain gardens.

The SWS Outdoors in West Seattle series continues this summer with Pedals for the People on July 21st, an event to learn bike repair skills as we repair bikes to donate to kids in rural Africa. The SWS Annual Summer Picnic is August 19th at Lincoln Park features a potluck and outdoors activities along the Sound.

Longfellow Creek Watershed Walk Details

When: Monday, June 17th. 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM
Where: Meet at corner of 26th Ave SW and SW Yancy Street (1 block west of Delridge, 1 block south of Andover) – Bus stop at Delridge & Andover for Metro Routes 50, 120, and 125; nearby signs/trees for locking up bikes, parking available along 26th Ave SW and SW Andover Street.
Route: Longfellow Creek Legacy Trail
http://www.seattle.gov/parks/proparks/projects/LongfellowCreekMap.pdf
We’ll start at trailhead northeast of Dragonfly Pavilion and follow the trail south across the Salmon Bone bridge, and down 26th Ave SW past Greg Davis Park and the Brandon Street Natural Area (King Conservation District highlights of restoration/volunteer efforts) towards the Delridge Natural Area (Delridge & Graham). We’ll turn around after about an hour of walking – at Juneau, we’ll follow 25th Ave SW north past a cluster of residential rain gardens near Brandon through Delridge Playfield and back along the trail to the starting point where we’ll enjoy some refreshments.