South Woods as a Three Act Play
The recent history of South Woods can be thought of in terms of a three act play.
Act number one happened in 1996 when Terry Clayton and a group of students he organized at Shorecrest High School found a way to stop an imminent sale of South Woods to a developer.
The highlight of act number two occurred in 2006 when Shoreline voters approved a bond which included the purchase of South Woods for inclusion in the city park system.
Act three is being written now. This is an invitation to take a part in this act. Wonderful as it is, South Woods Park needs a lot of help to achieve its full potential. The third act is about achieving this potential.
Measuring the quality of Shoreline parks is instructive. It can be done by looking at the reports issued by Seattle Urban Nature (SUN), an organization that has studied four of our parks and many other parks in Seattle and the Puget Sound area. Their summary statement for Boeing Creek and Shoreview Parks includes “….overall, these parks are in very good ecological shape.” SUN has ongoing studies in Hamlin Park where the problems are complex.
SUN’s South Woods statement includes “Unfortunately, South Woods poses some of the largest management challenges in the city.” With regard specifically to holly it goes on to say “These are some of the highest densities of English holly that SUN has recorded in any park in the Puget Sound region. Removal of these trees from the park will require a dedicated and long-term effort, but is necessary to preserve the native forest structure of the park.”
Stopping development and passing the bond marked distinct turning points in the fate of South Woods. People rose to the occasion and we have our park. Now a new kind of effort is needed to make it the best possible park. Rather than a distinct point marking success, this will require a long-term effort by people who are committed to removing ivy, holly, and blackberry.
South Woods Park does not have the ecological stability of the Boeing and Shoreview Parks. South Woods will either be improved or it will deteriorate. Volunteer work will make the difference. Merely clearing the ground allows some suppressed native plants to thrive. Planting native species will require a supply of plants and expert advice, but can also be done by volunteers.
In the past we have had up to 20 people participating in work parties. Even though the work is challenging, the sense of camaraderie and visible accomplishment make it fun. Now we want to again resurrect that kind of effort. Come take a part in the third act of this three act play.