This fall, our team wrapped up a major clearing project that has already transformed several parts of the garden. From September through mid-October, we removed roughly seven tons of material made up of dead branches, accumulated woody debris, limbed-up growth, and a number of small or unhealthy trees left from the property’s former life as a tree farm.
Many of these trees, now about 20 years old or more, had grown far too densely and with limited light. Some were beginning to decline, while others, such as Red alder and Leyland cypress, were simply overrepresented in places where they no longer served the landscape. The work supports fire safety goals identified in our five-year strategic plan and also fits within our long-term approach to restoration and curation throughout the Garden.
The most noticeable change is how open and cohesive these areas now feel. Visitors can visually move between spaces more easily, and the transitions between ecoregions are clearer and more aesthetically pleasing.
This is especially evident between the Mountainside Habitat and the Dragonfly Pond, and between the Garry Oak Meadows and Cascadia.
With more light reaching
the ground, we can begin rebuilding a healthier understory.
Plants that naturally thrive here, such as Salal, Red huckleberry, and Sword fern, will help us re-establish structure, diversity, and habitat in these newly opened zones. This project has also become a blueprint for future work on the property, balancing fire mitigation, long-term restoration, and aesthetic clarity.
It takes a team
A big thank you to the team for all their hard work. Rob Donald and Robin Kehler handled the chainsaw work with skill and care, and Patrice Malcolm, Paula Leyton, and Payton Lewallen put in many hours hauling material and cleaning up the sites. The transformation is already evident, and it sets us up beautifully for the next phase of growth in the garden. – SH
