My Experience as a Green Issaquah Forest Steward
By Ilima Knapp, Issaquah Alps Advocacy Committee Member and Green Issaquah Forest Steward
There is a house along one of my walking routes where a Shiba Inu loses his mind every time my dog, Fitz Roy, and I walk past. I don't mean typical barking. He really loses it, with a jaws-wide-open, sounds-like-a-grown-man-is-scream-yelling kind of bark. I find it hilarious, but poor Fitz Roy finds it so terrifying that he refuses to take that path anymore.
Fitz Roy loves the logs, the grass fields, and the beach at Timberlake Park. Photo courtesy of Ilima Knapp.
So I was delighted when the couple who owns that dog showed up at a Green Issaquah restoration event at Timberlake Park. We'd said hello in passing before, but that morning, while working together in the thorny blackberries together, we got to talk. The husband was wearing a hat that said, “May the forest be with you.” The wife shared that a maple tree in their yard had to come down. She and her husband have lived in that house for around 50 years, and that tree had been there the whole time. There was a deep sadness in the way she spoke about losing a tree they’d known for so long.
It’s moments like these that make this work about so much more than just forest restoration.
The scream-yelling dog owners and other volunteers removing blackberries at Timberlake Park. Photo courtesy of Ilima Knapp.
Why We Signed Up as Forest Stewards
My husband, Connor, and I walk, run, or hike in the Issaquah Alps and local parks every week. These forests have watched us raise Fitz Roy, discover the birds in their branches, and repeatedly slog up the same muddy, cabled path while training for bigger pursuits (if you know, you know).
At a certain point, just walking the trails didn't feel like enough anymore. We wanted to give back to the places that have given so much to us. So we signed up as Forest Stewards for Timberlake Park, our "backyard" forest.
Ilima and Connor beneath Vine Maples on Tradition Plateau. Photo courtesy of Ilima Knapp.
What I've Learned
I already knew ivy and blackberries were invasive. What I didn't know about was Stinky Bob. Stinky Bob is a soft, ferny creeping plant with adorable little pink flowers. Dan Hintz and Tayler Nichols from the City of Issaquah broke my heart a little when they told me it was invasive. It's not a priority for removal, though, so secretly, I still adore it.
I also learned that rainy days are the best days for this work. Wet soil makes pulling out roots so much easier, and you avoid getting sweaty and dusty. Mud is better than sweat and dust, I suppose!
Stinky Bob. Photo courtesy of Ilima Knapp.
What We Love Most
The people! City of Issaquah staff are delightful, knowledgeable, and passionate about what they do. And the volunteers are our kind of people: fellow hikers, nature nerds, and people who want to do something helpful.
These days, it can feel hard to build community. It turns out that a thorny blackberry bush at Timberlake Park is a pretty good place to find it.
Come Join Us
If you enjoy the Issaquah Alps and local parks and have ever wanted to do more than walk through them, volunteering with Green Issaquah is a great way to get involved.
Learn more about the Green Issaquah Partnership at issaquahwa.gov/greenissaquah.