Happy New Year to 5 Acre Woods

Volunteers large and small
gathered at 5 Acre Woods Saturday

Text and photos by Donna Hawkey

Happy New Year to 5 Acre Woods!

This place seems to bring together community in unique ways. Fifty dedicated Lake Forest Park residents showed up in the cold and rain on Saturday morning to help clear invasive ivy off the beloved giant trees of now Lake Forest Park owned 5 Acre Woods.

Tug of war with vines

One volunteer, Katie, drove in from her home in North Bend to participate. She grew up right across the street from 5 Acre Woods and when she heard about the work party, she said “I just had to come, I have such special memories here.”

Katie is now a children’s environmental teacher and would be interested in helping to develop possible educational programs at 5 Acre Woods.

The work party events will take place throughout 2018 on the first Saturday of the month from 9am until noon.

Everyone is invited to join in, as a permanent forest preserve is shaped for generations of LFP residents and the many species of wildlife who live there, and also to help maintain and build on the integrity of LFP’s stream health.

Children and teens were working together happily learning about how and why ivy needs to be trimmed off trees.

Did you know that ivy will eventually suffocate a tree if not removed at least three feet up from the base? And that will cut off enough of the ivy to establish its die-back further up the tree? Overhearing these explanations to the children’s many questions already establishes 5 Acre Woods as an educational haven and playground for all.

Mark Phillips with a fistful of ivy

Here’s a place for the imagination to wander and widen. And for residents from all of Lake Forest Park to gather and get to know each other better while working in the woods with family members, friends and neighbors.

It doesn’t get much better than this in building community. Experiencing the deep pride that goes along with this effort is a real example of the history that has made this and the many other preservation efforts possible in Lake Forest Park.

Mark your calendars for the next monthly work party on Saturday, February 3rd and please join in, too! 

 The Friends of Five Acre Woods do a great job of providing drinks and food snacks to keep the energies going throughout the morning.

For more information about the 5 Acre Wood project that was purchased by the City with much support, time and efforts on the part of the Lake Forest Park Stewardship Foundation, see their website.

Donna Hawkey, a 21-year resident of Lake Forest Park, can be reached at dhawkey@comcast.net