West Seattle scene: Westcrest Off-Leash Area, transformed

| Highland Park | Pets | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

Thanks to WSB’er “westseattledood” for the Friday afternoon photo and report on West Seattle’s only off-leash area.

Cyndi, dog wrangler and owner of Petite Posse dog walking service, shared the shade with her exclusive pack of small dogs at Westcrest Dog Park. This bucolic patch of wood chips, about 50 yards in length, now includes two benches providing observation points toward the sloped embankment adjacent to the West Seattle Reservoir Park project. Hand removal, without any machinery, of yards of dense invasives revealed a prime location for sighting rabbits scurrying from burrows in the remaining berry brush on the slope. Sounds of chatty wrens co-exist with barking dogs, neighbors’ roosters, Boeing planes and the earth movers still grading the reservoir project. What was once an overgrown, impassable thatch of blackberries and invasives has been transformed by dedicated volunteers with a vision and time to give.

Haven’t been to Westcrest before? Here’s a map.

West Seattle is my home February 20, 2010 (11:27 am)

I’m not sure who was rounding up the people to volunteer, but it would be great of the organizers of such activities advertised to the local middle and high schools. Students could get their service learning hours helping out here in WS.

On another note, the photo shows an awesome “new” area to the park! Thanks a bunch!

Mike February 20, 2010 (5:39 pm)

A great place to look for volunteer activities for students is http://www.longfellowcreek.org. The work being done along the creek is similar in nature to what the volunteers did at the dog park.

Living in West Seattle Since 1985 February 20, 2010 (6:31 pm)

My 2 dogs and I LOVE LOVE LOVE That park!!!

WTF February 20, 2010 (8:38 pm)

Steve-o, all of the working dog-walkers and volunteers who support this place do a wonderful job! Thank you so much for showing such dog-spirit. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.

Steph in WS February 22, 2010 (12:19 pm)

Yes, Steve-O is the steward of this park and does an awesome job of getting things done. He organizes clean-up parties in which many people volunteer. You can find out info on the COLA website: http://www.coladog.org

WSB February 22, 2010 (12:39 pm)

We were going to pitch the Westcrest OLA Yahoo! group at the end of this story but haven’t seen a post on it in a long while (maybe just winter respite!?) – if there is another site (FB group maybe? we looked for that too) where work parties are organized, please let us know and we’d be happy to point people there – I don’t see any events or discussion groups on the coladog.org site though otherwise looks like a great resource for knowing where the parks are – TR

Steph in WS February 22, 2010 (2:47 pm)

WSB, I think Steve just leaves signs at the park or sends out emails to people on his list. I will see if I still have an email for him and let him know you are looking for more contact info.

WSB February 22, 2010 (5:19 pm)

Steph, thanks. I have his e-mail address. It’s more a case of, what can I publish here to refer people to? He may tell those who are already on the list or go to the park – but believe it or not, we reach people who may not even have known before that we HAVE an offleash park … so I was just wondering aloud if the Yahoo! Westcrest OLA list were still valid, or if there was another list we can point to here whenever we have cause to mention it. Thanks! – TR

Teresa Walsh March 9, 2010 (6:49 pm)

MISSING PET PARTNERSHIP (MPP) has just put our TRAINING page on-line today. We are accepting pre-registrations for our Missing Animal Response course. You can read about this course and pre-register at this page here http://www.missingpetpartnership.org/petdetective-training.php. We will offer this course THREE TIMES this year (same course, just different dates & times) and only here in Seattle (Federal Way, actually) as follows:

April 1st through May 13th, 2010 – This 7-week (21-hour) Missing Animal Response (MAR) course is designed for CERT-MAR volunteers interested in rescuing pets during disasters and non-disaster times. It is geared toward MPP local volunteers who live in King, Pierce, Kitsap, Snohomish and other Seattle-area Counties. Training will be held every Thursday evening from April 1st through May 13th, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in Federal Way, Washington. Graduates will be encouraged to volunteer their time through Missing Pet Partnership’s CERT-MAR program. A map with directions and more details will be e-mailed to you upon registration. Course fee $125.00.

June 30th though July 2nd, 2010 – This 3-day (21-hour) CERT-MAR course is designed for anyone, regardless of where you live, who works in the animal industry and is interested in lost pet recovery work or in rescuing animals in disasters as a CERT-MAR volunteer. Following this training, MPP will be working (July 4th to July 8th) to recover Seattle-area pets panicked and lost due to 4th of July fireworks. Attendees are encouraged to stay extra days (until July 8th if you can) and put your pet detective skills to work by helping our volunteers to recover lost dogs and cats on actual investigations. A map with directions, suggested hotels, and more details will be sent upon registration. Course fee $200.00 (The cost for this 3-day course is higher than the 7-week format due to space rental fees).

August 5th through September 16th, 2010 – This 7-week (21-hour) Missing Animal Response (MAR) course is designed for CERT-MAR volunteers interested in rescuing pets during disasters and non-disaster times. It is geared toward MPP local volunteers who live in King, Pierce, Kitsap, Snohomish and other Seattle-area Counties. Training will be held every Thursday evening from August 5th through September 16th, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in Federal Way, Washington. Graduates will be encouraged to volunteer their time through Missing Pet Partnership’s CERT-MAR program. A map with directions and more details will be e-mailed to you upon request

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