(WSB photos)

Earlier this week, on a rainy afternoon much like today’s, dozens of volunteers spent hours planting in the Seola Pond wetland [map], working with Arbor Heights resident Scott Dolfay, who’s been leading restoration efforts there for years.

This week, the volunteers included dozens of students and staff from Explorer West Middle School and The Bridge School (both WSB sponsors). Dolfay explains, “The planting was the culmination of previous work this year, beginning with site prep by Dirt Corps, funded by the King County Noxious Weed Control Program. When the restoration effort was started in 2017, 2 grants were received; one from The Washington Native Plant Society, the other from the King County Unincorporated Community Service Area Program. After a one-year hiatus, beginning in 2019, the KC Noxious Weed Control Program began to fund both site prep and native plant purchase. Additionally, volunteers have stepped up along with some local businesses.”

Dolfay is seeking another King County grant to keep the project going, adding that the community help has been invaluable: “As always, volunteers can stretch the budget. People have provided native plants from their yards, too.” As noted in our 2017 report, the site – along the Seattle/unincorporated King County line – is used as neighborhood open space, in addition to its official function as stormwater storage. It hosts wildlife, too – including the ducks we saw during the restoration work party: