HELPING: Westside, Explorer West students team with Seola Pond steward for restoration work with native plant

Seola Pond [map] has new native plants courtesy of steward Scott Dolfay and students from Explorer West Middle School and Westside School (WSB sponsors). Scott says the annual restoration event happened last Saturday, and this time a King County grant program provided $3,500 to help make it happen.

Scott says he started this work in 2017 and it’s become an annual event, “always with neighbor volunteers and students & teachers from at least one of the 3 schools near the pond; Explorer West, Westside, and The Bridge School.” Scott says the weather was perfect – they did the planting a bit later this year so it wasn’t quite as cold.

Before students got to work, he walked them around the pond “explaining about native vs. invasive plants, the pond’s fauna, and the history of the effort.”

After the students left, he had other visitors: “As I was cleaning up, Mr. Darrell Wallis walked up. He has been mowing the grass with his riding mower on the west and south sides of the pond for years. He announced it was his 86th birthday that day. When I started in 2017 he was skeptical but has been won over seeing the results. Later, two separate elderly bird watchers showed up, happy to see to new work now on the south side.” Scott added, “I could have used at least twice the number of plants but it’s a good start. We planted several trees including one good sized Bosnian pine, I know, not native, but a great tree. As other grants come up I’ll apply so in time the area will be filled in.”