Earth Day volunteers needed to care for native wildflowers in Cougar Mountain meadow

2005 Archived News

Dedicated volunteers are invited to weed, water and care for rare and thriving native flowers during an Earth Day project Saturday, April 23, in King County's Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park.

The park is host to a wildflower wonder called Red Town Meadow. More than 10 years of dedication and hard work by committed volunteers and King County Parks staff have gone into creating and caring for of this fragile meadow in the woods.

Volunteers should meet at 10 a.m. at the parking lot for the park's Red Town Trailhead. Volunteer projects in the meadow continue through October on the fourth Saturday of every month.

Species in the meadow include chocolate lily (fritillaria lanceolata); common camas (camassia quamash); false Solomon seal (smilacina racemosa); great camas (camassia leichtlinii); meadow death camas (zygadensus venenosus); nodding onion (allium cernuum); and white fawn lily (erythronium oregonum).

Jenny Bauer of the Washington Native Plant Society will lead the activity. To donate to the meadow or volunteer, call Bauer at 425-836-3461 or Niki McBride at 206-296-4145. All donations to the King County Park System are tax-deductible.

More information about the Red Town Meadow Project is available on the King County Parks Web site.

King County will also be celebrating Earth Day April 22 during a special public event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Westlake Park in downtown Seattle. Businesses, community organizations and government groups will explain programs that protect and preserve the environment.