Neighborhood community cleans out their Neighborhood forest

Ashford Trail adjacent to the Mormon Church

UPDATE, 6/14/09: During my city training to be a Forest Steward for Hartman Park I learned that, at this time, the Parks Operations Manager decided not to install a city garbage container or dog feces bags at the Ashford traihead.  I will continue to leave the metal container at the trailhead and dispose the trash into my personal garbage, for as long as I can...which may not be very much longer. Please call the city if your want these services.

The photo on the left shows Parks new Trailhead signage and the widened, developed Ashford Trail. City pick-ups now ride it and sometime take shortcuts on it from Avondale to Ed. Hill.  Why couldn't they leave a garbage can?  The right photo shows all the trash I picked up in just one full day.  It amounted to 570 pounds of trash, 120 gallons of drinking containers, and rotten construction wood were removed and taken to the dump.

The neighborhhod kids build small "forts" so I didn't take their good lumber, though nails in trees are common. The dirt bikers need the large white buckets to haul dirt for their jumps, so we didn't take the buckets. The dog-walkers want a place to put their poop-bags so I left a trash can on the trail we found it the woods. Two "beer party sites" were left at the trailhead. A computer monitor was removed from the party site and bags were removed from the poop bag throw site.

This forest is a remnant of Perrigo Creek watershed and is located within the Bear Creek Basin. The land is owned by the rate payers of the water utility and managed by the city. Get acquainted with this short clip of the "neighborhood corner forest". (1.2m)

The forest is on the corner of NE 100 St and 171st Ave NE. Two sides of the forest are bordered by homes and the other two sides are bordered by the Church of Latter Day Saints and the Dirt Bike trail jumps. The Perrigo Woods Trail (Ashford Trail) if a favorite hiking and dog-walking trail. The forest is only a 5-10 minute walk from Redmond Junior, Redmond High, and Mann El.

This neighborhood forest is clearly, closely surrounded by mankind and over the years trash and litter has accumulated. A detailed report of the trashing is found here. Several in the neighborhood decided to clean up the trash. I was involved and others helped. A dirt-biker, several youth from Mann, a dog-walker, two hikers and 3 teenagers all helped clean up the forest. Other youth and adults said they would watch the forest and they know who to call if they need help.

Last year, the Parks Department upgraded the network of trails in Hartman Forest and on Ashford Trail. They posted trail head signage and widened Ashford Trail. I hope the Parks Department and commissioners will get more involved with keeping this corner forest clean now that more citizens are using the forest. A couple of simple things the City could do to maintain their improvements are: 1) Place and maintain a Park trash can next to the posted Ashford Trailhead sign 2) Install and maintain a Dog-Poop bag dispenser. The City educates us on the importance on bagging dog poop to help keep our streams and ground water clean. I bag dispenser would seem appropriate. 3) removing the blackberries.

The visiting citizens and youth appreciate getting and keeping the junk and litter out of their forest. Removing the blackberry bushes at the corner would freshen up the place, too. The forest corner was once used by citizen vendors to sell art, photos and native plants for the "Save the Woodlands" fundraiser. I paced off the area then and discovered there was open space for a 'satelite Saturday Market' once the blackberries were removed.

CC: Parks Operations (Attn: Dave), Council Parks Chair, Hank Myers, ParksandTrailsCommission@redmond.gov