credit John Reinke |
- John Reinke
News and Opinion on Neighborhoods, Schools and Local Governments of Redmond, WA.
credit John Reinke |
See the two Racquettes? |
Steps going up from the Sammamish River Trail to the Trestle bridge Credit John Reinke |
credit: John Reinke |
Logs and "el-wood" are positioned in Willows Creek |
Weasel bounds across the Sammamish River Trail/ Credit John Rienke |
Rainbow covers Redmond before El Nina strikes |
John Reinke, proud owner of Western Hemlock seedling |
King County recognizes that trees help slow climate change and provide many important benefits for human health and well-being, water quality, and habitat. When we design this project, we try to limit the number of trees we need to remove. Where we can’t protect trees, we make replanting a priority with a goal of creating a future tree canopy that is equal to or better than what exists today. I’ve attached a factsheet here with more information on our approach to trees for this project.
Our initial engineering plans did call for the removal of the stand of four cedar trees just north of the Central Connector where it crosses over the Sammamish River Trail. In response to community concerns, we were able to adjust our design to save two of the four trees.
The two trees that must be removed are located within the trench that we will have to dig to install the new sewer pipe. Unfortunately, there is no alternative sewer route or feasible way to narrow our construction footprint that would allow us to save those two trees.
We are looking at options for how we can incorporate the two removed trees back into the landscape. We will also consider how we can pay tribute and tell the stories of these trees. If you have ideas for how we could best do this, please do let me know.
Thank you again John for sharing your concern for these trees with us. Please do not hesitate to let me know if you have further questions.
Kelly
Thank you John Reinke for your photo and finding the status of these trees.
J. Michael Kelly's "Degree" Hydroplane, courtesy Reinke |
Marymoor Park juvenile osprey / credit Reinke |
A juvenile osprey is currently occupying the nest. (A juvenile can be identified by the white fringe around all of its brown wing feathers, which adults do not have.)
I discovered that there are two empty osprey nests only a half mile away and still inside the park. One nest structure is located in a tall lighting tower on the perimeter of baseball field #6 and the other is similarly located on the perimeter of baseball field #8. .
Empty osprey nests on Marymoor lighting tower |
During all of my visits to the platform, only the juvenile has been present and I have never seen it flying around or accompanied by adult ospreys. However, my visits have all been of fairly short duration, so I presume that the adults are still attending to the juvenile. Nonetheless, the fall migration season has already begun, so presumably the juvenile and its parents may have already departed.
-- John Reinke
Redmond, photojournalist
10/8/2023
Male common goldeneye dining on a lamprey / credit Reinke, 3/25/2018 |
Sammamish River Green Winged Teal/ J. REINKE |
(l-r) Olive Green Swallow, Barn Swallow |
(l-r) Barn Swallow, Olive Green Swallow, Tree Swallow |