Ivy kills deciduous trees within 20 years of climbing the tree!

Mercer Island's Environmental Web Site

If you are looking for the City of Mercer Island Parks and Recreation website, click here.

Storms Devastate Trees  

With the storms we have just had, many of you have lost trees.  You probably don't want to hear about planting trees either.  However, it is very important that you plant replacements for lost trees, especially planting evergreen trees such as Douglas firs, Western red cedars and Western hemlocks.  (Use bare root or potted trees, not balled and burlap.   Douglas firs will not thrive unless they have sun.)   Because of the heavy English ivy growth on most properties, new trees will not germinate on their own.  If there were no invasives such as ivy, our urban forest would heal itself.  You can inexpensively buy trees through the King Conservation District.  The sale is going on right now.   See the King Conservation Winter Newsletter for a list of plants and an order form.  The evergreens are $1.00 or less per tree. (Plant several to replace large trees since some will not survive.)

Trees and other native vegetation help stabilize slopes and significantly reduce surface storm water runoff.  If the city has to create engineered solutions to handle the excess surface water it will be expensive for all of us.  Trees also need to be planted in the right place, not under or near power lines and not too close to structures.   Please plant trees.

• Trees improve property values; homes with mature trees sell much better.
• Trees reduce air pollution by removing carbon dioxide from the air, reducing the greenhouse effect.  Our forests are our lungs.  Diminished air quality can be traced back to a lack of urban forest.
• Trees reduce storm water runoff costs by naturally controlling water runoff.  Engineering solutions to surface water runoff are much more expensive.  Functioning forests work better for storm water and ground water cleanliness than any engineered solution.
• Trees reduce energy costs by shading houses.
• Trees reduce the air temperature by giving off droplets of water.
• Trees help muffle sounds such as cars.

Your Property is part of Mercer Island's Urban Forest

The city of Mercer Island is working hard to restore the urban forest in city parks and open spaces.  You also need to restore the native areas on your property.  With the rains, the soil is softer and the ivy comes out of the ground more easily.  Plus the stinging nettle will be gone.  First remove ivy from your trees.

• Cut all the ivy from the tree at breast height .

• Remove the ivy down to the ground from you cuts.

• Create a circle 3 feet around the tree free of ivy and ivy roots.

To the picture at right shows a hillside cleared of ivy  .One you have removed the ivy on you trees, as described above, the next step is too remove it from the ground.  For more information on ivy removal see http://www.ivyout.org/

Volunteer to Restore Mercer Island's Public Urban Forest

Earthcorps, Mountains to Sound Greenway, VOICE, Mercer Island middle school and high school students, Eagle Scouts, Student Volunteer Program (SVP), Student Conservation Association (SCA) and other Mercer Island residents have been working hard to remove invasive plants and replant native trees and shrubs in our parks and open spaces.  I see many more trees on private property with ivy turning brown. 

Thank you all who have been removing ivy and other non-native invasives.  This is a great start!  However, uncontrolled invasives are probably growing at a faster rate than we are removing them.  Please volunteer.   If for whatever reason you do not want to volunteer, consider making a tax free donation remove invasive plants.  See how below.

Mountains to Sound Greenway is joining and expanding volunteer efforts to help Mercer Island restore its parks and return them to health by planting native trees and shrubs and removing invasive plants (primarily ivy).  To see the Mountains to Sound Greenway page on Mercer Island, click on their logo to the left.

Ivy Pull & Plantings - Remove Ivy and other Invasives, Plant Native plants

Winter is a great time to remove ivy and other invasive plants!  It is not hot and dusty.  You keep warm working.  There are no stinging nettles.  You can easily see the invasive plants to be removed.  It is great exercise.

Rain or shine.  Wear long pants and long sleeves.  Bring gloves and hand pruners if you have them.  Bring the family, children 8 or older.  Sign up, come and stay as long as you can.

Make a Tax Free Donation to Mercer Island Parks Department

If you cannot volunteer or choose not to volunteer,  consider making a tax free donation to the Mercer Island Parks Department. Volunteer labor is often valued at $10.00 an hour. So in lieu of volunteering 4 hours a month, for 12 months, a minimum of $480 per person is an appropriate and reasonable donation.  Any amount you can donate is appreciated.  Your tax free donation for the Mercer Island Parks Department can be sent to: NW Parks Foundation Mercer Island Parks 600 1st Ave., Suite 300 Seattle, WA 98104 Please be sure to write "Mercer Island Invasive Removal" on your check so your funds get credited to the right Mercer Island Parks Department account.

March 20^th 2004, the first day of spring, we has 17 volunteers plus 2 park staff at Clise Park .  Thirteen volunteers were first timers. Truckloads of ivy, holly, laurel and blackberry were removed.

However, if we are to remove over 200 acres of invasive plants more volunteers are needed.  You cannot volunteer other, only yourself.  Please come!

See Plant A Habitat, Relieve Stress

All  green is not good.  In fact, the type of green is very important.  Invasive plants are green but they are a detriment to our environment and change the natural succession in our urban forest.

We still have more than 230 acres of parks and open space heavily infested with non-native invasive plants, such as English ivy, Himalayan blackberry, English/cherry laurel, and English holly.   Volunteers are central to the success of the funds allocated by the city council.

 English ivy is still the most prevalent and harmful.

• Trees covered in ivy are more likely to topple in storms.
• Rats breed in ivy.
• Ivy creates unhealthy trees that become hazards to homes and property.
• Ivy does not control erosion because its roots are too shallow.
• Due to ivy’s fast growing, competitive nature, ivy forces out native plants from our natural areas.
• Native plants must compete with invasives for nutrients and water.   
• Ivy prevents native seedling growth by blocking sunlight and creating "ivy deserts".
• Ivy changes the natural succession of plants in the forest and open spaces.
• Invasives reduce property values.

You cannot volunteer others to do the work.  You can only volunteer yourself.   Come out and volunteer.

Invasive removal is not a cosmetic issue; the health of our native habitat and magnificent trees are at serious risk.   We are privileged to live in such a beautiful environment but with this privilege comes with the obligation to care for it.  Volunteer!

 For additional information about invasive plant removal contact:

Virginia Arnon, Washington Native Plant Steward
email: virginiaarnon@yahoo.com phone: 206 230-9429

Rita Moore, Washington Native Plant Steward, WSU Extension Watershed Steward & WSU Extension Forest Advisor
email: rmoore@eds.org phone: 206 275-3883
 

Judy Roan, Audubon Society Member and experienced birder
email: jroan@fred.fhcrc.org  phone: 206 236-0511