Guidelines for compensation for drivers of carpools: $0.25 per mile per car, to be divided among the passengers.  Tolls and ferry fares are additional and are to be divided among all those in the car.

Lord Hill Regional Park led by Dan Paquette.
Start the New Year by joining other plant enthusiasts for a pleasant walk in one of Snohomish County’s fine regional parks. Lord Hill is a formation of vertical basaltic outcropping located northwest of Monroe. Trails wind through mixed forest accessing ponds as well as views to the Snohomish River valley some 600 feet below. The elevation gain will be quite moderate compared to most of our hikes, and the planned walk is about 4.75 miles long. We’ll stop at Beaver and Temple Ponds, and we’ll also admire the view from the cliff outcropping at 630 feet. Some attention will be given to leaf decomposition as well as to winter twig identification and moss communities on vine maple (Acer circinatum).

Be sure to bring warm clothes, a hat and gloves in addition to your lunch and
thermos/water bottle.  Limit of 12 participants.

Puget Creek Watershed, Tacoma, led by Scott Hansen.
This will be a tour of the restoration work being conducted in the Puget Creek Watershed (north end area of Tacoma). It will start with a look at the beach area and its native vegetation, followed by an exploration of both the upslope and stream/wetland areas where native species are being used to help restore the natural flora. Scott is the Ecologist for the Puget Creek Restoration Society and is on its Board of Directors. The Society is emphasizing the use of a variety of native evergreens, deciduous trees, shrubs and groundcovers in its efforts for the Creek.
The trip will be about 2- 2.5 miles long, with a moderate elevation gain of about sixty feet. It will last about three hours, depending on the number of questions from participants. Rubber boots are a“must” (there will be some available to loan if necessary), and bring rain gear if appropriate as well as snacks and water.

Field trips to be announced.

Field Trips to be announced.

Cappy’s Trails: Traditional New Year’s Day Teddy Bear Hike: January 1, 2009. This will be deja vu for the 30 plus who attended last year. This is a sociobotanical walk to celebrate the Wilderness Within and to do a little botanizing if we please. The hike will be 1-3 miles depending on weather.

Miller Peninsula State Park upper trails. We will botanize the main trail of the undeveloped state park 2.5 miles from the beach and possibly explore one of the alternate trails on the way back. Weather is variable this time of year. Contact us for trip changes or cancellations.

306-779-3820  wendymac3@embarqmail.com.

Field trips will be scheduled as snow melt and weather permit. If you would like to know about the trips as they are scheduled (generally at short notice), please send me your phone number if you want to be called, or your e-mail address.  Susan Alaynick, 360-333-7437 or s_alaynick@hotmail.com