Miscellaneous - 4-11-11

Trillium Blooming In Preserve.  One of first flowers to bloom in the forest are Trilliums.  We took the following picture on Sunday to show just how beautiful these flowers are.  A couple of interesting facts from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trillium are:

Picking a trillium seriously injures the plant by preventing the leaf-like bracts from producing food for the next year. A plant takes many years to recover. For this reason in Michigan^[1] and Minnesota^[2] it is illegal to pick and/or transplant trilliums from public lands without a permit from the State.

Trillium is one of many plants whose seeds are spread by ants. At maturity, the base and core of the trillium ovary turns soft and spongy. Trillium seeds have a fleshy organ called an elaiosome that attracts ants. The ants extract the seeds from the decaying ovary and take them to their nest, where they eat the elaiosomes and put the seeds in their garbage, where they germinate in a rich growing medium.

North Perry Water Response.  We received the following response from North Perry Water's General Manager, George Smalley, regarding our inquiry whether the community could help or show support for a possible relocation of the Riddell well:

I know it seems that there is always a correction to be made every time a news letter goes out, so here it is.

It’s not that the Tribe “ shut NPW down” on the proposed well site on Almira Drive.

It was the simple fact that the Tribe and Dr. Massman were convinced that pumping at the new site on Almira could possibly affect a stream in Tracyton, which is a closed stream with a healthy salmon run.

North Perry Water did not want to end up in Court over the appeal by the Tribes and could not agree on where or how much water could be added to several streams throughout the District to offset perceived pumping affects on the streams  from Tracyton to Brownsville and Illahee.

The new well site on Almira was to be drilled into a deeper aquifer than the well on Perry Avenue, which is  near the beginning of Illahee creek., ( Perry Ave well site),   and the Pickering well site @ maple and Pickering St. That would have allowed NPW to pump the shallow aquifer less at those sites, and hopefully give the aquifer more time to recover between pumping times. It would not affect how often the District would be pumping the Riddell site. It should be noted however that the Riddell well does pump from a  deeper aquifer than the Perry site and the Pickering well  site. Right now the aquifers  looks very healthy and water levels are good For whatever reason the District, has been pumping and selling less water over the last five years than previously, as are other purveyors in the County.

I believe it is the result of the economy and conservation efforts that are responsible for this.

Even though the shallow aquifers look good, we do believe that getting into the deeper  aquifer is the right thing to do . The District is still looking at other options when it comes to pumping out of the shallow aquifer.

It is good to know that the people of Illahee are willing to help in negotiations on a new site in the future if needed.

Piebald Deer Movement?  We were asked whether the piebald deer seen south of Illahee State Park, is the same one that was observed north of Illahee.  And so we have included the attached info on the north Illahee piebald deer so those around the State Park can tell us if it is the same one.

This is probably the same piebald deer that visits us every few days.  I am sending a couple of pics to see if its the same one.  I have pics of this deer from Summer of 07, so he is about 4 years old.  We actually are starting to see what I believe are some of his offspring.  They have a few white spots but are mostly cream colored.  I hope hunters don't try to shoot this deer.  I have talked to the major land owners in my area and they have said they won't allow hunting on their land.

Hopefully there is no hunting in the Illahee Preserve and the surrounding areas.

Rolling Hills Golf Course Gifting Finalized.  We have been waiting to hear that the gifting of the Rolling Hills Golf Course by Don Rasmussen and Kerma Peterson to Kitsap County has been finalized and just heard yesterday that it has.  Thanks to Don and Kerma and to Commissioner Josh Brown for helping to make it all happen.  

Possible Next Step re Timbers Edge?  We heard that the finalization of the Golf Course gifting is what the Illahee Community Club has been waiting for as they will now be contacting the two Land Trusts that expressed interest some time ago about the possibility of purchasing the Timbers Edge properties.  The golf course is evidently a major part of the bigger plan for expanding the Illahee Preserve and now they feel that they are in a better position for a land trust to want to come in to help.

Illahee Garden Tour This Summer?  We were notified that a core group of Illahee gardeners are pursuing whether there is enough interest to have a garden tour in Illahee this summer.  If you would like to be part of this group or have some suggestions for possible gardens that could be toured, please let us know and we will pass the information on.

Jim Aho

Garden Tour & Watershed Curriculum - 4-10-11

Garden Tour Group Interest.  There were at least 10 who expressed interest in an Illahee garden tour this summer, and they will hopefully be able to meet and decide on gardens and dates.  Let us know if you have suggestions or want to be part of the group and we will pass the information on.  

Watershed Curriculum Evaluation.  Illahee has been selected to evaluate a watershed curriculum that was developed in Jefferson County and is now scheduled for 5 evaluations in our surrounding counties, Island (2 sites), Pierce, Kitsap and Jefferson County.  There is some good information in this presentation and we will pass more details on later.

Out of Town.  We will be out of town for a few weeks, but will be in email contact with our ipad.  We are sorry to miss all the flowers and leaves that are emerging.  Attached is a photo of a rhododendron starting to blossom out.

Jim Aho

Gardens & Wildlife - 7/7/10

A Difficult Year for Gardens.

It has been a difficult year for growing crops like tomatoes and peppers because of the unseasonably cool weather earlier this gowning season, not to mention the slug problems that came with the cool damp weather. Another garden problem for Illahee residents is the deer foraging on everything from roses to raspberries. We have had reports of deer munching most everything from apple trees, vegetables, and even geraniums in pots on peoples decks, not to mention rose bushes. We have attached a picture of an eaten raspberry stem.

Garden Deer Protection. We saw a fenced in garden in Illahee that reminded us of when we lived in the Yorktown, VA area where there were huge herds of deer and every garden required protection. This garden fencing was simply done with split cedar poles extending from regular fence posts and 7 foot "wildlife netting" available at Lowes for $13 for a 100' roll.

We took a picture to show how nicely it was done. Others have tried similar type of fencing and noted that it needs to be secured at the bottom also as they watched a doe lift the netting so her fawns could get in. Another person reported an unsecured corner opening was soon discovered by the deer and their garden was raided.

A Request To Decrease The Number of Deer. We have been asked to put in a notice to see if there are residents who think there are too many deer in the area such that the deer numbers should be thinned out, presumably by the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW). Let us know and we will pass the information on to them.

How Do Others Feel? While we have our own issues with deer and have been especially hit by their foraging this year, it is one of the things we like about living with wildlife in Illahee. We aren't ready to join those who want to reduce the deer population so let us know your thoughts.

Canada Geese Number? The other day our kids noted 57 Canada geese at our beach and we have had residents wonder if the geese numbers are too high. We just had to cover our blueberries with netting to protect them from the birds with a special fence to protect them from the Canada geese, who found they could sneak under the netting. Again we feel with a little extra effort we can learn to co-exist with the wildlife.

Wildlife Solutions? Let us know how you are coping with the wildlife and we will pass the information on.

Jim Aho

Miscellaneous Items - 7/8/09

Illahee Forester.  Illahee is fortunate to have a recognized forester, Jim Trainer, in the community.  Jim often gives wildlife presentations and also tours of area forests, including the Illahee Preserve and the area along Illahee Creek.  We are a little late in reporting on a recent tour Jim gave to the GPC last month. 

 

On June 13 Jim Trainer conducted a hike for the Great Peninsula Conservancy to see the 800 year old culturally modified Western Red Cedar in Illahee.  There were about 25 people and it was reported to be quite a hike. 

 

Hooting Owls.  Last evening there were some owls who were especially noisy along Sunset next to the Illahee Preserve.  There appeared to be about 4 owls having a hooting contest.  We think they were Barred Owls and wish we had a recorder to document their sounds. In the past we have had nearby residents tell of hearing the owls at night and last evening we heard them for ourselves.  It was quite an experience.

 

Garden Tour Interest.  We have had 5 people express interest in working on an Illahee garden tour so we will try to get them connected to see what they will come up with.  Let us know if you know of anyone else who might be interested, or any garden areas you would recommend they consider.

 

Timbers Edge Appeal & Possible Counter Proposal.  We understand an ad hoc committee of the Illahee Community Club is working on a draft counter proposal to be presented to the Illahee community for final concurrence, and then when/if approved, to the developer.  We will try to stay on top of this as we know that many are concerned on what will happen to the community if the project were to go ahead as planned.

 

Rainfall in Illahee.  Since May 20th the rainfall in Illahee is only 0.22 inches which has come in some pretty small amounts, see the attached for the exact amounts which begin on June 19th and end on June 27th. 

 

0.01
0.08
0.07
0.02
0.02
0.02

 

Jim Aho

Miscellaneous Items - 6/30/09

Aquifer Meeting Tonight (6/30). This is a reminder of the Aquifer meeting tonight (6/30) a 6:30 pm at the Norm Dicks Center.

Questions Already. We have some residents who have to work evenings or have other meetings and cannot attend the aquifer meeting. We took some their questions early which include these:

1. We have a development that wants to put in high density homes with sewers along the Illahee Creek corridor. The adjoining residents would like to see lower density homes with septics. Should we be concerned about nitrates from the septics getting into the aquifers?
2. Over the years there have been conflicting reports of where our ground water is coming from. Some of us remember hearing it was coming from the Olympic Mountains. Now it is said to come locally as our rain water infiltrates down through the soil and into the aquifers. Does anyone really know where our water comes from? And, how can we be sure the latest information is correct?
3. If groundwater and aquifers are so important, how come we haven’t heard much about them from our government officials? Who is in charge of managing the groundwater and aquifers?
4. I’m concerned about the low flows in Illahee Creek. Who is supposed to be watching out for our streams? The state, the county, the federal government? Does anyone really care? The only group we ever hear about caring is the tribes because of salmon. Should we be talking with them?
5. Do things like rain gardens and infiltration pits actually work? And what happens when we get a major downpour like what happened on December 3rd of 2007 and the rain gardens and infiltration pits can’t absorb all the water?
6. If the stormwater contaminates that are polluting Puget Sound are infiltrated into the ground, won’t they eventually pollute our groundwater?
7. I live some distance away from Illahee Creek, about a mile, and want to know if my infiltrating of my roof rain water will help?
8. What about people who have zinc strips on their roofs, or copper impregnated shingles, to keep the moss off? Won’t those metals harm the groundwater? And, what about pesticides and other lawn chemicals?

Canada Geese Eating Up the Blueberries. While we like our wildlife we have reports the Canada geese have developed a taste for green and ripening blueberries. They have already devoured the berries on some of the small bushes and are working on the big bushes. Time to put the nets up.

Another Deer Solution. Thank you to all who provided your remedies to keep deer out of garden areas. Here is the latest:

Just thought I'd throw my two cents in on the subject of critters in the garden .... so here's a couple more suggestions ....not only does human hair work, but dog hair works great too, put it in old nylons and hang it around your garden area, chicken house,etc..... and it will keep those critters at bay, I have a friend who lives on a farm in Hungary and this is how she keeps the foxes out of her hen house....and deer out of her garden.

Fly solutions, For those of you who have trouble with those little flies that come in when you leave your door open and just circle around in the air this is an "old wives tale" that works....put water in a plastic baggie and hang it above your doorway or let it hang on little rope and you will never have one of those pesky little flies in you house....

Community Garden Tour Response. Just a few responders to the idea of having an Illahee gardens tour. We will see what that group wants to do and report back. Let us know if you would like to be part of the group.

New Format. We were asked to eliminate the underlining in our Updates as it makes it more difficult to transfer them to the illaheecommunity.com web page.

Eagle Attacking Ornamental Chicken Article. When we posted the "eagle attacking ornamental chicken" item in a previous update, we didn't have a picture of the chicken. The next day the Kitsap Sun did a front page report, complete with a picture. The chicken looked very real so we now understand how this happened. Click on the following for the picture and article. http://kitsapsun.com/news/2009/jun/23/eagle-eyed-misguided-bird-leaves-illahee-empty/

Illahee Mentioned in Mediation Article. The Kitsap County Commissioner's have added a mediation step to their land use process and said it was because of the Illahee Community's outfall fight (which was to keep the 42" diameter stormwater pipe from being installed under the Illahee Community Dock). While the community came to an agreement with the developer, the primary problem was with Kitsap County for allowing the outfall in the first place. We hope the mediation process also includes the Kitsap County employees, who in spite of being paid by the citizens, do not always act in their best interests of local communities. The link to the article is: http://kitsapsun.com/news/2009/jun/24/kitsap-commissioners-ok-new-land-use-mediation/

Illahee Referenced in Rob Woutat Article. There was a recent article by Rob Woutat in the Kitsap Sun where he mentioned what it was like living in the Illahee community. Unfortunately, the Kitsap Sun has not made that article available on its website. When it shows up, we will provide a link to it.

Jim Aho

Miscellaneous Items - 6/10/09

Update Frequency.  The slower frequency of updates has brought some questions.  We have been trying to do some extra projects and gardening including trying to keep the deer at bay with fencing only to have trouble with slugs and cutworms eating our new starts.  We feel like parents trying to protect their young ones until they are old enough to be on their own.

 

Garden Tours?  We have had a number of people mention that it would be nice to have a tour of some of the Illahee area gardens.  They noticed the advertisements for the Bremerton Urban Garden Society (BUGS) edible gardening tour a couple of weeks ago and thought it would be good to try something of the sort for Illahee.  Let us know your thoughts on this and if there is enough interest we will try to get the interested parties together.  If you know of some interesting Illahee area gardens (flowers and or vegetable), let us know, and we will pass that on also.  .

 

Canada Goose Gathering.  Recently there was an early morning gathering of Canada geese along the beach that numbered 32.  There were 4 goose families, one with four fairly good sized goslings, and the others smaller in size and numbering 5, 4, and 1 goslings.  There were four mated pairs that had no offspring, and two that were without mates.  We were able to get a picture of three of the families, which is attached at the end of the email.

 

Other Wildlife.  The river otters have been active as have the ravens and the bald eagles. 

 

Illahee Preserve.  We went for a walk in the Illahee Preserve on Wednesday evening and were greeted with newly laid wood chip trails, courtesy of the East Bremerton Rotary.  They evidently had a bunch of chips that were delivered to the new parking lot today (Wednesday) and decided to put them on some of the new trails they had blazed from the new parking lot.  We were amazed at the amount of chips they put down in one evening.  We have also impressed by the number of people using the Preserve. 

 

Thanks to the Preserve Volunteers!  Thanks to the Rotarian's, the Illahee Preserve Stewardship Group, and the Illahee Forest Preserve (the non-profit support group for the Preserve) for all their trail work and support of this forest treasure.

 

Jim Aho