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Swan Creek Park Food Forest

Details

Commenced:	01/09/2013
Submitted:	08/12/2013
Last updated:	07/10/2015
Location:	near E. 42nd and E. Roosevelt Ave., Tacoma, Washington, US
Website:	https://www.facebook.com/friendsofswancreekfoodforest/info
Climate zone:	Cool Temperate

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Swan Creek Park Food Forest

Project Type

Urban, Community, Demonstration, Educational, Permaculture Local Group Transition Town Permablitz

Project Summary

A food forest amidst the re-forested lands of an old housing project

Project Description

Swan Creek Park is a unique 373 acre greenspace on the edge of Tacoma that once was a neighborhood. It's now a scrubby re-growth forest laid out in a street grid and nearby the community housing project of Salishan.

Our local permaculture group started working with MetroParks Tacoma years ago, as part of a Design Team project of a local PDC. In September of 2013, with support from MetroPark and Pierce Conservation District, we had our first community kick-off meeting to rally leaders and workparty volunteers.

The following was filled with workshops promoting permaculture in the community and ideas for the design for the acre of Food Forest. Implementation began in February of 2014.

The site, very unlike the Beacon Food Forest Project in Seattle, already has many plants on it of edible and medicinal nature. Some are 'undesired' by many people, like blackberries and scotch broom. Others are native plants that are (sadly) hardly realized for their edible and medicinal potential, like salal and oregon grape. Much of the permaculture work will be highlighting the usability of the area and adding some edibles to increase the human interactions on the site.

Should this first acre succeed, we have the potential to spread farther into the park.

We also have a facebook page and a mailing list for events.

Updates

Ecological Shed Project in the works

We need a toolshed at the food forest! Which techniques best fit into the site and are free us the most from industrial resource extraction?

Posted almost 10 years ago (0 comments)

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