Stewarding Our Forests: The Ongoing Work in Frink and Leschi Parks

On a summer evening, I joined longtime Leschi Forest Stewards, Darrell Howe and Darcy Thompson, for a walk through Frink Park and upper Leschi Park. As we stepped under the canopy, the air cooled immediately, a reminder of how these parks serve as natural refuges in the city.

For more than twenty years, Darrell and Darcy have led volunteers in restoring forest health: pulling ivy, removing blackberries, and planting native species. What was once a tangle of invasives is now a thriving urban forest, home to owls, a flowing creek, and a restored wetland. The pair shared stories of early collaborations with the Green Seattle Partnership, grants secured, countless work parties, and the careful planning that goes into choosing the right plants for the right conditions. Dead trees and downed limbs, which might look like debris to some, are intentionally left in place to retain moisture and feed the soil, key to helping the forest withstand increasingly dry summers.

Their efforts are rooted in a long history. Frink Park, a 17.2-acre wooded ravine with trails, a creek and waterfall, was donated to the city in 1906 by John and Abbie Frink. Designed by the Olmsted Brothers, the park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2019 for its historic and natural character. Leschi Park, at 18.5 acres, is the city’s second oldest park, encompassing both the manicured lower park and the more natural upper area. Together, these parks hold deep cultural, historic, and ecological value for the neighborhood.

But alongside the success stories, I also witnessed the challenges. Areas that volunteers had painstakingly restored were mowed down by Parks maintenance crews, sometimes wiping out years of work in a single day. Paths of snowberries were cut, native groundcovers sheared to the soil, and established plantings destroyed, while nearby patches of ivy were left untouched. In some spots, mowing created the appearance of roadside parking areas, inviting vehicle damage to forest edges.

The issue is not one of ill intent but of disconnect. While the Forest Stewards have long worked with Parks on vegetation management plans, complaints from individuals often trigger uncoordinated responses. Crews are sent out without clear direction, and mowing or cutting happens in ways that undermine established plans and ecological goals. In steep areas where volunteers cannot work for safety reasons, invasives continue to spread when not addressed by Parks, undoing years of community effort.

The result is disheartening. Volunteers spend countless hours planting, mulching, and maintaining only to see thousands of dollars-worth of plants cut down. One estimate suggests it would take 10,000 replacement plants and 200 cubic yards of mulch to repair just one round of unnecessary mowing. When native plantings are destroyed, invasive ivy quickly creeps back, threatening tree health and wildlife habitat.

Parks in different neighborhoods often receive different levels of care and funding. Leschi’s natural areas have struggled to get the same attention as other parks, even while residents and volunteers have poured in thousands of hours of unpaid labor to steward them. Volunteers want to help but they also want their work respected, supported, and integrated into decision-making.

What you can do:

• Reach out before you request mowing or removal. Well-meaning calls to Parks can sometimes undo years of volunteer restoration. If you have concerns, contact leschivp@gmail.com first so the solution is consistent with the park’s vegetation management plan.

• Leave logs and limbs where they are. What looks like yard waste is actually critical forest infrastructure, holding moisture, enriching soil, and supporting wildlife.

• Join the effort. Volunteer work parties are the backbone of forest restoration. By planting, mulching, and maintaining native landscapes, neighbors directly strengthen our parks. Contact leschivp@gmail.com to learn about upcoming work parties.

• Get curious about the bigger picture. Restoration is not about creating tidy landscapes but resilient ecosystems. A healthy forest may look messy, but every plant and log plays a role.

Frink and Leschi Parks are treasures—historical, ecological, and community spaces worth protecting. With better coordination and support, the work of volunteers can be sustained instead of undone. And with more neighbors involved, the forest can continue to thrive for the next generation.

~Nikola Davidson