Newcastle Weed Warriors, the city of Newcastle, King Conservation District and the King County Noxious Weeds Program will show residents how to combat invasive knotweed at a Sept. 19 workshop.

The workshop will address how to use herbicide injections to control and eradicate knotweed, which is invading parks and open spaces across King County.

Sign up for the workshop by contacting Weed Warriors founder Grace Stiller at 206-795-5783 or gracestiller@comcast.net.

The workshop will use the best management practices as outlined by the Washington State Noxious Weeds Program. It goes from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 19 at Fire Station No. 9, 12412 Newcastle Way.

A year after the wet stuff put a damper on the 2014 event, Stiller said she is hoping for sunshine when the festival returns to Lake Boren Park on April 18.

“All we need is a really nice day, no rain,” she said. “Last year, it dumped buckets. It was terrible.”

The city of Newcastle and the Newcastle Weed Warriors, with funding from the King Conservation District, will provide speakers, seminars and activities for Earth Day 2015 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 18.

Similar to previous years, Stiller said the event will serve, in part, to support a citywide effort to earn National Wildlife Federation Community Wildlife Habitat Certification.

To obtain the certification, residents must commit to providing food, water, cover and a place for wildlife to raise offspring. A healthy habitat can be in a variety of places, including a backyard, a local city space or even an apartment balcony.

After promoting the certification at past events, Stiller said the city as a whole is about 60 homes away from officially receiving the environmental honor.

Representatives from the National Wildlife Federation will be available to register residents’ yards as a backyard wildlife habitat at the event. Children are also invited to take photos with the organization’s mascot, Ranger Rick.

“The unique thing about Newcastle and our environment is that with the habitats that people have in their yards, they’re already qualified,” Stiller said. “They’ve got trees for shelter, bushes for cover, places to raise young and putting up a birdhouse is really easy.”

New to this year’s event is a special presentation by Native American storyteller and flutist Paul “Che oke ten” Wagner.

The Newcastle Library will sponsor his noon performance that promises to transport audiences to the ancient forests, meadows and waters of the Salish Sea.

“He’s going to take us on a journey with his stories and music back to a time when we can appreciate living in harmony with nature,” Stiller said.

Another event likely to attract a crowd is a special ceremony honoring the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife’s very first Karelian bear dog, Mishka.

Karelian bear dogs, averaging 40 to 65 pounds, are instinctively bold with bears and can be trained to track, help capture and deter them from returning to places where they can get in trouble with humans.

After 12 years of service, Mishka is retiring, along with her handler, WDFW enforcement officer Bruce Richards. Western Wildlife Outreach will honor both of them with a special presentation at 1 p.m.

The Hazen High School jazz band and the Boeing Employees’ Concert Band return to provide live entertainment. Many of the popular attractions from last year, such as the amphibian-toting frog lady and the live raptor house featuring birds of prey, will also return.

Festival organizers are hoping to increase its social presence and, attract the younger generation, with an Instagram campaign.

Attendees are encouraged to take “Earth Day selfies,” or simply document your favorite part of the festival, and hashtag it #NewcastleWA on Instagram. Head to the Weed Warriors website to see the photos after the event, Stiller said.

“It’s so important because young people are our future stewards and environmental change agents,” Stiller said. “They’re the ones that are going to make a difference. We’ve got to keep them engaged, so however we can do that and get them excited about the environment and our world, is worth it.”

By Greg Farrar
A Patagonian cavy named Superman sits on a lawn under the Animal Encounters tent during the 2014 Newcastle Earth Day celebration at Lake Boren Park. This year’s event takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, April 18.

Earth Day is officially April 22, but Newcastle will celebrate the green holiday April 18 with its eighth annual community festival.

The city of Newcastle and the Newcastle Weed Warriors, thanks to funding from the King Conservation District, will provide speakers, seminars and activities for Earth Day 2015 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lake Boren Park.

The festival begins promptly at 10 a.m. with opening words from Mayor Steve Buri, followed by Boy Scout Troop 499’s presentation of the flags.

Vendors armed with information on how you can better serve the planet will dot the park lawn, while a petting zoo, music and food will also keep attendees occupied.

Learn more at www.newcastleweedwarriors.org.

The city of Newcastle has just received a $30,400 grant from the King Conservation District. The grant will fund a project, Newcastle Goes Green, incorporating the

following programs:

• Removal and monitoring of invasive knotweed along May Creek in conjunction with the Newcastle Weed Warriors
• “Green Growing” classes for Newcastle residents with lawn and gardening tips to reduce water and herbicide/pesticide use
• Outreach at local schools regarding environmental stewardship
• Special-edition newsletter mailed to all households with information about the city’s storm water management efforts, along with practical household tips

“We thank the King Conservation District for their support in funding this project and commitment to the environment,” said Public Works Director Maiya Andrews. “These programs will greatly benefit our residents, as well as our community’s natural resources. We also look forward to working hand in hand with the Newcastle Weed Warriors.”

The King Conservation District provides a variety of programs and services to landowners and residents. All landowners within district boundaries are entitled to free information and technical assistance for water quality protection, wildlife habitat enhancement, farm management plans, soil and slope stability information, native plant products, manure exchange information, volunteer opportunities, stream restoration/enhancement assistance and many other natural resource topics.

Learn more on the district’s Web site.