muralists

There's at least a couple artists whose work I'm looking at for the Tacoma Water Pump House murals.

Here's some examples of their work...

greenish blue butterfly recovery strategy

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/documents/recovery/rcvrystrat/plebejus_saep_ins_rcvry_strat_010807.pdf

common blue cup

Common blue-cup is a small annual herb that can reach up to 3 dm high but is often smaller. Its sparsely hairy to glabrous leaves are strap-shaped and mostly less than 15 mm long, with broadly toothed margins. Flowers are borne singly, appearing to come from the axils of upper leaves. The 5-lobed, deep blue corolla is vase-shaped, borne on top of the inferior ovary and shorter than the calyx lobes, which are as long as the leaves. Fruits are cigar-shaped, prominently ribbed capsules up to 15 mm long.

species at risk

FIELD MANUAL: SPECIES AT RISK IN GARRY OAK AND ASSOCIATED ECOSYSTEMS

http://www.goert.ca/publications_resources/species_at_risk.php#Field_Manual

Blue-eyed Mary

Annual herb 5-40 cm tall from a taproot. Leafy stems usually erect of ascending, however, sometimes long and sprawling; may be simple or branched. Middle and upper leaves are opposite (or whorled), oblong to lance-shaped, 1-4 cm long, though smaller and bract-like in the inflorescence. Lower leaves are oblong to spoon-shaped and are stalked. Leaves: Leaves are usually hairless while stems are often covered in minute hairs that may be glandular. Flowers: Flowers are two-lipped, 4-8 mm long. The upper lip is white and two lobed; the lower lip is blue and three lobed; four stamens. Flowers are borne in the leaf axils on hairy stalks. Fruit: Fruit is a smooth, reddish-brown capsule 3-5 mm long, football-shaped, usually bearing four seeds (Pojar and MacKinnon, 1994).

beautiful infrastructure

Great article in Arcade by Charles Mudede analyzing the new UW Light Rail Station and the bike paths and pedestrian bridges surrounding it.  Makes a larger case for beauty in infrastructure projects...

http://arcadenw.org/article/a-bridge-to-somewhere-important

blue camas

On both sides of the Cascade Mountains, blue camas (Camassia quamash) offers one of the most alluring displays of spring flowers in the Pacific Northwest. When Meriwether Lewis first surveyed this region, he noted this striking lily in stands that to his eye resembled lakes of blue water. Along with its close relative, giant blue camas (C. leichtlinii), blue camas continues to be a signature species of grassy balds in the San Juan Islands, and east of the mountains camas still forms pools of deep blue in dry grasslands that burst into colour in the flush of spring. As in many places that soon dry up, flowering happens quickly, presenting a spectacular, if ephemeral, view.

This species was the most important “garden plant” of the first people here, people who subsisted by hunting, fishing and gathering wild plants. However, obtaining camas required more than just gathering. Exceptional camas patches were weeded, periodically burned to keep them free of shrubs, and harvested by the families and tribal groups that tended them. This was gardening, in a real sense, and people developed strong bonds to traditional gathering areas. The Nez Perce War flared when settlers began plowing camas lands to convert them to European-style agriculture.

Community Outreach Idea #1: Bluebird Boxes

Thinking about ways to actively engage the community in some sort of conceptual, fabrication and park stewardship project. 

An idea that comes to mind (based on a similar project executed in BC) is one that involves creating nesting boxes for bluebirds.  As Garry Oak habitat-specific endangered species, bluebirds are sort of ‘canaries-in-the-mineshaft’ for the health of this particular ecosystem. 

I think a project highlighting and helping these birds could prove quite popular with bird enthusiasts and residents of all ages and backgrounds.  I could see all sorts of spinoffs involving bird identification hikes, bird call field recording expeditions, annual box maintenance work parties, etc.

I’m particularly drawn to the bluebird concept due to the esthetic tie-ins with water, water flume trail, blue flowered plants, blue stones, cool blue aquatic-themed murals, etc.

http://www.goert.ca/activities/bluebirds/

'Garry Oak Gate'

If we can get permission to paint the existing gate black & modify to attach a large art panel, there’s an opportunity to create a sizeable & functional art gate adjacent the new parking lot. 

Envisioned is a large ¼” thick waterjet cut weathering steel plate rolled with a slight curvature to create more sculptural presence.  The art panel would be attached to standoffs welded to the structural gate and bolted into place.  Patterning could be achieved from images of existing Garry Oak branches, leaves & roots.  Overall scale would be approximately 16’ x 8’.   Care needs to be taken in regards sharp edges & head & hand-hold opening rules.

'bio boulder'

This would be a singular, pair or small grouping of large boulders in the middle of the restored quarry.  Thinking scale is about 5-6’ high or human-scale.  A readable band of engraved flora, fauna & fossil heiroglyphics create a ‘constellational belt’ around the midriff of each stone.  The overall effect is at once monumental & intimate, subtle & clear, simple & ornate.  A mirror of the natural world it inhabits.

'boulder bike racks'

Envision these as functional trail markers, bookends for the Water Flume Line Trail, with one located at the entry to Oak Tree Park and the other somewhere around the  intersection of 56^th & South Tacoma Way.  These would act both as wayfinders and an invitation to riders to pause along the way and explore Oak Tree Park on one end and the South Park area on the other. 

Again, the concept & material palette is pretty simple & rustic.  Two split boulders connected by a ‘coil’ of rolled steel pipe.  Engraved fossils & text could be incised in each boulder to provide some more metaphoric layering to the park/trail puzzle.  Overall scale of each element would be roughly 3’ high by 12-16’ long.

'flume'

This is a sculptural landmark with landscaping that would be located in the parklet meadow located on the north side of the playground adjacent 74^th & Cedar. 

The idea is pretty simple.  A pair of large weathering steel plates rolled into semi-circular ‘brackets’ form a flume-like ark.  Flowing through the middle of the piece would be a ‘stream’ of flowering plants & grasses with a decidedly blue theme framed with smaller boulders & berms, giving the whole piece the sense of a boat-like structure flowing down a river.

Incised in upper 3^rd of each pipe-like bracket are depictions of flora & fauna native to the area & Garry Oak habitat.  Like our recently-completed Vancouver BC project, ‘earthgrove’ this lifeform latticework can be read against the sky as a map with a corresponding deciphering website such as www.earthgrove.net  

Thinking overall scale is ½” thick cor-ten @ roughly 10-12’ long x 6-7’ high.  Alternate location might be quarry.  Need to develop a low/no maintenance plant list of  native flowering perennials, grasses and low shrubs.  Drought-tolerant and bee-friendly are bonuses.