This 2.5 mile walk through Seward Park will emphasize its history and original design. Originally called Bailey Peninsula, Seward Park was far outside the City limits in 1903 when the Olmsted firm of landscape architects proposed including it as part of Seattle’s Park & Boulevard System. As a 300-acre natural reserve it would form an ideal terminus of what is now Lake Washington Boulevard. In 1911 the City purchased the peninsula. The design is a prime example of the Olmsted Brothers’ ecological approach to park design. This 2.5 hour walk will take us along the western shore and then back north on the Sqebeqed Trail through the park’s old growth forest.

Sue Nicol is a retired horticulturist and consulting arborist with 23 years’ experience in public horticulture. She worked 18 years for the Seattle Parks Department, 17 as head of horticulture at the Woodland Park Zoo. She then managed public and ProHort educational programs for the UW’s Center for Urban Horticulture. In 2006 she started a consulting business specializing in tree preservation and care.

Sue is on the Board of the Cass Turnbull Garden. She is also a board member of Friends of Seattle’s Olmsted Parks (FSOP) and a Master Gardener, both for 20 years.

 Note: Meet at the Audubon Center, 5902 Lake Washington Blvd South, Seattle, WA  98118.