Another work party on 22 June, 9 am to noon

The ongoing efforts to control Scot's broom at Kah Tai are especially evident now, in peak Scot's broom season. Other areas of the city and county are covered in yellow, no longer beautiful to look at once you know how invasive it is. But in the south uplands, the only yellow visible is a California lupine, not native but not invasive.  The park looks wonderful.

Our May workparty went to work on the last serious Scot's broom outbreak in the middle of the park, not visible from the highway or the lagoon. A few relatively large and healthy specimens were also extracted from the north side of the berms where they had tucked in behind blackberries.  On 20 June from 9 am to noon, we'll tackle that central area again.

There are many non-native species at Kah Tai which do not seem invasive or unwelcome.  A spring walk might take you past a clump of iris, or daffodils, or crocus, some anonymous contribution to the park. A favorite discovery is a cluster of at least three white lilac shrubs on the southern berms. All bloomed this year. As lilacs are not invasive and do not usually propagate by seed, these were deliberately brought and planted on their berm by unknown hands.

The final transfer of Kah Tai land from Port to City is still underway, although movement is glacial. A single parcel in the northeast section seems to be the holdup. It was listed in records as being owned by the City back in 1980 and so when the County sold all its Kah Tai parcels to the City in 2004, the single parcel wasn't included. It is beneath a right of way and intermittently under water. But it turns out that it belongs to the County after all and so we await the paperwork to transfer this final piece from one government entity to another. On September 22, 1980, the County Commission unanimously voted to transfer Kah Tai parcels to the City if the LWCF grant was funded, - "all underwater parcels and upland parcels as needed". Time to finish the job.