Program on the Environment

Restoration within urban parks in Seattle is currently centered around vegetation and could benefit from the incorporation of diverse attributes of the landscape to ensure the success of the efforts for the long-term health of the environment. The purpose of this research was to identify strategies for incorporating bluff erosion mitigation into restoration techniques, as well as identifying ways to maximize efforts by integrating lessons learned through observational studies of park users and their actions that lead to man-made bluff erosion. The methods I used to complete this research for my internship with the Discovery Park Advisory Council include a literature review of relevant bluff erosion mitigation techniques, inquiries with organizations that do the restoration work within the park, and observational studies of park user’s interactions with park policy. The results of this research suggest that the strengths of incorporating bluff erosion mitigation strategies into restoration work outweigh the weaknesses in the long term, and that a holistic approach to landscape restoration could pay off in the future. Other results suggest that observational studies of park users shed light on which policies are weak, thus leading to greater man-made erosion. These results come together to represent a greater understanding of the sources of bluff erosion as well as methods for addressing it. The holistic restoration of urban parks is integral to the health and prosperity of the greater environment, the communities who utilize them, the wildlife that they support and the learning opportunities they hold.