I spent a couple hours this damp morning pulling invasive English ivy. The Great Peninsula Conservancy, owns and manages the Indianola Waterfront Preserve and organizes the Ivy Pulls (Kate makes great cookies for the ivy pullers). It’s satisfying tugging and rolling up long ivy vines and roots, freeing ferns and cedars of the smothering ivy. Ivy grows too well in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, it crowds out native plants, and climbs up trees. If left unchecked the forest floor becomes a ivy monoculture. Volunteers have cleared much of the Preserve of ivy and native plants are flourishing, its a beautiful spot for all to enjoy. Still there’s plenty of ivy left to pull, I’ll try to be at the next pull scheduled for Nov. 28.

P.S. What a beautiful sign! It’s a fairly new addition to the Preserve. Jay Zischke and his son Karl found the wood on the beach and constructed the sign and kiosk. That’s a beach rock in the center. A sign painter added wonderful lettering.