Gardening volunteers are always needed

The Kitsap Extension of Western Washington University is accepting applications for the Master Gardener class of 2009. Classes will run every Friday from Jan. 9 through April 10 at the Norm Dicks Government Center in Bremerton. Course tuition is $225. A group orientation and interview is Nov. 13.

Visit kitsap.wsu.edu/hort/2009_intern.htm for information about applying for the program. Download, print out, fill out and return the forms and mail them in to reserve your space in the next Master Gardener class.

On Oct. 25 we celebrated the official grand opening of Fish Park in Poulsbo. Fish Park meanders along Dog Fish Creek. The park is across the street from Nelson Park. Hundreds of volunteers have worked on this native plant filled nature preserve. For the opening celebrations we were treated to the salmon returning up the creek. The chum salmon are an awesome and mighty fish. Suquamish Tribe fish biologist Paul Dorn enlightened us with information about the salmon and the Suquamish people who lived along Liberty Bay and along Dog Fish Creek for hundreds of years.

Fish Park has a scheduled work party date the third Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to noon.

This Nov. 15 volunteers will be planting trees. Round up your family and friends and come join us at Fish Park in Poulsbo. If you have questions call Mary McCluskey at (360) 779-9898. We hope to see you there. One of the volunteers at Fish Park has been Scott Pomtier, owner (along with his wife Nancy Kaiser) of The Wild Bird, 19740 7th Avenue NE Suite B in Poulsbo. Pomtier has put together a booklet of the birds he’s spotted at Fish Park. Pomtier also donated bat houses and bird houses to the park. The Wild Bird Web site is www.thewildbird.net. During the month of December Pomtier and Kaiser will donate 10 percent of all sales to the West Sound Wildlife Shelter.

The shelter is the only wildlife hospital and education center located in the entire Western Puget Sound and receives nearly all of its funding in the form of donations from individuals.

The shelter is expected to treat more than 700 wild animal patients this year as well as give unique live-animal education programs to over 5,000 kids and adults. You can find more information about the Shelter at www.westsoundwildlife.org.

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