The plan, zone by zone.
Where each kind of tree goes, how we protect young trees from elk, and what happens when.
We plant where the land says yes.
Our first job is to watch the land: where the water goes, where the sun lands, what is already growing back. The gold maples coming up through the snags stay. We plant around what the land is already doing.
Western redcedar, Sitka spruce, black cottonwood, willow and red osier dogwood. A wide natural buffer along Cloudburst Creek. Native species only here, because that is what the salmon need.
Douglas fir and western redcedar, with coast redwoods and a few giant sequoias on the high ground and around the gathering place. Spaced to grow into a cathedral of giants over the centuries.
Nootka rose, salmonberry, thimbleberry, saskatoon, elderberry and Pacific crabapple. Food and nesting for birds and pollinators.
Fruit and nut trees, berry rows and garden plots, layered tall at the back and low at the front so everything gets light.
- Elk and deer. Young trees get guards, and the food forest and plots get fenced, so the animals can stay without eating every seedling.
- Invasive plants. We watch for knotweed, Scotch broom and Himalayan blackberry and pull them early, before they take hold in the burn.
- Safety. Before every group day, someone qualified checks the burned trees around the planting area, and work areas are marked.
- Snags. Dead trees that are safe to keep stay standing as homes for woodpeckers, owls and bats. Ones near paths and work areas come down.
Year one has just begun.
Watch first, then plant. Here is where things stand and what comes next.
- April 2020The fire
The Magee Road wildfire burns about 80 percent of the land.
- October 2026Jade Grove is born
We take over the land and give it a name.
- November 2026The first trees go in
Lisa and Jeff plant the very first ones, starting near the road. Group planting days follow.
- Winter 2026 to 2027Watch and listen
Mapping water, sun, snow and wildlife through the seasons.
- Spring 2027Planting days and the first plots
Fruit trees, berries, flowers, and garden plots for growers.
- Fall 2027The giants
The big, long lived trees go in along the edges, where they will tower for centuries.