Garry oaks are the center of an ecosystem that traditionally defined the South Puget Sound landscape and peoples. Local oak woodlands have been changed by urban development, but real opportunity remains for restoration and reconnection to this vital tree and its associates. Let's talk oaks, flowers, fire, the military, and current restoration efforts on City-managed Passive Open Space.

Brandon Drucker is a Restoration Ecologist with the City of Tacoma Passive Open Space program. His focus is enhancing the stormwater and habitat benefits provided by vegetation in urban natural areas. His experience spans restoration, research, and environmental assessment of prairie-oak woodlands, wetlands, and forests across the South Puget Sound and California. He is energized by gains in desirable plant cover, gritty community members, and the good-humored Washington Conservation Corps crews he sponsors for the City.