LYNNWOOD — The Hazel Miller Foundation recently awarded $2,500 to the Lynnwood Parks and Recreation Foundation for restoration improvements at Gold Park.

The grant will fund park restoration projects including removal of invasive plants, trail building and the installation of an “ethnobotanical garden.” The garden, designed by Edmonds Community College’s Learn and Serve Environmental Anthropology Field School, will showcase native Northwest plants and their uses in past cultures.

Gold Park is a 6.44-acre open space in Lynnwood at 6421 200th St. SW. Currently it is largely forested and includes trails, grassy clearings and a seasonal stream.

Over time the park has become overgrown with invasive plant species that have obscured the trails and visibility within the park. Restoration efforts by the LEAF School students will re-establish the natural environment of the park by removing invasive plants. The planting of the ethnobotanical garden will reintroduce a variety of native plants, such as ferns, salal, trillium, bleeding heart and huckleberries. The students also will design and install interpretive signs to educate park visitors about the variety of native plants and their particular benefits.

The restoration project is also supported by the city of Lynnwood, Edmonds Community College, State Farm Youth Service America and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The Hazel Miller Foundation is dedicated to serving the citizens of Edmonds and South Snohomish County through programs and projects that serve the public’s benefit.