Native plants are returning home to Fort Worden.

Starting with a “test run” this past year along Battery Way East, the Friends of Fort Worden have added habitat restoration to their service by planting native Northwest plant species in the park.

In December, volunteers are bringing in more than 100 more native plants in previously cleared areas along Battery Way West and Madrona Trail. The returning natives will include salal, snowberry, ocean spray, sword fern, Oregon grape, and baldhip rose.

The nonprofit is still hoping to recruit more volunteers to aid in their efforts.

To kick things off, they plan to plant 20 native Garry oaks along Mule Barn Road and in the Chinese Gardens on Dec. 3 with the help of furniture maker Kevin Reiswig.

“Just imagine these historically significant trees, with their spreading form and dark green canopy, gracing the sloping meadow of Chinese Gardens,” said Terry LeLievre, a board member for the Friends of Fort Worden.

Garry oaks have declined to less than 15 percent of their population in Western Washington since 1850.

“Besides their iconic form, Garry oaks are favored by wildlife,” said board member and birding enthusiast Janine Anderson. “Their abundant acorns are enjoyed by many birds and mammals, and their leaves and bark play host to a variety of insects.”

Volunteers for the organization have already been enhancing hiking by maintaining trails, controlling invasive plants, and installing wayfinding and information signs since its beginning in 1993.

The Friends Trail Team volunteers typically partake in monthly work parties, or smaller weekly groups, or even get out on their own to remove invasive species like English ivy, poison hemlock, Himalayan blackberry, scotch broom, and English holly.

Other projects have included irrigation and hydroseeding.

“We hope the hydroseeding will reduce the likelihood of the poison hemlock reestablishing there,” LeLievre said.

Scotch broom has, of course, been one of the most difficult problems.

To help combat that notorious invader, weekly small-group work parties began in 2022, and in mid-November the Scotch broom along Mule Barn Road became a focus.