In Memoriam: Char Reaber and Kris Baker | Friends of Discovery Park

While our Capehart restoration site has been filled with vibrant summer blooms, it has also been a place of reflection and remembrance this year. Located within Discovery Park, Capehart Forest has been cared for by generations of volunteers working through Friends of Discovery Park and the Green Seattle Partnership to restore native habitat, remove invasive species, and create a healthier forest ecosystem for people and wildlife.

This restoration work is made possible by dedicated community members who give their time, knowledge, and passion to the landscape. This year, we experienced profound losses with the passing of two beloved volunteers and Forest Stewards, Charlotte (Char) Reaber and Kristina (Kris) Baker, whose contributions helped shape Capehart for years to come.

To learn more about the restoration work happening across Discovery Park, read our post about the Green Seattle Partnership and forest restoration efforts at Capehart.

A Legacy Rooted in Restoration

In August, we learned of the death of Char Reaber, longtime Green Seattle Partnership volunteer and partner of Tom McArthur. After retiring from teaching and librarianship, Char spent many years planting and tending at Capehart Forest in Discovery Park. Her bright spirit lives on in the mass of blue Delphiniums that return each spring — an area now known to us as Char’s Garden.

Char Reaber Tom Mcarthur — *Char Reaber and Tom McArthur, Green Seattle Partnership volunteers, standing together at Capehart Forest restoration site in Discovery Park.*

In September, we mourned the passing of Kris Baker, our fellow Forest Steward. Even while undergoing chemotherapy, Kris devoted countless hours to Capehart, drawing on her deep background in botany and biology.

She led pollinator garden projects, introducing native grasses and plants to attract bees and butterflies, and inspired visitors with her knowledge and enthusiasm. Many will also remember her and her late partner, biologist Kevin Li, for their successful reintroduction of Purple Martins along Seattle’s waterfront.

Kris Baker 2 — *Kris Baker, Friends of Discovery Park Forest Steward, with fellow volunteer David Hutchinson during restoration work at Capehart Forest.*

Both Char and Kris left lasting marks on Capehart through their plants, their vision, and their generosity of spirit. Their contributions remind us that restoration is not only about the landscape — it’s also about the people who give it life.

The forests, gardens, and habitats we care for at Discovery Park are shaped by the dedication of volunteers like Char and Kris. Their legacy will continue through the plants they nurtured, the restoration work they supported, and the many people they inspired to care for Seattle’s open spaces.

We will miss them dearly. Thank you, Char and Kris!

– Philip Vogelzang
President
Friends of Discovery Park

Kris Baker Char Reaber — *Capehart Forest volunteers Tom McArthur, Kris Baker, and Char Reaber together during restoration work at Discovery Park.*

Kris Baker 3 — *Kris Baker watering the pollinator garden at Capehart Forest, supporting native plant restoration and wildlife habitat.*

Kris Baker4 — Kris Baker, Friends of Discovery Park volunteer and Forest Steward, outdoors at Capehart Forest.

Continue the Legacy of Stewardship at Discovery Park

The legacy of volunteers like Char and Kris lives on through every person who helps care for Discovery Park. Whether you join a work party, attend a community event, or support ongoing stewardship efforts through a donation, there are many ways to make a difference.

Learn about volunteering with Friends of Discovery Park here.

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