April is Earth Month so it’s time to find a way to pay it forward to mother nature. In my opinion, it’s also a superb time to work outdoors around here. The weather is cool enough to work hard, but pleasant enough to make it not feel like work. There are also just so many opportunities to help restore parks and natural areas in King County it’s actually hard to choose these days. And you don’t have to look very far. There is almost sure to be work parties and events in your area. I’ve listed some options below that will focus on invasive plant removal and restoration, but if you don’t see something that suits you, contact your local parks department and ask for their upcoming schedule – they are sure to need your help!
On April 16, in the heart of Seattle, Duwamish Alive! offers us urban dwellers a local way to pay homage to the city’s main riverway. And for those of us in West Seattle, Nature Consortium and EarthCorps will be co-hosting a fun and vibrant volunteer work party as part of Duwamish Alive! within the West Duwamish Greenbelt. According to the organizers, Earth Day volunteers provide a crucial boost to year-round efforts aimed at restoring sites to healthy, diverse forests. Volunteer restoration work will include invasive plant removal, mulching, and site maintenance. The Earth Day work party will be accompanied by live musicians, bringing a fun creative element to our restoration tasks!
Date: Saturday, April 16th
Time: 10:00AM-2:00PM
Location: Pigeon Point Park (1901 SW Genesee St, Seattle WA 98106)
How to Sign Up: www.naturec.org/volunteer/
For one-stop shopping for volunteer events in King County, check out The Dirt: Calendar of hands on volunteer opportunities. For details on volunteering King County Parks, you can also go to Volunteer Opportunities in King County Parks.
King Conservation District has several volunteer events, including helping in their native plant nursery and restoring habitat on Longfellow Creek.
Several cities in King County have programs where volunteers are working to protect and restore their city green spaces and urban forests. In Newcastle, check out the events of the Weed Warriors and don’t miss the Newcastle Earth Day Fair on April 23 in Lake Boren Park.
In Kirkland, visit Green Kirkland website and their event calendar.
In Seattle, look for events with Green Seattle and Nature Consortium.
In Kent visit Green Kent and in Redmond see Forterra’s Green Redmond page. Forterra’s Green Cities program is also partnering with a few other cities in our region, like Tacoma, with more being added soon.
To get out of the city, check out the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, Issaquah Alps Trails Club, or Washington Trails Association. For even more links and ideas, visit the Washington Native Plant Society website or our Volunteer Information page.