Volunteers Wanted to Plant Trees in West Seattle
Rebecca Saldana and daughter, 2, plant a tree with Nature Consortium
It’s no small matter that Seattle’s largest forest, the West Duwamish Greenbelt, happens to be next to the city’s only river and one of the most polluted rivers in the country. Extending over 500 acres in West Seattle, the greenbelt plays a critical role in filtering the air and water pollution in the Duwamish River created by urban runoff and industrial waste.
On October 20, hundreds of volunteers will come together in a day of service in an ongoing effort to help keep Seattle’s only river alive. Cleanup and restoration events will take place at 5 sites along the Duwamish River, both in the water and on the shore, as part of Duwamish Alive, a biannual day of service organized by the Duwamish Alive Coalition.
The coalition is a partnership between community, government, nonprofit, and corporate organizations working together to restore habitat in the Duwamish. The largest event of the day will be held in the Pigeon Point section of the West Duwamish Greenbelt, where co-host organizations Nature Consortium and EarthCorps are expecting 200 volunteers.
Saturday’s event will commemorate the start of planting season, which runs October through March. Volunteers with Nature Consortium will help plant the first trees and shrubs of the 2012-2013 season. Like many urban forests, the West Duwamish Greenbelt has suffered the effects of logging, invasive species, urbanization, and loss of biodiversity. Nature Consortium is committed to restoring the greenbelt to the kind of healthy evergreen forest the Pacific Northwest is known for.
“The forest provides crucial ecosystem services to the communities within the Duwamish River watershed,” says Restoration Director Lili Allala, “by filtering storm water run –off, air pollution, noise pollution, sequestering carbon and providing habitat for animals such as our local red tailed foxes, eagles, and ensatinas (salamander).
“The work that our volunteers do is an integral part of the process of restoration and conservation of the forest and these services. This is truly a community project that couldn’t happen without empowered volunteers who are committed to connecting to their local green spaces and lending a hand to preserve them.”
According to a study by the Corporation for National and Community Service, Seattle also ranks fourth nationwide in volunteering. Between 2008 and 2010, 930,300 volunteers in the greater Seattle area donated a total of 120.7 million hours of service.
Nature Consortium works with volunteers year-round to plant trees and other native plants in the West Duwamish Greenbelt while removing invasive plants like Himalayan blackberry that prevent native plants from thriving. These trees provide the pollution-filtering power that makes this forest a crucial resource.
To combat pollution and restore habitat in the Duwamish, volunteers can pitch in at any of 5 sites along the river: West Duwamish Greenbelt, Brandon Street Natural Area, T-107, Hamm Creek, and Duwamish Waterway Park. Activities include a river cleanup by kayak, shoreline salmon restoration, and native forest revitalization.
To register for Nature Consortium’s event, visit www.naturec.org/volunteer.