The Dirt: calendar of hands-on volunteer opportunities
Earth Month 2012

Happy Earth Day!

While every month is pretty much ‘earth month’ at King County Parks; since national Earth Day is in April there tends to be a little more than usual going on this month. Thank you very much for the time you have given to this spot of earth known as ‘Your Big Back Yard’, King County Parks

***REMEMBER: Start earning your way to a KC Parks Volunteer t-shirt (5 events)

Special Project – THE BLUE TREES (an international ephemeral art action to inspire awareness and discussion about global deforestation)
The Blue Trees (external link) 4culture blog feature (external link)
Contact Laurie Clinton at 206-296-4452 or laurie.clinton@kingcounty.gov. 

Help Maintain Parks Restoration Projects (all events are from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
To sign up or for questions contact Tina Miller, Restoration Volunteer Coordinator.

• April 7th - Pot up Native Trees and Shrubs at the King County Parks Greenhouse and Nursery (great activity for children age 5 on up), adjacent to the Cedar Hills Landfill near Maple Valley
• April 14th – Belmondo Reach Natural Area along the Cedar River near Maple Valley. Come remove blackberries in the forested area to greatly improve the health of the streamside forest. Starbucks and Friends of the Cedar River – 50+ volunteers
• April 21th – Celebrate Earth Day at Cavanaugh Pond. Let’s see how many tons of blackberries we can remove!
• April 28rd – Log Cabin Natural Area along Issaquah Creek between Issaquah and Hobart – Join Nature Conservancy Members and Boeing to mulch and weed this long term restoration project along Issaquah Creek.

Backcountry Trail Work –. Volunteer events are Tuesdays through Saturdays and start at 8:30 a.m. and finish at 2:30 p.m. Events are limited to 20 people and typically are 6 to 12 volunteers in size. They require hiking to the site. To register contact Washington Trails Association (external link) through its website or at 206-965-8561.

• April 3rd to 7th – Grand Ridge Park near Issaquah
• April 9th to 14th – Spring Lake/Lake Desire near Renton Spring Break events for students
• April 10th to 14th – Green River Natural Area (O’Grady) between Auburn and Enumclaw
• April 16th to 20th – Cougar Mt. near Bellevue April 17th to 21st - Spring Break events for students
• April 17th to 21st - Green River Natural Area (O’Grady) between Auburn and Enumclaw

Other dates and locations:

Marymoor Park– BirdLoop Trail – Come join Eastside Audubon Monthly trail and meadow event:

• April 7th at Marymoor Park at Bird Loop Trail 9:00am – 1:00pm
  Contact Laurie Clinton at 206-296-4452 or laurie.clinton@kingcounty.gov

Native plant holding facility
Groups are needed to care for salvaged native trees and shrubs at our holding facility near Sammamish. To schedule a group work party, please contact Cindy Young.

Adopt-a-Park or Trail & Park Ambassador Programs
These programs provide opportunities for groups or individuals to help maintain King County's 180 parks, 175 miles of regional trails, and 130 miles of backcountry trails.  For more information please contact Laurie Clinton, volunteer program manager.

Salmon counts and habitat restoration

• Salmon Watcher Program
  Help us learn more about our local salmon and what they need to thrive. Contact Jennifer Vanderhoof.
• Miller and Walker Creeks Stewardship
  Help restore these creeks in SW King County, pick up litter and pull noxious weeds.
• Volunteer for Salmon!
  Green River habitat restoration - students needed! Learn about restoring habitat while planting trees and shrubs. Groups of volunteers are needed for restoring habitat along the Green River. Weekdays preferred. 4th grade and up. Please contact John Koon.

Road edge planting volunteers

King County Roads Landscape Enhancement Program
Volunteer to tend roadside plants in your neighborhood.

For more information about volunteering in King County, please contact Laurie Clinton, Volunteer Coordinator, King County Parks and Recreation Division.