Get involved in the Native Plant Salvage Program!

People from all around King County can volunteer for the Department of Natural Resources' Native Plant Salvage Program. Volunteers remove plants from sites which are scheduled for construction and later replant this native vegetation at locations around the County. King County works with developers and other agencies to locate potential salvage sites, organizes volunteers to remove plants just prior to construction, and replants the salvaged plants at salmon habitat restoration projects.

Native plant salvage events are scheduled on Saturdays between October and March. School, business, and community groups and other organizations can call to arrange a plant salvage event during the week.

Native plant salvaging is an ideal volunteer project for individuals and groups of all kinds:

• Learn about native plants and animals
• Help protect fish and wildlife habitat
• Meet others interested in habitat enhancement
• Help restore streams and wetlands
• Get outdoors and dig

Help provide trees and shrubs for habitat restoration

You can help enhance our streams and wetlands by nurturing plants at the King County's Native Plant Holding Facility near Sammamish. The Native Plant Salvage Program provides low-cost native plants for revegetation projects such as Dept. of Natural Resources salmon restoration projects on streams, wetlands and estuaries. Native trees and shrubs that are removed from construction sites are stored at the Holding Facility until they can be replanted at project sites. Volunteers are needed to help care for the plants and maintain the Holding Facility.

Volunteers at the Holding Facility re-pot salvaged plants, maintain existing trees and shrubs, and care for other plant materials such as shrub and tree cuttings or seedlings. Some knowledge of gardening or native plants is helpful but not essential. Volunteers can schedule a weekly work session to fit their needs.

By working at the Native Plant Holding Facility you can:

• Help enhance wildlife habitat throughout King County
• Learn about native plant identification and propagation
• Get involved in an ongoing volunteer project which can be worked into your schedule
• Discover an ideal service project for your school group, scout pack, or other organization.
• Reduce the cost of projects that help improve water resources

Get involved and help make a difference!

FOr information on getting involved in the native plant salvage program contact contact Cindy Young at 206-296-8065.

• Learn how to shrink your lawn with native plants
• Go Native plant guide
• Donate native plants to the salvage program
• Live stake cutting and planting tips 
• Native plant resources
• Where to get native plants
• Native plant identification, propagation & landscaping (external link)
• Snohomish County Native Plant Salvage Program (external link)
• Thurston County Native Plant Salvage Program (external link)
• Pierce County Native Plant Salvage Program (external link)