Why Your Volunteer Service is Important
Forests need to have diversity in order to be healthy and thrive. When forests are thriving, they can provide many benefits to our community like filtering pollution, mitigating erosion and storm damage, providing habitat for wildlife, and creating green spaces where people can connect with the outdoors. Aggressive weeds like English Ivy and Himalayan Blackberry were brought to this area for their desirable characteristics of staying green all year round or for their tasty fruits. These plants, however, have upset the balance that our forests need to survive and thrive. Removing these aggressive weeds and planting native plants can help restore balance to a damaged ecosystem.
Youth
Young people under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Any minors under the age of 18 attending the event without a parent or legal guardian must also bring a signed Youth Waiver to event in order to participate.
What to Expect
The event will begin with a discussion that includes information about King County Parks, the park that you are serving in, why this work is important, tool use, and safety. King County will supply work gloves, a jug of water, light snacks, all instructions, and tools. Please plan to arrive on time for the start of the event and allow extra time to find parking. The plan for the day is to dig up blackberry that is spreading through the forest.
What to Bring
- Layers of clothing that can get dirty. Jeans, thick pants or dress/skirt with leggings underneath, any outfit that covers legs is appropriate
- Shorts or capris are not recommended
- Rain jacket and rain pants (or sunblock and a sun hat!)
- Closed–toed shoes are essential. Sturdy sneakers, rain boots or hiking boots are ideal
- Full water bottle and snacks
Approximate Address: 8000 NE 120th St, Kirkland, WA 98034
Meeting Spot: Meet at the trail head on the south side of NE 120th St
By Bus: Be sure to check current routes and schedules at tripplanner.kingcounty.gov. Keep in mind that some parks may be difficult to access by bus.
Driving Directions:
- From I-405, take exit 20A, for NE 116th
- Keep left at the fork to continue toward NE 116th
- Turn left onto NE 116th
- NE 116th turns slightly right and becomes NE Juanita Dr., which then turns into Juanita Dr. NE
- Continue on Juanita Dr. NE
- Turn right (east) onto NE 120th and find nearby street parking
