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 and 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. Valuable information about the park and instruction on the project is given at the start of the event and it is important for all volunteers to be present. Plan for the day is to remove some English ivy in order to make room for more native plants to be planted in the fall.
Our events run rain or shine. In the event of hazardous weather or very poor air quality, the King County staff member leading your project will be in contact via email the morning of the project if conditions dictate any changes to event plans. Plan to check your email before you leave for the event to ensure you receive any event updates. If you are a contact for a group coming out to volunteer, please ensure that you have set up a way to contact your group members the morning of the event if needed.
What to Bring
- Layers of warm 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
Lake Geneva Park is located at the turn in the road where S 344 th St. turns into 46 th Ave S
Approximate Address: 4600 S 344th St, Auburn, WA 98001
Meeting Spot: Near the small bathroom by the playground
By Car:
- From Military Road S in Auburn, turn west on S 344 th
- The park is at the turn in the road where 344 th St. turns into 46 th Ave S.
- Parking is on the north side of S. 344 th
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.
