Ongoing
Activities
Monthly Meetings
Botanical Workshops
Field Trips
Chapter Information
Membership
WNPS Home
Contact Information
Links
The Washington Native Plant Society Central Puget Sound Chapter has many volunteer opportunities that are rewarding and fun. Check out the following events and projects.
Central Puget Sound Chapter Activities
Sunday Plant Sale Nursery Work Parties
First Monday Work Party WNPS Nursery
Earth Day Tree Planting in Carnation-Duvall
Volunteer with Other Groups
Burke Gilman Trail at Sand Point
King Conservation District—Wetland Nursery
Magnuson Environmental Stewardship Alliance
Rare Care—Rare Plant Monitoring
Snohomish County Surface Water Management
South Woods Preservation Group
Stilly Snohomish Fisheries Enhancement Task Force
Swamp Creek Park Restoration and Cleanup Day
Washington State Parks Volunteer Stewards
To submit a request for volunteers, fill out the
Plant Sale Nursery Work Party,
Sunday, Apr. 11, 2010; 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Sunday, Apr. 25, 2010; 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
WNPS Nursery, Magnuson Park, Seattle
Please join us as we pot up bareroot plants and repot seedlings for the Spring Sale.
For work parties, dress for the weather, bring gardening gloves, and a cup for liquid refreshment. For further information or directions, contact Marilee Henry at marilee.henry@verizon.net or 425-823-0324 evenings for more information or directions to the Nursery..
If you want to donate native plants, cuttings or divisions, they would be welcome. To donate, contact Alan Yen at sedgeyen@yahoo.com.
Monday, Apr. 5, 2010; 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
WNPS Nursery, Magnuson Park, Seattle
We will be weeding and spreading wood chips at the Nursery. Dress for the weather, bring gloves, a snack and water. The Nursery will provide tools and lots to do.
To sign up, contact Rick Thompson at 425-582-2477 or
Saturday, April 10, 2010; 10 AM - 2 PM
Third Place Shopping Center, Lake Forest Park
We need a few volunteers who can staff our Education Booth at the Earth Smart Fair. WNPS volunteers will provide outreach and educational materials to fairgoers--telling them about our programs and about the benefits of native plants. The Fair will have workshops on different aspects of sustainability, from gardening to provide wildlife habitat--so before or after your shift you can learn more about sustainable practices.
To volunteer, contact Jim Branson, pseudotsuga@gmail.com, or 206-265-2804.
Saturday, April 10, 2010; 10:30 AM - 2 PM
Magnuson Community Center, Magnuson Park, Seattle
Volunteer to educate children and families at this spring fair in Magnuson Park. We will have our Education exhibit with some hands-on activities to teach about native plants. To volunteer, contact Jim Branson, pseudotsuga@gmail.com, or 206-265-2804.
Saturday, April 17, 2010; 9 AM- 3 PM
Central Market, Shoreline
This is a huge event with lots of exhibitors. We need 4 volunteers who can team up to staff our Education Exhibit and talk about native plants and WNPS programs. The Fair sponsor, Shoreline Public Works, will be giving away 2000 native plants, so we need to have a strong presence at the Fair, and help people know where they should plant their free plant. Come and bring your enthusiasm. You get a free lunch.
To volunteer, contact Jim Branson, pseudotsuga@gmail.com, or 206-265-2804.
Saturday, April 17, 2010; 10 AM - 2 PM
Stillwater Wildlife Area
Stilly-Snohomish Fisheries Enhancement Task Force is sponsoring an Earth Day event in Carnation-Duvall and WNPS has been invited to have our Education Booth at this event. We need 2-4 volunteers who can represent WNPS and talk about the importance of native plants. Volunteers should be knowledgeable about native plants and enjoy communicating with the public. There will be a planting party, so restoration experience will come in handy. To learn more about this event, see http://www.stillysnofish.org
To help with outreach, contact Jim Branson, pseudotsuga@gmail.com, or 206-265-2804.
Saturday, April 24, 2010; 9 AM - 3:30 PM
University of Washington Campus, Bothell
Volunteers are needed to help staff our Education Booth at this Garden Fair. Bring your enthusiasm for native plants to gardening fair-goers.
To volunteer, contact Jim Branson, pseudotsuga@gmail.com, or 206-265-2804.
Sale Setup, May 7, 2010
Sale Day, May 8, 2010
It is not too early to put the Spring Native Plant Sale on your calendar. There are plenty of tasks for volunteers during the Sale Setup on May 7 and Sale Day, May 8. If you would like to volunteer for either day, contact Virginia Arnon, virginiaarnon@comcast.net, or 206-230-9429.
May 21-23, 2010
Planning for Study Weekend has been underway for a while. Members will soon learn about the great hikes and speakers we have arranged, in the next issue of Douglasia. We can definitely use some volunteer help as the Weekend gets closer. Help make up registration packets, sign people in, chair a social hour, collect meal tickets, or coordinate parking. There are many tasks to be done! If you want to be part of the effort, contact Maria Yousoufian at 206-527-3210.
Saturday, Apr. 10, 2010; 10 AM - 12:30 PM
We are planting cleared areas along the trail. This will be the final bare root planting for the season. We will also weed blackberry and ivy. Come and help install new plants and place mulch. Dress for weather. Meet at NE 60th Street end by the Trail.
To volunteer, contact Margaret Thouless at 206-527-5091.
Madrona Woods is in need of volunteers to help carry out strea.m.bank restoration. Work parties are scheduled once a month on the third Saturday. Groups of volunteers can be scheduled on other dates that are convenient for the group. Contact Ann Bucher 206-323-8325 to sign up or get more information.
Green Kirkland Forest Restoration
Saturday, Mar. 20, 2010; 9 a.m. - noon
Cotton Hill Park (110th Ave NE & NE 98th St., Kirkland).
Please join volunteers, EarthCorps, and UW Restoration Ecology Network students for our forest restoration work party! Did you know that March 15-21 is National Wildlife Week? Healthy forests have many positive functions, including increased human health and well-being, and improved habitat for beneficial wildlife, such as birds and butterflies. An EarthCorps crew will be leading invasive plant removal activities and UW REN students will be leading a group to install native plants.
Bring sturdy shoes or boots, work gloves, sayers of comfortable clothing, water bottle, travel mug for tea/coffee, rain gear (if necessary), clippers, loppers, shovel - if you have them.
Refreshments will be sponsored by park neighbors. Tools will be provided.
Suitable for: Adults, Teens, Families. Minors under the age of 14 years must be accompanied by an adult. Minors 14 to 17 years should be accompanied by an adult, or bring a signed waiver form, or a parent/guardian to sign you in. Youth waiver forms can be obtained in advance from the City website or through EarthCorps.
Please sign up at the EarthCorps website. Advance signup is important for planning purposes. However, volunteers who show up on the day are also welcome. Please contact project manager Lina Rose if you have questions about the event, lina@earthcorps.org, 206-322-9296 x 225.
Driving Directions:
From I-405, take the NE 85th Street/WA-908 exit (exit 18) and go west towards downtown Kirkland. Turn right onto 6th Street (at traffic light at bottom of hill). Turn right onto 12th Avenue, which crosses the railroad tracks and becomes 110th Avenue NE. Park at the end of 110th Ave.
Please consider walking, bicycling, carpooling, or taking the bus.
For information on volunteer activities for IvyOUT please go to http://ivyout.org/volunteer.htm.
Volunteer work parties go from 9 AM – 1 PM, on an on-going basis.
SW Grady Way & Longacres Dr., Renton, WA
Learn about growing native plants for strea.m. and wetland restoration projects while helping to perform critical nursery tasks. Activities include starting plants from seed, divisions, and transplants, or help maintain nursery stock by watering and weeding. We host 3-4 events per month, for dates and more information please email me or go to our website http://www.kingcd.org/pro_vol.htm.
King CD will provide all the tools and gloves. Volunteers should wear closed-toe shoes. To sign up, contact Adam Jackson, volunteer@kingcd.org, phone 425 282-1908.
Directions: Heading North 405 from I-5 interchange: Take exit 1 (Tukwila- West Valley Highway). Turn a left at the end of the off-ramp onto Interurban Ave. Turn right at the first light onto Grady Way. Turn left (1st left) onto Longacres Drive (approximately 1/4 mile). The nursery is located on the left-hand side of Longacres Drive at the intersection of Longacres Drive and Grady Way. The nursery has a green chain link fence around it, a gravel driveway and is across the street from the Renton Wastewater Treatment Facility.
Heading South 405: Take exit #2A, (SR 167/Rainier Avenue South). Immediately merge into the far left lane and turn left onto Grady Way, heading west. Stay on Grady Way for approximately 1 mile until you pass Oakesdale Ave SW. Turn right onto Longacres Drive. The nursery is located on the left-hand side of Longacres Drive at the intersection of Longacres Drive and Grady Way. The nursery has a green chain link fence around it, a gravel driveway and is across the street from the Renton Wastewater Treatment Facility.
To join a planting event, call Tina Miller, 206-296-2990 or e-mail her at tina.miller@kingcounty.gov to register and get directions. Planting events are from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m..
Training for Garden Docents
March 14, 21 & 28, April 11 & 18, 11 AM-2 PM
20312 15th Ave. NW, Shoreline 98177
Become a Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Docent
The Kruckeberg Botanic Garden is a four-acre public garden owned by the City of Shoreline. It is a unique collection of over 2,000 native and exotic plant species in a naturalistic, wooded setting. The Garden is operated by the Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Foundation (KBGF), a non-profit organization.
Thousands of visitors enjoy the Kruckeberg Garden each year, and KBGF relies on volunteer docents to guide tours and lead educational activities for these visitors! Each spring, our docent-training program prepares new docents to fill this role. Trainees learn about the Garden's history and plant collection in a series of hands-on classes. After completing the training, new docents are encouraged to co-lead tours with other docents until they feel comfortable. Tours vary in size, length, and topic, ensuring that there is a tour for all comfort and experience levels. The training focuses on leading tours, but docents may choose to work in other capacities such as leading family educational activities.
For more information, contact our docent coordinator at roseann@kruckeberg.org or 206-546-1281.
We supply tools and gloves. Please bring a lunch or snack and water for any of these events. For questions or directions, contact Bonnie Miller, Volunteer Coordinator, Magnuson Environmental Stewardship Alliance, 206-524-8713 (h) or 206-227-2612 (c).
Native Plant Border at Magnuson Community Garden
Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010; 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Plant and maintain native plants in the border of the Community Garden. Meet at Magnuson Community Garden, east of the Brig, next to the Dog Off-Leash Area.
To sign up and get directions, contact Tom Kelly tpaulkelly@hotmail.com or Bonnie Miller at bmiller@serv.net.
Native Plant Nursery
Monday, Feb. 1, 2010; 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Gentle work this month, propagation with live stakes and potting native plant starts. Meet at the Washington Native Plant Society's native plant nursery, north of the Brig and Magnuson Community Garden, next to the fence.
For more information and directions, contact Rick Thompson nursery@wnps.org or Bonnie Miller bmiller@serv.net or 524-8713.
Promontory Point Habitat Enhancement
Friday, Feb. 5, 2010; 9 - 10:30 a.m.
Join Blanchet High School Students in the environment of Magnuson Park while enhancing the habitat.
Meet at the Education Pavilion; enter at NE 65th St, drive east to boat launch parking lot, look for yellow “VOLUNTEER” banner and signs! To sign up, contact Bonnie Miller at 206-524-8713 or bmiller@serv.net.
Sunday, Feb. 14, 2010; 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 18, 2010; 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Planting, planting and more planting! Come for an hour or more. Every bit helps!
Meet at the Education Pavilion; enter at NE 65th St, drive east to boat launch parking lot, look for yellow “VOLUNTEER” banner and signs! To sign up, contact Bonnie Miller at 206-524-8713 or bmiller@serv.net.
"In the Woods" at the North Forest Remnant
Saturday, Feb. 20, 2010; 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Clearing and planting in Magnuson's forest at our newest third Saturday opportunity! Meet at North Forest Remnant, NE 65th Street and Sportsfield Drive...look for the signs.
To sign up, contact Tom Kelly Tpaulkelly@hotmail.com or Bonnie Miller at 206-524-8713 or bmiller@serv.net
Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
The Nature Consortium will be hosting volunteer work parties every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 10 a.m. -2 p.m. starting September 12th. Each work party begins with a short informal forest ecology workshop. During the spring and summer we mulch, remove invasive species and maintain our site. During the fall and winter we remove invasive species, mulch, and plant native plants and trees in the West Duwamish Greenbelt (check out our Blog). Performing artists, singers, instumentalists, and dancers come "play in the woods" during many of our work parties.
Directions: Please RSVP for directions to specific locations as work sites vary.
Bring: tools, gloves and refreshments will be provided. Bring a full water bottle. We will have water available for refills. We provide granola bars, but please feel free to bring a lunch as well.
Contact Marisa Ordonia, 206-923-0853 or marisa@naturec.org.
There are many opportunties to volunteer to restore sites with People for Puget Sound. To see details about these events, check their events calendar at http://www.pugetsound.org/connect/events. You can learn more by contactng Dhira Brown at 206-382-7007 or restoration@pugetsound.org
Are you interested in an opportunity to contribute to the conservation of Washington’s rare plants and at the sa.m.e time visit premier exa.m.ples of Washington’s native ecosystems? Volunteer as a rare plant monitor with Washington Rare Plant Care and Conservation and help collect valuable information on status of rare plant populations. Rare plant monitors visit known populations of rare plants all around the state to check and report on the condition of the population and its habitat.
For more information, visit our website at www.depts.washington.edu/rarecare or contact Rare Care at 206-616-0780 or at rarecare@u.washington.edu.
Every month Seattle Parks and Recreation offers lots of ways to get involved. Get in shape by joining a work party! For projects this month, check the website www.seattle.gov/parks/getinvolved.
Shadow Lake Bog Nature Preserve
21818 184th Ave. SE, Renton 98058-9719
Beginning February through October, we will be looking for help to maintain trees planted in 2009, thin surrounding vegetation, address an incursion of English ivy, and maintain recurrences of blackberry. If you are interested in ongoing volunteer opportunities, or have specialized skills you can apply, we are also looking for help in photography, marketing/design, research, GIS, database entry, carpentry, grant writing, letter writing, fundraising, etc.
We are specifically looking for volunteers on Saturdays between 9AM—4PM: February 20, February 27, March 6, March 20, and March 27, 2010. We would be grateful for your help on any day you are available... just let us know when we should expect you!
To learn more or to volunteer, see the Shadow Lake website http://www.shadowhabitat.org, or contact Mikhaila Gonzales at 425-432-4914
Volunteers are needed for nursery tasks in Snohomish County. Help with bare root potting at the Native Plant Nursery on most Wednesdays and Fridays. Sign-up by e-mailing Anna Heckman a.heckman@co.snohomish.wa.us or contact Greg Dunster at (425) 508-6709 (cell), or 425-388-3464 ext. 4661.
For more information see the Surface Water Management Division Calendar of Upcoming Events.
Saturday, Mar. 20, 2010; 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
The third Saturday of every month —Come and join the fun! Help South Woods Preservation Group (SWPG) remove invasive plants from South Woods. There is plenty of ivy, holly and blackberry for everyone. For more information about SWPG, see http://savesouthwoods.org.
Bring tools if you have them, such as pruning shears, loppers, shovels, tarps. If you don't have tools, come anyway; we'll have some extras. Dress for the weather and don't forget your gloves, water bottles and lunch.
To sign up, contact Bettelinn Brown at 206-363-5517 or bettelinn@hotmail.com
Directions: From I-5 (Exit 175) go east toward Lake City on NE 145th St. one mile to 25th Ave NE. Turn left onto 25th Ave NE and go 0.3 mile to NE 153rd St. Turn left into Shorecrest High School parking lot.
Rain Garden Workshops
Mar. 18, 2010, 6:30-8:30 PM, Bothell
Mar. 30, 2010, 6:30-8:30 PM, Seattle
Apr. 1, 2010, 6:30-8:30 PM, Mercer Island
Apr. 20, 2010, 6:30-8:30 PM, Lake Forest Park
Apr. 29, 2010, 6:30-8:30 PM, Bellevue
May 18, 2010, 6:30-8:30 PM, Duvall
Stewardship Partners is offering a hands-on classroom workshop on designing and installing rain gardens to prevent stormwater pollution, attract beneficial wildlife, and beautify the landscape. We have several rain garden classes scheduled throughout King and Pierce Counties from late Feb through May.
Workshops are free and registration is required. At the workshop, you’ll receive a rain garden manual and additional materials. There will be opportunities to gain further hands-on experience by helping create rain gardens later in the summer.
Contact Stacey Gianas at Stewardship Partners to register and for more details: call 206-292-9875 or email sg@stewardshippartners.org and visit http://stewardshippartners.org/raingarden_central.html for more rain garden information.
For information, check http://stillysnofish.org/get_involved/upcoming_activities.html
Saturday, April 24, 2010; 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
The City of Kenmore received a grant from the King Conservation District to restore native plants and wildlife habitat in Swamp Creek Park on the Sammamish River. Community volunteers are vital to making the project happen!
Please join us on Saturday, April 24, for a day of celebration and learning about this beautiful park property where Swamp Creek joins the Sammamish River. We will be picking up trash and removing invasive weeds. For those who are interested, there will be a nature walk with a professional biologist from the city’s consulting firm ESA Adolfson to learn about the park’s plants, animals, and ecology.
The event will happen rain or shine, so please dress appropriately. You will need waterproof boots and work gloves, along with your sack lunch. Water and light snacks will be provided.
Individuals, families, scout troops, and community groups are encouraged to participate. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Please RSVP by April 15 to: Sara Noland, ESA Adolfson, (206) 789-9658; snoland@esassoc.com
We will send you driving and parking directions and other details when you RSVP.
Volunteers participate in a variety of herbarium activities including the mounting, accessioning, and shelving of plant specimens. This is a great chance to work with plants from throughout the Pacific Northwest (they are still interesting even when they are dried and flattened), and with others who share your interest in the flora of our region. No previous herbarium experience is necessary; we provide training. Also needed are volunteers with computer skills such as data entry and web page design. The Herbarium is located in the basement of Hitchcock Hall (Botany Building) on the UW Ca.m.pus. For more information go to http://depts.washington.edu/wtu/volunteers.htm.
Washington State Parks is looking for individuals who would like to become volunteer stewards for selected parks. Some of the possible parks include Mount Spokane, Riverside, Stea.m.boat Rock, Sun Lakes, Gingko/Wanapum, Dalles Mountain Ranch, Beacon Rock, Fort Columbia, Fort Canby, Leadbetter Peninsula, Moran, Deception Pass, and Larrabee. These parks all include stretches of natural area which need to be monitored and maintained. Individuals will be asked to commit at least two years.
For more information contact: Robert A. Fimbel, Washington State Parks, 7150 Cleanwater Lane, Olympia, WA 98504. Phone 360-902-8592 or e-mail robert.fimbel@parks.wa.gov. Robert can provide you with a Natural Resources Volunteer Steward Description, which details volunteer expectations and benefits for this position.
Ca.m.as (Ca.m.assia qua.m.ash)
© 2006 Ja.m.es Ellingboe