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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
Post Plant Sale Inventory and Party
Celebrating Wildflowers at the Olympic Sculpture Park
Native Plant Stewardship Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteer Opportunities with Other Groups
Weed Watchers, Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Valley
Magnuson Park-In the Woods
Rare Care - Rare Plant Monitoring
Snohomish County Surface Water Management
South Woods Preservation Group
Washington State
Parks Volunteer Stewards
King County Water and Land
UW Herbarium
IvyOUT
To submit a request for volunteers, fill out the
Post Plant Sale Inventory and Party
Saturday, May 17, 2008; 10:00 AM
Help inventory the plants in the Nursery. Plant ID skills are desirable, but not required. A plant expert will lead this work group. A portion of the Nursery stock will be donated to Native Plant Stewardship projects after the inventory.
To sign up, contact Janka Hobbs (425) 869-2370, mjct_hobbs@msn.com or Rick Thompson (425) 582-2477 q.garryana@gmail.com.
After the inventory, Plant Sale and Nursery volunteers are invited to celebrate at a barbecue. Bring plates, cups and utensils. RSVP to Janka if you plan to be at the Party.
June 1 through October 19
Pick your week!
Nursery monitors are needed to visit the nursery two to three times during their chosen week. The monitor's primary responsibility is to report irrigation system problems to the Nursery Manager or botanist. Volunteers may have to hand water some plants, and should expect to spend up to two hours per visit to the Nursery.
To sign up, contact Rick Thompson 425 582-2477 q.garryana@gmail.com
Monday, June 2, 2008; 10 AM - 2 PM
Come and put the plants in order after the Plant Sale. We will be weeding, inventorying and getting ready for summer, should it ever come.
To sign up, contact To sign up, contact Rick Thompson 425 582-2477 q.garryana@gmail.com
Celebrating Wildflowers at Olympic Sculpture Park
Sunday, June 8, 2008; 11 AM - 4 PM
Celebrating Wildflowers is the public outreach event for the Rare Plant Care and Conservation Program. This year it will be held at the Olympic Sculpture Park in downtown Seattle. WNPS will have our education booth at the event and will be providing hands-on activities for children and educational information about native plants. We need volunteers to help staff the booth in this great new setting. To sign up, contact Rita Moore, 206 275-3883, rmoore@eds.org
Saturday, July 19, 2008
There are lots of activities, booths, and hiking folks at this event. We will have our Education Exhibit and provide fair-goers with information about native plants and membership in WNPS. We need volunteers to staff our Booth. While there, off-duty volunteers can try their hand at activities like kayaking, trail maintenance, and testing hiking gear.
To sign up, contact Rita Moore, 206 275-3883, rmoore@eds.org
Volunteer Opportunities with Other Groups
Weed Watchers, Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Valley
Sunday, June 29, 2008; 9 AM - 5 PM and beyond
Like to hike? Hate weeds? The Middle Fork invasive weed project is looking for volunteers to become weed watchers along the beautiful trails of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Valley. Help survey the valley's spectacular trail system for invasive weeds so we can stop them before they get entrenched. We’re surveying trails from Mt. Si near North Bend to Dutch Miller Gap in the heart of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.
On June 29 at 9am we will hold a short training and project update at the North Bend Ranger Station meeting room (http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs/about/snrd.shtml) and then we will head out to survey a trail or two in the Middle Fork Valley. We will provide instructions, maps and survey forms as well as weed ID sheets for the species we are most interested in finding. Afterwards, you can sign up for more trails and come back to survey them at your convenience during the summer. We should be back at the Ranger Station by 5pm.
To sign up, contact Mark Boyar at mboyar@practicepartner.com or 206-760-9041.
Stream Surveys
The Task Force needs volunteers. We will be surveying tributaries to the Stillaguamish River searching for knotweed. Volunteers will hike up tributaries to survey for knotweed. No experience is necessary, but this opportunity can be physically demanding. You will have the opportunity to learn plant identification and GPS skills.
For more information or sign up, contact Kristin Marshall at 425 252-6686 or kristin@stillysnofish.org.
Every month Seattle Parks and Recreation offers lots of ways to get involved. Get in shape by joining a work party! For projects in May, check this website www.seattle.gov/parks/getinvolved.
Sponsor: Friends of Lincoln Park
First Saturday of every month, 9 AM - noon.
We need volunteers to help remove blackberry, ivy, clematis and other invasives, and plant natives in 80 acres of beautiful mature woods in Lincoln Park in West Seattle. We also need help maintaining areas that have already been cleared and planted. This is an ongoing project. Interested volunteers are wecome to take part in planning the work, selecting plants, or taking on a particular project. Lincoln Park has some of the highest level of native plant diversity in the City. It is a real gem with extensive woods and beach, along with ball fields and children's playgrounds.
Directions: Lincoln Park just north of the Vashon Ferry dock. Meet in the north parking lot on Fauntleroy Way SW at the kiosk just across from Rose Street.
Bring: Dress in layers with sturdy shoes/boots and good protection from blackberries. Bring gloves and your favorite tools (hand clippers are the major tool). We'll have mini-tillers, extra clippers and weed wrenches.
Sign Up: Contact Sharon Baker (206) 935-1769 H; 206 464-1068 C; sbaker@u.washington.edu.
Sponsor: Magnuson Environmental Stewardship Alliance
First Saturday, first Monday, second Sunday, and third Thursday.
Volunteers are needed in the North Forest Remnant, where we are doing invasive plant removal, spreading wood chips, and planting native plants. Enter the park at NE 65th St. and take the second left turn, and the North Forest Remnant will be on your left. Look for signs. Bring water and a a snack or lunch.
Call or e-mail for information.
Contact: Bonnie Miller, 206 524-8713, bmiller@serv.net
Saturday, June 14, 2008; 9 AM - noon.
Kiwanis Park (1405 10th St. W, Kirkland)
Details to be announced.
Bring sturdy boots or shoes, work gloves, water bottle, and layers of comfortable clothing. Dress for weather.
To participate, contact Sharon Rodman at (425) 587-3305, srodman@ci.kirkland.wa.us.
Saturday, May 10, 2008; 10 AM - 3 PM
We are restoring an abandoned city creek. Tasks include removing invasives, mulching, and planting. Bring water, lunch, and a nitty, gritty personality. Tools, gloves and stimulating conversation are provided.
Location: Yesler Creek at Burke Gilman Playground, 40th Ave NE & NE 55th Street. Park at Metropolitan Market, and from there take a left onto the Trail for 25 yards, then take a right at the Burke-Gilman Park sign.
To sign up contact Patrick Schwartzkopf, (206) 226-7336 schwap@u.washington.edu.
Rare Care - Rare Plant Monitoring
Are you interested in an opportunity to contribute to the conservation of Washington’s rare plants and at the same time visit premier examples 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.
Madrona Woods is in need of volunteers to help carry out streambank 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.
Snohomish County Surface Water Management
Volunteers are needed for nursery tasks in Snohomish County on Wednesdays and Fridays from
10 AM - 3 PM. Help with bare root potting at the Native Plant Nursery on most Wednesdays and Fridays. Sign-up by emailing christopher.wright@snoco.org
For more information: www.surfacewater.calendar.info
South Woods Preservation Group
South Woods is a 15.7-acre second growth conifer forest with trees estimated to be about 80 years old. The forest abuts the southern boundary of Shorecrest High School, and South Woods Preservation Group (SWPG) is trying to preserve the forest for the environmental benefits, for environmental education, and for future generations to enjoy. For more information visit the SWPG website: www.savesouthwoods.org
Washington
State Parks Volunteer Stewards
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, Steamboat 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.
King
County Water and Land
Volunteer opportunities at the Department of Natural Resources and Parks.
Check out their calendar at http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/pi/calendar.htm.
Volunteer
at the UW Herbarium
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 Campus. For more
information go to http://depts.washington.edu/wtu/volunteers.htm.
IvyOUT
Work Parties
For information on volunteer activities for IvyOUT please go to http://ivyout.org/volunteer.htm.
