When the glorious warmer days of spring are finally upon us, we need only the slightest excuse to nudge our families outside: the sun, exercise, an overgrown garden. Sunday, April 22, offers one of the best excuses of the month: Earth Day.
Family-friendly work parties abound over Earth Day weekend, with opportunities to remove invasive plants, spread mulch, make trail improvements and pick up litter. Often, the hosting nonprofit will give an educational talk to help families understand the difference they are making.
“We’ve seen amazing connections happen between families and nature,” says Lili Allala, restoration director at the Nature Consortium. “I’ve seen parents light up at the delight their child finds in things that adults take for granted, like earthworms or tree roots. Children begin to get familiar with their passion for the environment and it’s both amazing and inspiring.”
The Nature Consortium is one of a team of environmental organizations and businesses partnering for Duwamish Alive!, one of the largest local Earth Day efforts with hundreds of volunteers working to restore the habitat along the Duwamish River.
If you'd like to volunteer with your family, pick a work party from the list opposite and contact the project leader ahead of time to register and make sure the activities are appropriate for your children. There will be a youth volunteer waiver to sign. Wear clothes that are appropriate for the weather (raingear, closed-toed shoes) and bring snacks and water. Ask about gear: some groups provide gloves and tools; others ask you to bring them.
Then, pack up your clan and enjoy the bonding time with your kids digging in the dirt and making your community a more sustainable place. It will be an Earth Day to remember.
All-Ages Volunteer Events on Earth Day Weekend
SEATTLE
Camp Long/Alder Creek: Saturday, April 21, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.: Help restore this West Seattle forest from invasive plants that choke out the seedlings and English ivy that causes trees to topple in high winds. http://cedar.greencitypartnerships.org.
Carkeek Park: Saturday, April 21, 9 a.m. - noon: Volunteers are in for a fun morning of forest restoration and trails maintenance at this North Seattle park. http://cedar.greencitypartnerships.org.
Duwamish Alive! Events & Earth Day Festival: Saturday, April 21, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.: Ten sites along the Duwamish River in South Seattle, West Seattle and Tukwila will host volunteers from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to assist with cleanup, planting and restoration projects. From 2 to 4 p.m., volunteers will be treated to free lunch and entertainment at the Earth Day Festival at Pathfinder K-8. www.duwamishalive.org.
Frink Park/Chief Leschi Trail: Sunday, April 22, noon - 4 p.m.: Join volunteers at this Leschi neighborhood park for trail maintenance, mulching and native plant care. http://cedar.greencitypartnerships.org.
Hitt's Hill Park: Saturday, April 21, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.: Lend a hand in the Columbia City neighborhood to help maintain and restore a wonderful park. http://cedar.greencitypartnerships.org.
Lakeridge Park/Taylor Creek: Saturday, April 21, 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.: Replace invasive weeds with a variety of native trees and shrubs to help create a healthy and sustainable park in the Rainier Beach neighborhood. http://cedar.greencitypartnerships.org.
Magnuson Park Wetlands: Saturday, April 21, 9 a.m. - noon: Help enhance and preserve the park's wetlands by digging out reed canary grass, bird's foot trefoil and other invasive plants. www.seattle.gov/parks/volunteers.
Rainier Beach Urban Farm & Wetlands: Saturday, April 21, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.: Volunteers are needed to help Seattle Tilth develop this site into an urban community-learning farm, where people can learn to grow food in the city. Drop-in work parties occur each Saturday. www.seattletilth.org/about/rainier-beach-urban-farm-wetlands.
Ravenna Park: Saturday, April 21, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.: Spread mulch to help new plants survive the dry months of summer and help defeat the blackberry. http://cedar.greencitypartnerships.org.
EASTSIDE
Bear Creek Park (Redmond): Saturday, April 21, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.: Help restore this Redmond park by removing Himalayan Blackberry and planting native trees and shrubs. www.earthcorps.org/volunteer.php.
Chism Beach Project & Lewis Creek Family Festival (Bellevue): Saturday, April 21, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.: Help restore the upland forest area of this waterfront park. Other Bellevue parks may also need volunteers that day; call 425-452-4195 to learn more. Celebrate your hard work at the Lewis Creek Family Festival from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with food, raptor demonstrations and activities for kids. www.earthcorps.org/volunteer.php and www.bellevuewa.gov/cobcalendar.
Juanita Bay Park (Kirkland): Saturday, April 21, 9 a.m. - noon: Invasive plant species are a problem at the park and volunteers are needed to help restore the natural habitat. www.greenkirkland.org.
Luther Burbank Park (Mercer Island): Saturday, April 21, 9 a.m. - noon, noon - 3 p.m. or 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.: Volunteers will remove various invasive species such as blackberry, ivy and holly to ensure the survival of the native vegetation. www.mtsgreenway.org/volunteer.
Squak Mountain (Issaquah): Saturday, April 21, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.: Many of the trails on the mountain are either old logging roads or user-built trails and need to be upgraded and repaired from storm damage. www.mtsgreenway.org/volunteer.
Westside Park (Redmond): Saturday, April 21, 9 a.m. - noon: Kids and families are invited to learn how to help take care of the forest at this special volunteer event. www.greenredmond.org.
PIERCE COUNTY
Pierce County Parks Appreciation Day: Saturday, April 21, 9 a.m. - noon
In parks throughout Pierce County, volunteers will trim limbs, groom grounds, comb beaches and plant flowers and trees. Visit the website for a full list of sites. www.metroparkstacoma.org.
SNOHOMISH COUNTY
Edmonds Spring Beach Cleanup & Low Tide Walk: Sunday, April 22, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.: Help remove litter from the shoreline of Edmonds Marine Sanctuary and explore the beach at low tide with a Ranger-Naturalist (bring an old bucket if you have one). www.reczone.org/Artwork/Edmonds_Rec_Guide.pdf.
Taryn Zier is community editor at Seattle’s Child, a freelance writer based in Lake Forest Park and mother of two nature-loving kids, ages 5 and 7.
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Source: http://www.seattleschild.com/article/roll-up-your-sleeves-for-earth-day
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