The Dirt: Calendar of hands-on volunteer opportunities
Come volunteer and 'exercise with purpose' as we go strong and green into summer!
This is the time native trees and shrubs need special attention to survive and thrive. We'll focus on removing invasive plants and mulching, essential tasks to retain moisture during the coming dryer months and eliminate the competition for nutrients from weeds.
Native trees and shrubs improve the area for wildlife and water quality -- the healthier they are, the better for all!
For questions about the Volunteer Program or to inquire about a custom volunteer event for your group, please contact Volunteer Program Manager Laurie Clinton.
Calendar of events
Events are on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. unless otherwise noted*
To join an event, please register with the volunteer coordinator listed after each event.
- June 16
Soos Creek Trail (Covington)
Join South Seattle Sierra Club, Rainier Audubon Society, and King County Parks as we work together restoring a 5-acre site known for birding along the Soos Creek Trail. This event will focus on removing invasive vegetation and weeding around native plants.
Contact Tina Miller.
- June 16
Skyway Park (Skyway/West Hill)
Join King County Parks and community members as we make Skyway Park a healthier space for all to enjoy! We will focus on weeding around plantings and picking up litter in the park. Learn about this great park, at the headwaters of Taylor Creek and home to lots of cool plants and animals.
Contact Lina Rose.
- June 23
White Center Heights Park (White Center)
This project is part of The Refresh, a two-day neighborhood clean-up and restoration event in White Center, sponsored by the White Center Community Development Association . Come learn about this gem of a green space, as we focus on weeding around plantings, picking up litter, and possibly moving some woodchip mulch.
Contact Lina Rose.
- June 23
Log Cabin Natural Area (Issaquah)
Join us as we enhance this 112-acre natural area along Issaquah Creek, a high quality habitat that has some of the last remaining old growth trees in the central Puget Sound region. This event will focus on placing wood chips around recently installed native plants that need our help to out-compete invasive blackberry and reed canary grass.
Contact Tina Miller.
- July 14 * Event is 10 a.m.to noon
Sammamish River Trail (Woodinville)
Join the Sammamish River Stewards, a group of our Parks & Trails Ambassadors, as they work to restore valuable riparian habitat along the Sammamish River Trail. This month the group will be working at Woodin Creek site to remove blackberry to prevent it from engulfing a small stand of native trees.
Contact Lina Rose.
Various dates, June - September Marymoor Park Concerts (Redmond)
Join a fun bunch of highly motivated volunteers at Marymoor Park this summer and listen to great music too! Concert Composter/Recycler volunteers educate concert-goers on recycling and composting, which in turn diverts waste generated at the concerts from the landfill. FREE concert and FREE parking when you volunteer for a shift.
For more information, visit Marymoor Concert Recycling Crew web page or contact Laurie Clinton.
Repair Café Series
Bring your small household items including clothing and we'll try to repair them or help you fix them! We want to keep stuff out of the landfill, conserve resources and save you money. Free to the public!
Redmond Repair Time
Next Redmond Repair Time
Saturday, June 23, 2018, 10a.m. - 1p.m.
Redmond Library
15990 NE 85th Street
Redmond, WA 98052
Auburn Repair Café
Next Auburn Repair Café
Tuesday, July 10, 2018, 3 - 6p.m.
Auburn Library
1102 Auburn Way South
Auburn, WA 98002
Skyway Repair Café
Next Skyway Repair Café
Tuesday, July 17, 2018, 3-6p.m.
Skyway Library
12601 76th Avenue South
Seattle WA 98178
Other volunteer opportunities
- Weed Watchers
Adopt a trail or lake you're familiar with and report noxious weeds you see when you're out and about. - Miller and Walker Creeks volunteer calendar
Plant native trees and shrubs, pull invasive, non-native plants and clean up litter at these Puget Sound creeks. - Adopt-a-Park or Trail & Park Ambassador Programs
These programs provide opportunities for groups or individuals to help maintain King County's 180 parks, 175 miles of regional trails, and 130 miles of backcountry trails. For more information please contact Laurie Clinton, volunteer program manager. - Salmon counts and habitat restoration
- Volunteer Lake Stewardship Program
Get outside to help monitor water quality at select lakes in King County. - Master Recycler Composter Program
Sign up for free training to learn about waste reduction, recycling, solid waste impacts on climate change and public outreach, and help other citizens reduce waste.
For more information about volunteering in King County, please contact Laurie Clinton, Volunteer Coordinator, King County Parks and Recreation Division.