PHOTOS: See how hundreds of Duwamish Alive! volunteers gave TLC to our river & its watershed

October 23, 2016 11:45 pm
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 |   Environment | How to help | West Seattle news

Photos by Leda Costa for West Seattle Blog

Volunteers on kayaks work on water cleanup.

So much happened in West Seattle this weekend … but we would argue, this is the most important. On the Duwamish River and in its watershed, hundreds of volunteers gathered to offer some help via the twice-yearly Duwamish Alive! habitat restoration and cleanup gatherings. All sizes of volunteers, including Paislee Kelm and Nash Randow-Kelm:

Paislee Kelm volunteering by pulling weeds.

Nash Randow-Kelm filling a bucket with weeds.

They were working at Herring’s House Park on the river – explained on the Duwamish Alive! website as “a 15.5 acre location created in 1999 primarily as habitat for juvenile Chinook salmon as they journey to Puget Sound.” It’s across from the Duwamish Tribe Longhouse, one of nine areas where people gathered on Saturday, one of two visited by WSB photojournalist Leda Costa – more of her photos ahead:

Jasmin Lightbody, volunteers by planting bulrush.

That’s Jasmin Lightbody, planting bulrush. There were moments to stop and regard the river …

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… and moments to just keep planting (sedge, in this case):

Sedge being planted.

Bob, Chad, Phillip, and Jasmin did just that:

Bob Kirk, Chad, Phillip Osborne, and Jasmin Lightbody planting wetland plants.

Jasmin Lightbody, volunteers by planting wetland plants.

For more than a few volunteers, this was a day of famiy togetherness – like Pen, volunteering for a fifth year with Duwamish Alive!, and mom Julie:

Pen helps his mom Julie plant a willow. This is Pen's fifth year volunteering with Duwamish Alive!

Wetland plants ready to go in the ground.

Volunteers planting wetland plants.

Rio Montana toiled away:

Rio Montana volunteering.

Rio also demonstrated proper planting techniques to other volunteers:

Rio Montana demonstrating proper planting techniques to a group of volunteers at Herring's House Park.

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Sebastian and Pen run after their mother ready to plant willows.

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Now, inland to Longfellow Creek in North Delridge – where Leda caught up with ~150 volunteers after their lunch break:

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Volunteers walking to their assigned stations.

Volunteers Ruud and Nicco were filling buckets with mulch:

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Leda checked two other locations but work already had wrapped up. Here’s Roxhill Bog, the headwaters of Longfellow Creek:

Roxhill Bog

Inbetween the two yearly Duwamish Alive! events, work continues at these and other spots along the river and in its watershed. Watch our calendar for chances to volunteer.

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