FIRST REPORT, 11:30 AM: Duwamish Alive! – two days a year with a long list of work parties along the river and in its watershed – is all about volunteers. At the T-107 Park opening ceremony that concluded a short time ago, four volunteers were honored in the name of another – left to right in our top photo, Liana Beal, daughter of the late Hamm Creek hero John Beal, presented the stewardship awards given annually in his name, to Brenda Sullivan, Tom Reese, and Lisa Parsons (plus Scott Newcombe, who couldn’t be there). The dozens of volunteers who gathered to watch and listen before starting work also heard from Cecile Hansen, chair of the Duwamish Tribe, whose longhouse is across West Marginal Way SW from the park:

She thanked the volunteers, and the environmental-organization leaders who were there, for their work. Other speakers included U.S. Rep Pramila Jayapal, who hailed the years of progress in cleanup and restoration, and warned of what is in danger of being undone:

Other speakers sounded a similar note. We’re off to a few other sites – if you’re part of Duwamish Alive! today, we also welcome photos – editor@westseattleblog.com – thank you! More coverage to come.

ADDED SATURDAY EVENING: Rep. Jayapal with some of the T-107 volunteers:

We also recorded more of her speech, which included a shoutout to some of West Seattle’s natural wonders:

(As reported in our coverage of this month’s 34th District Democrats meeting, Rep. Jayapal says she is expecting to move to West Seattle, from Columbia City, later this year.) The morning ceremony was emceed by Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition coordinator James Rasmussen, who concluded it by leading volunteers in a rousing round of shouting that they won’t and can’t stop what they’re doing.

They also heard from Puget Soundkeeper‘s Chris Wilke, who said he’s going to Washington, D.C., next week, to see what he can do about the proposals that would ravage federal funding for the environment:

He noted that the most important cleanup that could happen along and in the river would be to get every piece of plastic, whatever its size, adding that a microplastics study was to be done during today’s event. Also speaking during the ceremony: Port of Seattle Commissioner Stephanie Bowman and Mindy Roberts of the Washington Environmental Council. And stretching into the distance behind them all … the river itself: