Peek through the trees and greenery of the forest/wetland alongside Sanislo Elementary today, and you’ll see flashes of red – the signature T-shirts worn by members of CityYear Seattle/King County. These 18-to-24-year-olds are best known for their classroom work supporting local students, but today, for the MLK Day of Service, they are out helping the Puget Creek Watershed Alliance with restoration work. That means, among other things, moving a lot of mulch:

Like so many other greenspaces in our area, the trees here are under siege by invasives like ivy and blackberries, so weed-pulling is part of today’s work too:

As noted by organizer Steven Richmond, who leads frequent volunteer work parties at the wetland, work here supports salmon habitat downstream in the Duwamish River; that’s where Puget Creek drains after an undergrounded section that the Duwamish Tribe is hoping to daylight near its longhouse on West Marginal Way – and it’s cleaner if stormwater is filtered by healthy woodlands and wetlands upstream.

P.S. If you’d like to help – the next regular work party is Saturday (January 25th); details here, including Richmond’s contact info if you have questions.