Tree Care Skill-Share Volunteer Event

Seattle’s Child listed a June 6 volunteer event in Seattle that pairs hands-on tree care training with restoration work at Gateway Park North, a shoreline greenspace in Georgetown. The event is scheduled for Saturday, June 6, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with participants meeting at the end of 7551 8th Ave. S., according to Seattle’s Child and a United Way of King County volunteer listing. Trees for Neighborhoods, Georgetown Youth Council and Dirt Corps are named as the participating groups. The event is open to “all ages and skill levels,” requires a three-hour commitment, and is framed as both a skill share and a volunteer work party, the listings say. ### What will volunteers actually do at Gateway Park North? The June 6 event will teach volunteers how to mulch trees “in a way that is beneficial to the tree and doesn’t harm them,” according to the United Way listing. (seattleschild.com) Organizers also plan to cover different types of mulch and their roles in moisture retention, soil amendments and erosion control before participants apply those lessons on site. Gateway Park North is described in the listing as a “special shoreline ecosystem,” and the work party is aimed at caring for trees in that setting. The Seattle’s Child item says the session is designed as a practical lesson rather than a lecture, with volunteers expected to practice the techniques while working in the park. ### Who is running the event? Trees for Neighborhoods is part of Seattle’s broader urban forestry effort. (volunteer.uwkc.org) Seattle’s Trees for Neighborhoods program says it has helped plant more than 15,400 trees since 2009 and provides planting, care training and volunteer opportunities as part of the city’s urban forest work. Dirt Corps describes itself as a community-based ecological restoration and green infrastructure organization focused on expanding access to green careers. (volunteer.uwkc.org) On its website, the group says it combines restoration work with hands-on training and community partnerships. The Georgetown Youth Council is listed as a partner in the June 6 work party on the volunteer page. The event materials do not provide a separate program description for the youth group, but they name it alongside Trees for Neighborhoods and Dirt Corps as a co-participant. (seattle.gov) ### What should people know before showing up? The 7551 8th Ave. S. meeting point appears in both the Seattle’s Child listing and the United Way volunteer page, with a note to meet at the end of the address. (thedirtcorps.com) Organizers say volunteers should wear clothes that can get dirty, including long sleeves, long pants and closed-toed shoes. The event will proceed rain or shine, according to the volunteer listing. (volunteer.uwkc.org) Tools, gloves, snacks, hot drinks and water will be provided, and the United Way page showed 30 volunteer spots remaining when it was crawled. ### How does this fit into Seattle’s broader tree work? Seattle’s official Trees events page lists similar June skill-share work parties with Trees for Neighborhoods and Dirt Corps focused on mulching and seasonal tree care. (seattleschild.com) A June 20 event at Webster Pond and a June 27 event at Meadowbrook Pond are framed around protecting trees during summer by improving water retention and cooling soil around roots. (volunteer.uwkc.org) Seattle’s Trees for Seattle site says volunteer events are one part of a larger city effort to maintain and expand the urban forest. The city directs residents to plant free trees, join volunteer events and attend tree walks through the same program network. ### Where can people sign up? Seattle’s Child says registration is available online and lists Dirt Corps contact Anna Steltenkamp at community@thedirtcorps.com. (seattle.gov) The United Way of King County volunteer page also carries a response link for the June 6 event. June 6 is the next scheduled date for the Gateway Park North work party, and Seattle’s official tree events page lists additional June skill-share events later in the month with Trees for Neighborhoods and Dirt Corps. (seattle.gov) (volunteer.uwkc.org) (seattleschild.com)