Specially designed for volunteers age 10-13, this weeklong event provides an exciting opportunity to learn ecological restoration skills while getting to know these popular parks (and your team mates!) better.

Throughout the week, you will restore local creeks by removing invasive blackberry, learn about and care for native trees and shrubs, discuss the impacts of invasive plants upon stream health, and have opportunities to hang out with your team mates, play games, and have fun outdoors!  We'll also spend a day on Tiger Mountain, exploring, learning, and playing.  

Dates: August 2 - August 6 (9am-3pm daily)

Location: Lake Sammamish State Park and Tiger Mountain, Issaquah*

Age: 10-13 year olds

Activities: Ecological Restoration and Native Plant Nursery Maintenance

Emphasis of Week: Water Quality, Ecological Health, Wildlife/Flora Identification

* Two different meeting points

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Stewardship Work at Lake Sammamish State Park:

Lake Sammamish is important for several species of salmon, many birds and a wide variety of amphibians, insects and other wildlife.  The lake is fed by three creeks:  Issaquah, Tibbetts and Laughing Jacob's.  We will mainly be removing invasive (non-native) weeds: the biggest problem in the area is blackberry.  This site is the entrance point for Salmon headed up the stream to spawn and for juveniles to return to Puget Sound.  Currently the area is extremely degraded by invasive weeds and high levels of foot and boat traffic in the area.  By restoring this area, we hope to improve the rates of survival for native salmon populations in addition to creating natural habitat for other native wildlife in the park!  Click here for more background information about projects in the Issaquah area.

Also located within the Park is the Greenway Native Plant Nursery, which is home to nearly 15,000 native trees and shrubs. The trees and shrubs that are potted at the nursery will grow for 1-2 years before being planted in parks and forests along I-90, providing many benefits to people and wildlife.  In order to keep all the recently planted trees healthy, we have a number of maintenance projects that need to be done- including weeding, watering, and some re-potting.  Click here for more information about the history of the Mountains to Sound Nursery.

Stewardship Work on Tiger Mountain:

Tiger Mountain in Issaquah is a popular destination for hikers, mountain bikers, hang gliders, paragliders and horseback riders. Its trails bring visitors through the remains of old growth forests left over from Tiger Mountain’s logging past. Tiger Mountain has 65 miles of trails and 29 miles of gravel roads and the constant usage of these trails and roads causes them to erode over time.  In addition, hikers and their vehicles become the vectors for invasive plants to enter the ecosystem, decreasing the ecological health of Tiger Mountain.  Volunteers at Tiger Mountain will work together to help repair overused trails by resurfacing, brushing, fixing drainage issues, and repairing boardwalks. In addition, volunteers remove invasive plants like Scotch Broom and Himalayan Blackberry to allow native trees and shrubs to thrive.  Volunteers help keep the trails and trailheads in good shape so people can continue to come back each year to enjoy the mountain’s beauty.