Volunteers Make a Lasting Impact at Issaquah Creek
Over the decades, volunteers have worked with organizations like the Greenway Trust to restore Issaquah Creek, a lifeline for endangered wildlife that has undergone significant transformation over the past few centuries.
Once blanketed by forests of conifers and alder, the land around Issaquah Creek was home to Snoqualmie People who developed deep ties to the ecological community that they steward to this day. In the early 1890s, agriculturalists began changing the landscape of these ancestral lands for farming and extractive processes that displaced Indigenous people and put a strain on wildlife.
By the time the land around Issaquah Creek became Lake Sammamish State Park, invasive blackberry and reed canary grass had taken root, making it harder for tall tree stands to grow. Over the years, these degraded lands have impacted the ecological health and complexity of Issaquah Creek, threatening Chinook salmon populations and pushing indigenous kokanee salmon to the edge of survival.
Despite these challenges, recent years have brought encouraging signs of recovery. Kokanee salmon populations are on the rise, aquatic invertebrates are reappearing and the overall health of the riparian ecosystem is improving. Volunteers have been paramount to this work over the years.
The Volunteers Driving Habitat Recovery
Since the Greenway Trust was founded in 1991, generations of volunteers have rolled up their sleeves to remove invasive blackberries, plant trees, and maintain the health of our sites. This year alone, volunteers have already planted over 1,300 native plants from Seattle to Issaquah!
The transformation of Issaquah Creek is a testament to the positive impacts volunteers can make over time. For volunteers like Joe Balachowski, Kristin Larson, and John and Lisa Merrill, tree planting is deeper than the hole they dig, it’s a step toward restoring the health and beauty of the Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area and an opportunity to connect to the natural world.
Joe Balachowski
Joe was raised in the Southwest, his father working in the lumber industry. As a young kid, Joe was attracted to the giant machines that transformed trees into logs, then into lumber. At the same time, he developed a love for the diverse forests teeming with Ponderosas, Sequoias and Redwoods, Bristlecones, and Junipers. Joe started volunteering with the Greenway Trust about 10 years ago when he was working for the National Park Service.
Q: Which environmental benefits of tree planting resonate with you the most?
A: Planting trees is the first step in a string of connections to other plants, fungi, insects, birds, mammals, and other creatures and life forms that comprise the natural world. These connections then lead to clean water, air, and myriad chemical compounds that make life on Earth possible.
Q: How does it feel knowing you’ve made a tangible impact on your local community?
A: When we protect and nurture forests, they constitute a physical defense against the rampantly sprawling human-built environment that is visible worldwide. To be a part of this defense of nature gives me great satisfaction and joy.
Kristin Larson
Kristin discovered the Greenway Trust after moving to Washington 15 years ago and began volunteering when she retired and moved to Issaquah.
Q: What keeps you coming back to the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust’s volunteer events?
A: One of the best aspects of my retirement has been the opportunity to spend time volunteering with organizations working to protect and preserve our environment. For multiple reasons, Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust has become one of my favorites, because of their wonderful staff, well-run events, and the breadth and depth of their impact. I have participated in many, many volunteer events and am always amazed at how great I feel after each one. Obviously, there’s a tremendous feeling that comes from planting hundreds of trees (and saplings)—there’s really nothing like it. But I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention the incredible value of community-building that happens at every tree-planting event. The mix of volunteers is always diverse, and yet the camaraderie and shared sense of purpose is always present. There’s something magical that happens when people spend a few hours digging, planting, and conversing.
John and Lisa Merrill
John and Lisa Merrill first planted trees with the Greenway Trust in 2007. Since then, their whole family has remained involved. Beyond tree planting, John and Lisa have also volunteered their photography skills at many Greenway Trust events over the past decade. Their contributions span across the Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area.
Q: What do you love about tree planting?
A: We enjoy tree planting because it’s tangible and immediately gratifying. Knowing that the seedlings we plant immediately begin to capture carbon and will grow to provide habitat for wildlife feels great. In addition, we appreciate every opportunity to add to green space since we know that forest bathing and nature therapy can reduce human stress and enhance emotional well-being.
Q: Why have you chosen to dedicate so much time to the Greenway Trust’s efforts?
A: We continue to volunteer with the Greenway Trust because we treasure the spectacular NHA—we live and enjoy outdoor recreation in it—and want to do our part to help it thrive. We especially value the Greenway Trust’s history of successfully bringing diverse interests together to solve regional challenges, tirelessly advocating for designation as a National Heritage Area, and its long-term perspective on balancing human needs with environmental stewardship.
If you want to support our efforts with a financial donation or see your contribution grow firsthand, volunteer with us or donate to continue nurturing habitats for generations to come.
