These signature volunteer events are open to the public and happen at various times throughout the year. Head over to our Public Events Calendar to see what opportunities are coming up and to register.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service (January)
We partner with the United Way of King County to recruit around 100 volunteers for our largest native plant nursery event of the year. Volunteers assist in potting up more than 1,000 plants and organize a significant portion of the nursery at this bustling event.
Earth Day and City of Issaquah Arbor Day (April)
We host Earth Day-related events throughout the month of April (we like to call it “Earth Month”) with a variety of groups, however our biggest event is with the City of Issaquah to celebrate Earth Day and the city’s Arbor Day. It falls outside of our typical planting season, so we only plant a few ceremonial trees and then direct volunteer efforts toward mulching and noxious weed removal.
Arbor Days (multiple dates, multiple cities)
Cities can be designated as a “Tree City USA” by the Arbor Day Foundation if they meet certain urban forestry requirements. These cities can then designate when they celebrate Arbor Day, and they will often partner with the Greenway Trust to run a planting volunteer event. We typically host Arbor Days with the City of Mercer Island, City of Woodinville, and City of North Bend. significant portion of the nursery at this bustling event.
Teanaway Love Day (Spring)
Each spring, the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust coordinates with Teanaway Community Forest land managers to organize projects for volunteers such as graffiti cleanup, fence work, campground maintenance, and trail building. Local sponsors provide supplies for the customary cookout and raffle that takes place after volunteers split into work groups for their projects at the daylong event. It’s a chance for the community to care for their forest, which provides for them year-round.
National Trails Day (June)
This event usually kicks off summer trail work on public lands in the Greenway NHA. The Greenway Trust brings out 20-50 volunteers to work on several trail projects at once in a specific area (often in the Middle Fork Valley). Project work could include hauling building materials to project sites, constructing rock walls and trail structures, and other maintenance activities.
National Public Lands Day (September)
This stewardship event is a celebration of public lands (and the national holiday!). We celebrate National Public Lands Day to mark the end of summer and close out our volunteer trail projects for the year. This event is often hosted in coordination with our partners’ National Public Lands Day events and can involve more than 200 volunteers accomplishing a variety of different trail and trailhead projects. Check out this recap of the 2022 NPLD event!
Tree Planting Celebration (October)
Several hundred volunteers, partners, and staff come together to celebrate tree planting season at this event. Our planting efforts in the Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area are done with an abundance of support from our partnership with Carter Subaru, and this signature event is an opportunity to celebrate our long-term partnership. Check out this recap of the 2022 Tree Planting Celebration.