Warm weather and a bit of sunshine greeted ConservationNEXT volunteers as they began to arrive at Mt. Baker Park for the 2nd Annual Backyard Collective.
Cascade Land Conservancy, Green Seattle Project and ConservationNEXT put together a full morning of work and more than 80 volunteers from Patagonia, Stanley, a brand of PMI, Outdoor Research, Nikwax, Clif Bar, Brooks, Filson, Teva, and Cascade Designs came together to pull invasive plants and spread mulch on the hillsides of one of Seattle's most popular urban parks.
Volunteers were broken into groups of 15, each led by a Conversation Corp member, and given names including Mulch Masters, Cedar Savers and Blackberry Busters. First on the agenda: clear the hillsides of the invasive blackberry vines and ivy, out-competing the natives for sun, nutrients and water. Once this was complete, heavy cardboard was rolled out over the treated area and mulch was spread.
It is said that many hands make light work. In only four hours, 24 cubic yards of debris (invasive blackberry and ivy) was removed from 12,000 square feet of earth, on which 35 cubic yards of mulch was spread.
Once the work was done, volunteers enjoyed an amazing lunch provided by Skillet and visited with a few of the Conservation Alliance Grantees; Washington Wilderness Coalition, Alaska Wilderness League, American Rivers, and the Cascade Land Conservancy.
Huge thanks to Krissy Moehl, Green Seattle, the Cascade Land Conservancy, Patagonia, Nikwax, Brooks, Stanley, a brand of PMI, Outdoor Research, Clif Bar, Brooks, Filson, Teva, Cascade Designs and Bear Naked Granola for providing support, product donations, nourishment, and volunteers to another successful Backyard Collective!