Dear Editor,

The Highlands neighborhood would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who helped at our Earth Day with Goats event on April 19. The turnout was amazing: 150 volunteers braved the cold, snow and six inch deep mud to spend three hours chopping, digging and hauling out huge loads of blackberries. They ranged in age from four to perhaps 74, and came from all over Kirkland.

Between the people and the goats, we cleared half an acre. That so many people gave up a Saturday morning to help with this project shows how much they value green spaces.

We’d also like to thank Sharon Rodman, the Green Kirkland program coordinator, the city of Kirkland for their support of parks and open space, the Earth Corps volunteers, whose youthful energy and enthusiasm was inspiring and infectious, the frogs and woodpecker who serenaded us, and Tammy Dunakin of Rent-a-Ruminant, who spent 72 hours living on-site, overseeing 60 goats and providing educational programs to local school kids and others who came to visit the goats.

There was an enormous sense of pride and accomplishment at the end of the morning. If you’d like to see some photos of the Earth Day event, please go to the Highlands Web site at www.kirklandhighlands.org.

~Karen Story, Kirkland