The Green Kirkland Partnership (GKP) is an active volunteer and non-profit alliance that is committed to restoring 487 acres of natural areas in the city of Kirkland. Dedicated volunteers will be participating in GKP’s Martin Luther King, Jr. “Day of Service” park restoration events on Jan. 18. The theme of this year’s “Day of Service” is “Make it a Day On; Not a Day Off” and the GKP hopes to have good volunteer turn out at all four of its sites. Volunteers are invited to participate from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Everest Park, 500 8th Street South; at O.O. Denny Park, 12032 Holmes Pt. Dr. NE; at McAuliffe Park, 10824 NE 116th St.; and at Watershed Park, 5000 block of 112th Ave NE (south of NE 53rd Street).
Volunteers are encouraged to dress for the weather and bring food snacks. Tools and gloves will be provided. Event information and volunteer registration is available online at www.greenkirkland.org, by emailing greenkirkland@kirklandwa.gov or by calling 425-587-3306.
First time and long-time volunteers are a constant presence in Kirkland’s parks and open space areas, removing non-native invasive plants and planting species that are compatible with the native plant life.
“Volunteer restoration efforts have had an amazing impact on the health of our parks,” notes Sharon Rodman, GKP Supervisor. “The energy volunteers bring to each event, and especially to “Day of Service,” is so exciting that we want more people to experience it. It will be wonderful to have volunteers working in four parks on a single day.”
Kirkland’s “Day of Service” has expanded from three park sites in 2015 to four sites this year. Last year it was hosted at Crestwoods Park, Everest Park, and Watershed Park and 145 volunteers contributed 484 volunteer hours.
As part of the GKP program, volunteer Green Kirkland Stewards manage smaller volunteer events and major events such as Day of Service, Arbor Day and Earth Day. On January 18, the stewardship efforts at O.O. Denny and McAuliffe parks will be led by Green Kirkland Stewards, and the events at Watershed Park and Everest Park will be led by Green Kirkland staff members.
