33 volunteers worked hard to spread about 9 cubic yards of mulch. With the hot weather upon us it's more important than ever to protect our native plants from the heat.

Last month Lori introduced us to the idea of reducing our plastic usage. Although there are challenges, she shares her triumphs as well.

I’ve seen many news articles lately about the accumulation of plastic waste in our world. I despaired to learn that it never “goes away” or biodegrades, instead accumulating on land, in the ocean, inside birds, sea life and other animals, causing early deaths.

We had special guests this month. The enthusiastic and totally awesome Cub Scouts Pack 425 joined us to build fantastic mulch “doughnuts” around native plants. It was a lot of fun working with them. They have great teamwork skills and ask fantastic questions, including “What is mulch made out of?” and “Is this an invasive species?”  

Spring and summer are always busy times for the Youth Education Committee (YEC), and this year is no exception. Our calendars are filled with classroom presentations, outreach events and walks to find and identify birds at Juanita Bay Park.

The birds have been arriving in Washington after their spring migrations, singing and ready to nest. They’re ready for Birdathon, are you? Join us to help the birds.

A number of cities around the world have made climate action plans but have struggled to make significant impact on their emissions. People for Climate Action, along with other environmental groups, has organized a presentation on May 11 by climate planner Susan Anderson. Join us!

There are bird surveys being conducted in Washington and they are recruiting volunteers to help count birds. Most of these surveys provide training and encourage new birders to join.

Part of what I love about volunteering at Marymoor Park every month is getting to see the changes through the seasons. It’s beautiful right now because some of those plants like the Indian plum (or osoberry), Oregon grape, and flowering currant, are blooming. And many birds have also started to nest.