The King County Parks Volunteer Program works to provide meaningful opportunities to connect people of all ages to our parks through hands-on service learning, environmental education, and teen career pathway development programming. Learn more and get involved at kingcounty.gov/parks/volunteer.
Each year the King County Parks Volunteer Program and contracted partner organizations host volunteer events in parks across the county. Together with our partners in 2023, we led hundreds of events with more than 4,900 volunteers performing restoration, park improvement, trail maintenance, and more. Thanks to the hard work of all our volunteers, parks visitors can enjoy healthier forests, better trails, and all the benefits that come with getting out in Your Big Backyard! Check out some of the highlights from our 2023 annual program report below.
Meaningful projects with new and existing partners
Working with partner organizations amplifies our impact and helps us reach a diverse representation of King County community members. Some highlights included African Young Dreamers Empowerment Programs International (AYDEPI) returning to Lake Geneva Park to remove ivy over the summer and plant in the fall at four events. The Muslim Association of Puget Sound (MAPS) continued their efforts along the Marymoor Connector Trail where they removed blackberry and spread mulch to ensure their planting site will thrive for years to come. Our journey with the Homeschool Stewardship Squad continued, this time on the shores of the Snoqualmie River at Tolt MacDonald Park. And an exciting new partnership with the Kraken Externship formed in July.
School programs
In 2023, we worked with 300 students and teachers across King County bringing a range of restoration and educational opportunities to 2nd-12th graders. Youth and school group events incorporated age-appropriate learning activities from “5 sense scavenger hunt” with elementary age students to “Restoration 101” with high school students.
Creative Programming
In early 2023, we partnered with the Restoration Program and hosted four public potting events at the King County Nursery in Maple Valley. Volunteers helped to pot over 2,000 plant plugs into one-gallon pots, boosting internal efforts to supply native plants to parks throughout King County.
In September, we hosted a land-based whale watching and beach cleanup event with the Whale Scouts at Maury Island Marine Park on Vashon Island. All while keeping a lookout for wildlife on the Sound, volunteers removed over 20 gallons of garbage.
Partner-led projects
In 2023, King County Parks’ contracted partners led over 440 events in parks. These partners not only allow King County Parks to reach more participants but also create new volunteer opportunities such as trail building for hiking and mountain biking or maintaining the dog park at Marymoor Park. We’re proud of the work from our partners: Mid-Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group, Eastside Audubon Society, Washington Trails Association, Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance, Sammamish Rivers Stewards, Snoqualmie Indian Tribe, Vashon Mountain Bike Alliance, Mirrormont HOA, S.O.D.A. at Marymoor Park Dog Park, Seattle Running Club, and more.
Youth Conservation Corps
This past summer, our Volunteer Program staff led our third Youth Conservation Corps cohort. The program received 190 applications for 10 open spaces. To date, 83% of our participants have been BIPOC youth representing 20 high schools across the County.
During the 6-week program, we were joined by 35 different workshop presenters and volunteers who supported the interns’ learning about various environmental topics. Highlights from the summer included kayaking the Duwamish River to learn about its history and ongoing challenges as a superfund site, visiting the Woodland Park Zoo to assist in Western Pond Turtle conservation, and exploring tools that help us gather important data about environmental inequities. The interns completed restoration projects at Dick Thurnau, White Center Heights, and Skyway parks.
As part of independent projects, the interns all wrote about their personal relationship with nature, land, and the environment in a writing form of their choice. Many of their pieces have been featured on the Parks Blog in a three-part series. The poems, stories, and essays feature diverse perspectives and experiences. The interns read their writing to a room filled with their friends, families, and Parks colleagues.
The YCC continues to meet its goals of introducing youth to careers in Parks and the environment, providing opportunities for mentorship, and building career skills. As one intern shared this past summer, “This experience was not exactly what I expected but it has been the best job I’ve ever had. I would [recommend] to a friend I know is a hard worker, and eager to learn more about opportunities in the environmental field. It can be hard to get an idea of what those jobs look like and YCC has provided a great space for that exploration.” Our team is already preparing for next summer and we are excited for growth in the program.
To learn more about the King County Parks Volunteer Program and to find a volunteer event near you, check out kingcounty.gov/parks/volunteer