Category: Partnerships
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Meet the YETI Taking South King County Outdoors
There is a YETI roaming South King County, but it doesn’t hide in snowcapped mountains. Instead, this YETI has spent years introducing hundreds of students to Washington’s wilderness wonders. The Youth Experiential Training Institute (Y.E.T.I.) is a South King County-based nonprofit that hosts outdoor programs where kids can get outside and into nature, completely free…
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Preserving a Pool, Building Champions
Public pools can be the heart of a community, especially in a city surrounded by water like Mercer Island. Pools are where kids learn the skills to swim safely, where high schoolers build lifelong bonds, and in this case, where Olympic gold medalists are made. The Mary Wayte Pool, named for the 1984 Olympic 200-meter freestyle champion who grew up swimming…
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Eagle Eyes: 3 Tips for Better Birding
On a sunny, crisp morning at Marymoor Park, a dozen bird enthusiasts gathered for a workshop offered by Eastside Audubon and South Sound Nature School. The group made their way around the Birdloop Trail, which winds its way through over 300 acres of protected conservation area that offers views of wooded brush and marshy wetland…
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Highlights from the King County Parks 2023 Volunteer Program
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.
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Celebrating 20 Years of Community Partnerships
Since 2003, King County Parks’ Community Partnerships and Grants program has collaborated with 80+ community partners to sustain, improve, and expand public recreation opportunities on properties owned by King County. The projects accomplished by these community partners are vast and invaluable.
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Soil restoration at Preston Mill Park
World Soil Day takes place on December 5 each year and serves as an opportunity to focus attention on the critical importance of healthy soil and sustainable management of soil resources. Soil is a critical piece of our natural systems and contributes to producing sufficient, safe, and more nourishing food for healthier plants, animals, and people.…
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Shape the future of your local and regional parks!
Help direct $100 million in funding Join our King County Parks Levy Grants Advisory Committees Community members may be eligible for a stipend for serving on a Parks Advisory Committee. Want to be a committee member? Submit an Interest Form by September 1, 2022.
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Walkin’ & Rollin’ on Vashon
Once upon a time about a month ago, a quiet little ceremony celebrated the official opening of a new half-mile loop trail on the north end of Vashon Island. This trail warrants a special shout-out due to the fact it is King County Parks’ only backcountry trail specifically designed for people who use wheelchairs and…
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Happy Duwamish Alive Day!
On October 19th we celebrated Duwamish Alive Day with events at North Green River Park and White Center Heights Park. For 13 years, Duwamish Alive Day has been a regional day of habitat restoration events organized by the Duwamish Alive Coalition whose collaborative efforts aim to improve the health of the Green-Duwamish Watershed. This year,…
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How much do our kids play? Not as much as you think. And here’s what we’re doing about it.
On Tuesday, September 10, we were excited to release the analysis and recommendations from a two-year effort conducted by the University of Washington’s Center for Leadership in Athletics and The Aspen Institute, in coordination with King County Parks and many other partners. The study, called the State of Play: Seattle-King County, found that less than…
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Youth Job Fair: 3rd annual Peace N the ‘Hood, June 7
What do you get when you combine 30 employers and 10 resource providers at our historic Log Cabin (a.k.a. White Center Community Center) in Steve Cox Memorial Park? Jobs jobs jobs! The Peace N the ‘Hood job fair is an opportunity for youth ages 16 -24 years old to meet potential employers in person, get…
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705,840!
King County Parks enjoyed some quality time with County Executive Dow Constantine in Big Finn Hill Park today to celebrate progress toward the county’s admittedly audacious goal to plant One Million Trees by 2020. Together with 80 partnering organizations, we’ve planted 705,840 trees in King County. We are SO close! The Executive wholeheartedly encouraged anyone who…
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Your Big Backyard is Getting Bigger
King County Parks had a busy year making good on the levy promise to bring 2,700 acres into the King County system by 2020. By the time 2019 rolls around, Parks will be on the lookout for a mere 500 more acres to reach the goal. As an added bonus, scooping up lands happens to…
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Timber! Music Fest 2018 in pictures
Artist Home put together another great, sold out, Timber! Music Fest. Now on its sixth year! Total attendance: 3000 Of the 3000 attendees 597 were children ages 12 or under admitted for free Programming featured performances from 30 regional and national artists A big shout out to Artist Home for being such an amazing partner…
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Big Backyard 5K 2018 in photos
Thank you to all of our participants and partners for your support. Your involvement helps make your King County parks a better place. We appreciate your involvement and thank you for making Your Big Backyard that much more awesome. See you next year for the 10-year anniversary of BBY5K! More photos on our Flickr…
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Choose a living Christmas tree this year and help King County Plant 1 Million Trees by 2020
Happy December 1st! Yes, we know we are starting a little early but the lights are up and the snow has fallen so here at parks we’re already in the holiday spirit. Here’s an idea: purchase a living Christmas tree this year for an environmentally friendly holiday option. Donate your living tree back to Swansons…
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CHOMP! 2017 in pictures
More pics over on Flickr
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Protected: Park. Ride. Hike. Trailhead Direct to your next hike!
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
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Big Backyard 5K 2017 in photos
A Big Backyard thank you to everyone that attended, and huge shout out to Kaiser Permamente for their generosity. Everyone’s participation helps King County Parks stay clean, safe and open. You can find race results here. You can see the rest of the event’s photos over here.
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Primitive Camping With A Waterfront View on Maury Island
King County Parks has partnered with Vashon Adventures to bring camping to Vashon-Maury Island. “Hike, bike or paddle in to your picturesque campsite at King County’s Maury Island Marine Park. Spend a night or more under the stars, listening to the waves lap on the beach and waking to Mount Rainier rising above the water.…
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Grand Ridge: Water Tower Loop
Today we officially opened the Water Tower Loop on Grand Ridge. Brought to you by your friendly neighborhood REI, Washington Trails Association, and of course, your King County Parks. WTA has been with Grand Ridge for over a decade! They’ve helped us shape and maintain it, and thanks to generous donations from REI, they added mileage to…
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Where does one go to get yelled at by frogs? Why, Frog Holler Forest, of course!
Frog Holler Forest is our newest park, a 60-acre forest on the southern part of Vashon Island. Frog Holler is actually the name of the neighborhood where the park is located, named as such for the chorus of tree frogs in the area. Acquired in December 2016 with the help of the Vashon Maury Island…
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GiveBIG to the KC Parks Foundation!
GiveBIG is May 10th and you can support the King County Parks Foundation by donating here! And you don’t even need to wait until the BIG day – schedule your donation today, so you can be outside on May 10th instead – enjoying our 200 parks, 175 miles of trails and 28,000 acres of open…
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Dockton Forest Mountain Bike Park – Now Open
Great turnout. Great partners. Great community. Thank you Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance, and Vashon Mountain Bike Association. To learn more about the partnership(s) that helped make this happen, see our press release. Follow this link if you’d like to see more photos.
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2017 Green Globe awards: Honoring Our Partners
This morning, King County hosted the Green Globes, an awards ceremony honoring local businesses, cities, community groups and individuals for the work they’re doing to protect and improve our environment. We were delighted that several Parks partners were recognized for their dedication to our parks and open space. Recognized as Leader in Community Stewardship, the…
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Special Offer: LUZIA by Cirque du Soleil
Share the Love with LUZIA This Valentine’s Day, what better way to share the love than to offer tickets to LUZIA by Cirque du Soleil to our friends of King County Parks! Take advantage of this special offer now and save up to 25% on tickets! Act fast, this offer ends on February 14. LUZIA…
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#OptOutside in 28,000 Acres
Today is as good as any other to be outside. Yesterday should have given you plenty of motivation, as well as pie, and more than likely, regrets. Come on out and run, walk, hike or play out in Your Big Backyard. We don’t have to have awkward political conversations out here. #OptOutside
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Friday – Avoid the #mallbrawl, #OptOutside with us
Our friends over at REI condensed our mantra into a hashtag. Words to live by. Also the hashtag that can spare you mall jail. You know. Yer all enjoying your pumpkin spice latte, with your 60 inch 4K TV on your shoulder, when some joker brushes past you and he’s got the gall to grab the last 3D-printing-self-replicating-housekeeping-drone…
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LUZIA by Cirque du Soleil returns to Marymoor Park in 2017
LUZIA takes you to an imaginary Mexico, like in a waking dream, where light quenches the spirit and rain soothes the soul. Freely inspired by Mexico, LUZIA is a poetic and acrobatic ode to the rich, vibrant culture of a country whose wealth stems from an extraordinary mix of influences and creative collisions – a…
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Volunteer Spotlight: Appreciation Dinner 2016
Guest blogger: Matt Fieser, Veteran Fellow Intern – King County Parks Volunteer Program When I tell people that I work for King County Parks, the first question they always ask is, “do you work with Chris Pratt?” Hilarious. No, I don’t know or work with Chris Pratt, but my time working with the King County…