Did you know there were 372 acres of natural undeveloped areas in Kirkland?
The goal of the Green Kirkland Partnership, along with the Kirkland Parks Department, is to restore this acreage with native plantings. The park reforestation program began in 2008 and is scheduled to be completed by 2028. Who helps oversee Earth Day projects, Cotton Hill and Watershed Park cleanups, and other events for this program? Sharon Rodman, the education and environmental outreach specialist for the City of Kirkland, is the go-to person for these projects.
Recently, I got together with Sharon to talk about her passion for preserving natural spaces and her involvement in the Green Kirkland Partnership. Kirkland has been transformed by the Green Kirkland Partnership. Parks have been newly developed and established parks have been cleaned up.
At many of the past projects, there have been Kirkland parks department workers, city council members, the mayor, Kirkland citizens, people from around the Puget Sound, the University of Washington Ecology Network, and EarthCorps pitching in to help.
In order for the program to grow, more will need to be done and more people need to help. Volunteers are the core of the program. Anyone can volunteer and many of the volunteer jobs don’t require heaving lifting, digging or pushing a wheelbarrow.
Here’s how you can help:
• Provide drinks and snacks, muffins, cookies, fruit, and energy bars. Food is most appreciated during the events.
• Register people who attend the events
• Assist with advertising efforts
• Help write articles about the events.
• Help put posters up advertising the events
• Photograph events
• Create a scrapbook of an event
• Help secure business sponsorships of events
• General administrative work
Sharon Rodman said, “Every person makes a difference and every person who has helped has made a difference.”
On April 25, Juanita Bay Park, 2201 Market St., will be Kirkland’s Earth Day event. Plan to help make a difference and volunteer to help Kirkland continue to go green. For more information on that event, check out www.greenkirkland.org.
