Alicia Bemiss-Powell

Greening Neighborhoods projects are underway this spring

Alicia Bemiss-Powell, Neighborhood Services and Code Enforcement, No Phone Number Available

Monday, April 20, 2015 at 2:15 p.m.

Greening Neighborhoods projects are underway this spring

Now that spring is here, Greening Neighborhoods planting events have begun in Spokane's neighborhoods.

There were two events in the Emerson-Garfield neighborhood this month. Volunteers helped plant 20 new trees next to Garfield Elementary and also put in 54 yucca bushes and 10 horizontal juniper bushes on the Maple Street island. Both projects were identified through last year's Greening Grant process.

Here are other neighborhood planting events coming up:

  • Northwest (April 22) – Applying three inches of mulch to 26 newly planted street trees on Driscoll Boulevard
  • Five Mile (April 27) – Applying three inches of mulch to newly planted trees at the north and south entrance of Sky Prairie Park
  • Chief Garry Park – Volunteers will plant a perennial butterfly garden on public right-of-way property at Christ the King Church. This site also features a newly developed community garden
  • East Central (April 30) – Tree and perennial vegetation planting (2003 E. 1st)
  • East Central (April 30) – Work at Eastside Day Care will involve a Japanese Pagoda tree planted this fall and a perennial butterfly garden for the daycare.
  • Latah/Hangman - Friends of the Bluff will organize a second phase of riparian planting along Latah Creek.
  • Logan (April 28) – Planting trees and perennial vegetation at Logan Elementary with the help of Moody Bible Institute student volunteers
  • North Hill (May 1) - The project will feature seven new street trees along Garland near Post. Perennial vegetation will be planted at the base of each tree.
  • West Central – The Neighborhood will be planting Ponderosa Pine trees near Summit and Boone.

Contact your neighborhood council if you want to volunteer at one of these events.

Through Greening Neighborhoods Grants, neighborhoods plant trees, shrubs, perennials and more. The grants are part of the Forest Spokane initiative, an effort to plant 10,000 new trees by 2016. Neighborhoods had to submit their ideas for Greening projects along with plans to get those projects implemented through volunteer events.

A neighborhood can receive a maximum of three grants of up to $5,000 each. Projects must include a design that involves planting trees, shrubs, grasses and other native perennials through a neighborhood volunteering event. This year, the City's Office of Neighborhood Services (ONS) is awarding points to projects that include more trees.

There is still plenty of time to apply for the next round of Greening grants. The application process runs through June 30.

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