Volunteers are needed to help with two upcoming invasive plant removal work parties – the first at Walker Preserve Saturday, Feb. 18 and the second at a stream in Burien Monday, Feb. 27.

Donuts, along with gloves and tools, will be provided, and workers are asked to bring:

• Your enthusiasm
• Clothing that will protect you from the rain and blackberry thorns
• Filled water bottle
• Gloves if you have them
• Pruners

Here are the specific details:

WHAT: Walker Preserve Invasive Plant Removal

WHEN Saturday, February 18, 2012, 9:30 a.m. – Noon

WHERE: SW 168th Street and 2nd Ave SW in Normandy Park, up the road from Normandy Park City Hall.  If driving, your parking options include:

• Three spaces in the small lot at SW 171st St. and Second Ave. S.W.
• On the street along SW. 168th St.

INFO: Stewardship Purpose: Improve habitat along the stream by removing non-native, invasive plants.

Activities:

• Seek out English ivy and remove it from trees and pull roots out of the ground.
• Seek out Himalayan blackberry plants, cut them back, and then dig out the root balls.

RSVP:  See below for what to bring and how to sign up.

The second event:

WHAT: Streamside Invasive Plant Removal in Burien.

WHEN: Monday, February 27, 9:00 am – 11:30 a.m.

INFO: Neighbors will meet at SW 158th Street near 7th Ave SW to remove ivy from trees along the stream.  This stream is a tributary to Miller Creek, which supports spawning coho and chum salmon. Please park along the street.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  There are no restrooms at either site.

CONTACT/INFO: Elissa Ostergaard, elissa.ostergaard@kingcounty.gov, 206-296-1909 (Day of event only: 206-707-6549)

Also, check the Volunteer Event Calendar for other stewardship opportunities in the basin.

These stewardship projects are a joint effort of the City of Normandy Park, the City of Burien, the City of Seatac, King County, the Port of Seattle, and the Miller and Walker Creeks Stewardship program.

• Arbor Lake Park, 12380 2nd Ave South, volunteers will be working 9 am-Noon to spread mulch chips around the native planting added late last year along the North side of the lake.  No restroom facilities!
• Shorewood Park, 28th Ave SW & SW 119th Street , volunteers will be working 10am-Noon to remove those English ivy shoots and continue pushing the big stands out of the park.  Also, we have had lots of branches fall – great mulch except those that are covering our new native plantings, so we can artistically replace those, and add a few  baby native conifer trees.  No restroom facilities!

Coming up in March:

• Salmon Creek Ravine on Saturday, March 10th,  volunteers will be working 10 am- 2 pm (unless we finish earlier)  planting 150 new bare root plants and mulching around the newly added plants.

For more information, contact Lisa Aumann at the City of Burien: (206) 988-3700 or lisaa@burienwa.gov.

If you’re not already familiar with it, C2C’s Angel Program allows people to sponsor as many students or non-profit organization members as they wish for a discounted rate of $25 each. Each sponsorship is a full registration with timing chip, bib and shirt.

According to the C2C website:

Free and reduced lunch students are encouraged to ask their school counselors for about a sponsorship. The counselor then simply emails angels@covetoclover.com requesting an Angel code (expires after one use) for the student. The student can use code to register online for no fee by entering it into the “Angel Code” field. Students are awarded sponsorships on a first-come/first served basis, so qualified and interested students should apply ASAP.

“To qualify for the Angel Program, each school or non-profit organization needs to have an official Angel Program facilitator,” said Organizer John Nelson. ”The facilitator can be a counselor, teacher, staff person of PTSA parent.”

To become a facilitator, simply attend the short (60-minutes) training session to be held on Monday, Feb. 13 at 6:30 p.m. at:

Normandy Park Athletic Club
19901 1st Avenue South, Suite 401
Normandy Park, WA 98148

You’ll learn:

1. How to sign-up need based kids for the race for no fee.
2. How to fit students for new Brooks running shoes (expert fitter will be on hand from Brooks Running).
3. Ideas of how to manage students attending the race.
4. How to promote the race at your school, to better compete in the School Registration Contest.

If you can’t attend the meeting, it may be possible (if time allows) to have a C2C representative do an individual training. Email angels@covetoclover.com to arrange a special training session.

Since 2008, volunteers in Walker Preserve have removed large amounts of invasive plants and planted many native trees and shrubs. Walker Preserve is in the City of Normandy Park, along Walker Creek, and has spawning coho and chum salmon each fall. Restoring native vegetation along the creek benefits salmon and other wildlife.

“Please join us this Saturday, January 14, to continue this work!” said Elissa Ostergaard, Miller/Walker Creek Basin Steward. “We also have several monthly community weeding projects scheduled through the winter to remove ivy and other invasive weeds, and plant native trees and shrubs along the trail and stream in Walker Preserve and other areas in the basin.”

This stewardship project is a joint effort of the City of Normandy Park, and the Miller and Walker Creeks Stewardship program.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Walker Preserve Invasive Plant Removal work party.

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 14, 9:30 a.m. – Noon.

WHERE: SW. 168th St. and 2nd Ave. SW. in Normandy Park, up the road from Normandy Park City Hall.

If driving, your parking options include:

• Three spaces in the small lot at SW 171st St. and Second Ave. S.W.
• On the street along SW. 168th St.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This park does not have a restroom.

Stewardship Purpose:

• Improve habitat along the stream by removing non-native, invasive plants

Activities:

• Seek out English ivy and remove it from trees and pull roots out of the ground.
• Seek out Himalayan blackberry plants, cut them back, and then dig out the root balls.

What to bring:

• Your enthusiasm
• Clothing that will protect you from the rain and blackberry thorns
• Filled water bottle
• Gloves if you have them

We provide:

• Gloves
• Tools
• Donuts!

Sign up and questions:

• Elissa Ostergaard, elissa.ostergaard@kingcounty.gov, 206-296-1909 (Saturday, January 14 only: 206-707-6549)

This volunteer event is an opportunity to visit a pleasant park along Walker Creek. The City of Normandy Park recently rebuilt the footbridge over the creek, and neighbors and other volunteers have made a lot of progress restoring the native plant community in this park. This work will help create areas for native plants to go in later this winter. Please sign up if you can, or decide to show up at the last minute!

The first volunteer meeting for the new ‘Makeover Burien’ organization was held Wednesday night, Jan. 4 at The Mark Restaurant, with a group of 12 discussing how they can help give the Burien business community a boost.

More volunteers are needed, as are applicant businesses that may need a ‘makeover’ – here are documents that you can download and fill out (PDF files):

• Sponsor Application
• Business Application (for makeovers)

Also, be sure to “Like” the Makeover Burien page on Facebook here!

As we’ve previously reported:

‘Makeover Burien’ will be a 12-month long project where volunteers will help a different local business every month. Each month a business will be selected that needs some help, then volunteers will go in, give employees a makeover at Keane’s Serenza Salon & Spa, while others help clean up or fix things up at the business location.

This project was conceived by Keane, and will be produced in association with The B-Town Blog.

Volunteers are still needed to help with this monthly event, as are local businesses that can contribute in-kind services or products to help fellow businesspeople. Some of the categories needed are services like handymen, contractors, accountants, business consultants, carpet (and other) cleaners, and just about anything else that can help a business get spruced up.

But it’s not just about helping businesses.

“The ultimate goal at the end of 2012 will be to find a needy local family that could use an extreme makeover,” Keane added. “We’ll then go to their home, give the family a makeover while workers help clean and fix up their house.”

Monthly reports will be posted to The B-Town Blog, including photos of each makeover event as well as lists and links of businesses that helped. In other words, if you or your business volunteers to help this project, you’ll receive free marketing on the blog, which reaches between 50,000 – 60,000 Unique Visitors per month.

In addition, a separate website will be built, and photos and videos will be produced and posted as well.

The first meeting for the new ‘Makeover Burien’ program will be tonight – Wed., Jan. 4 at 6 p.m. – in the banquet room at The Mark Restaurant (918 SW 152nd Street in Olde Burien).

“We will be discussing the program, potential candidates and schedules for doing the makeover,” said Organizer Daniel Keane. “I look forward to seeing everybody and moving forward with this fun project in 2012. Please feel free to invite others to attend that may be interested in participating or if they are just curious.”

As we’ve previously reported:

‘Makeover Burien’ will be a 12-month long project where volunteers will help a different local business every month. Each month a business will be selected that needs some help, then volunteers will go in, give employees a makeover at Keane’s Serenza Salon & Spa, while others help clean up or fix things up at the business location.

This project was conceived by Keane, and will be produced in association with The B-Town Blog.

Volunteers are still needed to help with this monthly event, as are local businesses that can contribute in-kind services or products to help fellow businesspeople. Some of the categories needed are services like handymen, contractors, accountants, business consultants, carpet (and other) cleaners, and just about anything else that can help a business get spruced up.

But it’s not just about helping businesses.

“The ultimate goal at the end of 2012 will be to find a needy local family that could use an extreme makeover,” Keane added. “We’ll then go to their home, give the family a makeover while workers help clean and fix up their house.”

Monthly reports will be posted to The B-Town Blog, including photos of each makeover event as well as lists and links of businesses that helped. In other words, if you or your business volunteers to help this project, you’ll receive free marketing on the blog, which reaches between 50,000 – 60,000 Unique Visitors per month.

In addition, a separate website will be built, and photos and videos will be produced and posted as well.

If you’re interested in helping out, feel free to just show up at The Mark tonight at 6 p.m., or email help@makeoverburien.com for more information.

Burien’s annual ‘Empty Bowls’ fundraiser event for local food banks will be held on Friday, Jan. 27th at the Community Center, and volunteers are needed to help out.

Volunteers are needed to help wash bowls beforehand, as well as set up and serve at the event itself.

Here are the details courtesy Gina Kallman, Cultural Arts Supervisor for the City of Burien:

Hello!

I am starting to fill slots for volunteers for Empty Bowls 2012! The event will be Friday, January 27th, 11-2 and 4-8pm. Please let me know if you can help!

I am looking for people to fill these slots:

Bowl washing at Moshier Art Center:

• Monday, January 16, 10-noon
• Wednesday, January 25, 6-8pm

Set up at Burien Community Center:

• Thursday, Jan 26, 3-6pm

Friday, Jan 27—Main Event! Please let me know if you would like to help for lunch or dinner…we have the following shifts:

• 10:30-12:30
• 12:30-2:30
• 3:30-6:00
• 6:00-8:30pm

Thank you and Happy New Year!!

Gina Kallman
Cultural Arts Supervisor
City of Burien
Tel: (206) 391-6605
ginak@burienwa.gov
www.BurienParks.net

To volunteer, email Gina at ginak@burienwa.gov or call (206) 391-6605.

To see our previous coverage of past Empty Bowls, including great photos, click here.

At Wednesday night’s South King Media Advertiser and Reader Appreciation Holiday Party, a positive new project called ‘Makeover Burien’ was unveiled by The B-Town Blog’s Scott Schaefer and Serenza Salon & Spa’s Daniel Keane.

“Makeover Burien will be a 12-month long project where we’ll help a different local business every month,” said Keane. “Each month we’ll pick a business that needs some help, then go in, give employees a makeover at our salon while other volunteers help clean up or fix things up at the business location.”

This project was conceived by Keane, and will be produced in association with The B-Town Blog and Serenza Salon & Spa.

Keane and Schaefer are currently seeking volunteers to help with this monthly event, and are looking for local businesses that can contribute in-kind services or products to help fellow local businesspeople. Some of the categories needed are services like handymen, contractors, accountants, business consultants, carpet (and other) cleaners, and just about anything else that can help a business get spruced up.

But it’s not just about helping businesses.

“The ultimate goal at the end of 2012 will be to find a needy local family that could use an extreme makeover,” Keane added. “We’ll then go to their home, give the family a makeover while workers help clean and fix up their house.”

Monthly reports will be posted to The B-Town Blog, including photos of each makeover event as well as lists and links of businesses that helped. In other words, if you or your business volunteers to help this project, you’ll receive free marketing on the blog, which reaches between 50,000 – 60,000 Unique Visitors per month.

In addition, a separate website will be built, and photos and videos will be produced and posted as well.

If you’re interested in helping out, please email help@makeoverburien.com.

“Since 2008, volunteers in Walker Preserve have removed large amounts of invasive plants and planted many native trees and shrubs,” said Elissa Ostergaard, Miller/Walker Creek Basin Steward.

Walker Preserve is in Normandy Park, along Walker Creek, which currently has spawning coho and chum salmon.

“We also have several monthly community weeding projects scheduled through the winter to remove ivy and other invasive weeds, and plant native trees and shrubs along the trail and stream in Walker Preserve and other areas in the basin,” Ostergaard added.

This stewardship project is a joint effort of the City of Normandy Park, and the Miller and Walker Creeks Stewardship program.

WHERE: SW. 168th St. and 2nd Ave. SW. in Normandy Park, up the road from Normandy Park City Hall.  If driving, your parking options include:

• Three spaces in the small lot at SW 171st St. and Second Ave. S.W.
• On the street along SW. 168th St.

WHEN: Saturday, December 17, 2011, 9:30 a.m. – Noon

IMPORTANT NOTE:  This park does not have a restroom.

Stewardship Purpose: Improve habitat along the stream by removing non-native, invasive plants

Activities:

• Seek out English ivy and remove it from trees and pull roots out of the ground.
• Seek out Himalayan blackberry plants, cut them back, and then dig out the root balls.

What to bring:

• Your enthusiasm
• Clothing that will protect you from the rain and blackberry thorns
• Filled water bottle
• Gloves if you have them

Provided:

• Gloves
• Tools
• Donuts!

To sign up, or get more info, contact Elissa Ostergaard: elissa.ostergaard@kingcounty.gov, 206-296-1909 (Saturday, December 17 only: 206-707-6549)

Ostergaard adds:

This volunteer event is an opportunity to visit a pleasant park along Walker Creek.

Neighbors and other volunteers have made a lot of progress restoring the native plant community in this park, and this work will help create areas for native plants to go in later this winter.

Please sign up if you can, or decide to show up at the last minute!

Volunteers are needed between Tuesday, Sept. 27th and Thursday, Sept, 29th to help count bikes and pedestrians in Burien as part of a statewide census for the Washington State Department of Transportation.

“Bicycle and pedestrian usage of specific intersections in cities throughout the State will be counted and documented, similar to the National Documentation Project,” reads the WSDOT website.

If you’d like to help with the 2011 counts, email Brooks Stanfield: huevodelcampo@gmail.com.

Here are more details from an email Brooks sent us:

Hey Friends-

I heard it said recently, “What gets counted, counts.”

Each September we have an opportunity to collect data on bicycle and pedestrian use of our roads here in Burien.  Our data is compiled by the state DOT and included in an annual report covering the whole state.  This data is really important in making a case for more state investment in safe streets.

Burien has had great participation over the last two years, and now it’s time to get organized for 2011.

What I’m looking for…. folks interested in counting bike and pedestrian users during one 2-hour shift.  Shifts are done between Tuesday Sept 27th and Thursday Sept 29th.

• You can volunteer to complete shifts during either of two times: 7-9am and 4-6pm.
• You can pick from one of 10 established stations around Burien (Map of Burien stations – more will be added if we have enough volunteers)
• Once you have your shift assigned you can complete your shift on any of three days between 9/27 and  9/29.

It’s easy, it’s helpful, it’s interesting, and spending 2 hours quietly enjoying the scenes of your neighborhood during fall might be the most relaxing thing you do all month!

If you think you might be interested, please let me know.  The sooner the better.

Thanks!
Brooks

For more information, check out the WSDOT Bike/Ped Documentation Project.