A group of 40 University of Washington, Bothell alumni, students, faculty and friends spent several hours maintaining a section of the Sammamish River Trail in Bothell on Sept. 17.
In partnership with city of Bothell staff, the university group removed invasive Himalayan blackberry from a 100-meter stretch of land along the popular regional trail between Blyth Park and 102nd Avenue Northeast in Bothell. The volunteers then replanted the area with native rose, Pacific ninebark and red-osier dogwood.
Many of the volunteers were students of the university’s renowned conservation and restoration ecology program.
The activity was sponsored by the university’s alumni council. According to council chair, Mary Howisey, “Volunteer service is one important way for our former students to stay connected with the Bothell community. Our students enjoy the benefits of living and studying in this growing college town, and we like to give back however we can.”