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Restoring the Duwamish Hill Preserve for Earth Day

Seattle City Light volunteers get ready to help restore the Duwamish Hill Preserve.

On Saturday, April 21, 23 Seattle City Light employees, family members, and friends, including students from Seattle University and the University of Washington, joined more than 200 other volunteers to help restore the Duwamish Hill Preserve in Tukwila as part of the Duwamish Alive! Earth Day event, sponsored by Forterra. Volunteers moved dirt, pulled weeds and removed other invasive vegetation to make way for native plants.

Under blue sky and bright sunshine, participants enjoyed views of Mount Rainier and the Seattle skyline. Volunteers also learned a little about the cultural and natural history of the preserve. Once an important site for Native Americans, the preserve fell into disrepair in recent years and was used as a trash dump, homeless encampment, and ATV recreation area. In 2004, the site was purchased by a partnership that included Friends of the Hill, Cascade Land Conservancy (now Forterra) and the City of Tukwila. The preserve is now slowly being restored back to its original condition.

In addition to the volunteers working at the Duwamish Hill Preserve, hundreds more volunteered at sites along the Duwamish River throughout the Puget Sound area as part of the Duwamish Alive! event.

Watch a video about this volunteer project on our Facebook page.