2020 Earth Day Planting and Celebration at Strawberry Fields!

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While we know that there are many opportunities to celebrate Earth Day, Consider this!

Join us on Saturday, April 18th, 2020 from 10am to 1pm, by becoming part of the Adopt A Stream Foundation (AASF) Stream Team. Become a volunteer and help AASF Ecologists and Technicians plant 2,000 trees and shrubs next to the Middle Fork of Quilceda Creek where it flows through the City of Marysville’s Strawberry Field Park at 6100 152nd Street NE Marysville WA 98270. Over time, these trees will provide shade to help cool the creek waters during the summer months - a major function of riparian zones, the area of vegetation next to the stream that affects its ecological health.

This is a great family event! Did you know that planting a tree is the single most beneficial thing you can do to help the environment? Come by and learn about native plant communities, streams and habitat restoration!

AASF will provide work gloves and refreshments, but volunteers should dress for the weather, wear waterproof footwear, and plan to get dirty!

This Earth Day event is part of AASF’son-goingeffort to restore 8-acres of Quilceda Creek riparian zone at this location with support from the Tulalip Tribes, WA Dept. of Ecology, WA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, Snohomish Conservation District, City of Marysville, and several hundred volunteers.

So mark your calendars and join us on April 18th, from 10 AM - 1PM, at The Strawberry Fields Athletic Park (6100 152nd St NE, Marysville, WA 98271).

Volunteers of all ages are invited and no advance registration is required - there are a lot of trees that need to get planted!! For more details, contact AASF Ecologist Walter Rung at walterr@streamkeeper.org

Quilceda Creek Background: This stream flows from Arlington through Marysville and the Tulalip Reservation into the Snohomish River. Historically, Quilceda Creek was the most productive Coho salmon spawning stream in the Snohomish River Basin. Now, due to numerous causes associated with rapid and poorly planned development in the surrounding watershed, the Coho numbers have declined significantly. The small Chinook run has virtually disappeared. Water quality is suffering due to a several factors associated with development caused stormwater runoff and failing septic tanks: Fecal coliform bacterial levels exceed State Standards as do levels of mercury, cadmium and lead. Sediment samples show detectable levels of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, manganese, and zinc. Due to clearing of riparian zones, tree canopies that once provided shade that kept water temperature low have been significantly reduced in size or eliminated resulting in high water temperature and low water oxygen conditions that can be lethal to fish life. According to the Washington State Department of Ecology, Quilceda Creek no longer supports the designated uses of primary (swimming) and secondary (boating and fishing) contact recreation. Fish spawning and rearing areas have been degraded throughout the 38 square mile watershed.