Volunteer Opportunities at Carkeek Park

Love Carkeek Park?  Consider Volunteering!

In light of the recent elimination of staff and closures to Carkeek Park, volunteers are even more crucial to the survival of the park and its ecosystem.

Below are long-standing volunteer groups who help preserve and better our park.  

All welcome new members.  Descriptions and contacts are below:

Carkeek Park Advisory Council (CPAC) 

CPAC is a group of neighbors, community members and volunteers who support and enjoy Carkeek Park.  We work with Seattle Parks and Recreation in an advisory and supporting role.  We organize volunteer efforts through which many members of our community have contributed thousands of volunteer hours to improve the park in areas such as restoring salmon runs to Piper's Creek, trails improvement project, restoring Piper's Orchard, reforestation, and many others.

The council holds business meetings monthly, except in the summer months.  Most council work is done by its committee members, who plan, organize and carry out volunteer activities. 

--->  For more information or to volunteer, contact (206) 684-0877

Streams, Trails, and Reforestation Stewards (STARS)

If you enjoy Carkeek's trail system, these volunteers are especially to thank!

Work parties every 3rd Saturday of the month. 

--->  For more information or to volunteer, contact Dale at (206) 362-2980 or at    dalerayjohnson@comcast.net.

Friends of Piper's Orchard

Friends of Piper's Orchard is a group of neighbors, near and far, who love the Piper's Orchard in Carkeek Park.  We work together with the help of Seattle Parks and the Carkeek Park Advisory Council.  The Friends of Pipers Orchard web page is intended to foster community 

support for the Piper's Creek Orchard in Carkeek Park, sharing and preserving information about the orchard for it's betterment.

--->  For more information or to volunteer, contact Bob Baines at rbaines@q.com or volunteer online at pipersorchard@gmail.com.

Master Foresters

Master Foresters is a class for beginners and deals with the very basics of forest restoration:  Species knowledge (summer and winter characteristics), invasive removal, planting and monitoring, and knowledge of the tools and work technique involved.  The class is primarilarly for neighborhood residents who potentially become Forest Stewards in the park, but open places can be filled with city-wide participants.  A requirement is being able-bodied, as being a Forest Steward in Carkeek Park is a physically demanding hobby.  

UPCOMING 2011 CLASS:  Carkeek Park Forest Stewards Lex Voorhoeve and Loren McElvain, possibly joined by Brian Gay, Park Naturalist, consider starting a fourth Master Foresters Class in July 2011.  The project still needs approval from Parks.  The class will be spread out over 12 Saturdays between July 2011 and February 2012, and would run from 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM.  Cost is $40.

--->  For more information or to volunteer, contact Lex Voorhoeve lemar@w-link.net or at (206) 706-1009.

Carkeek Watershed Community Action Project (CWCAP)

Currently sponsors the following programs:  Salmon Feeders, Salmon Count Program, Salmon Stewards, Beach Docents, Demonstration Garden Volunteers, Earth Day and Salmon Celebration.

--->  For more information or to volunteer, contact Nancy at (206) 363-4116.

Weekday Workers (WEWO)

Special planting/care projects.  Weekday Workers are people who are sometimes available to volunteer during the week.  The work varies as needs arise in the park.  Typical activities are planting, invasive removal, clearing blocked trails.

--->  For more information or to volunteer, contact Loren McElvain at (206) 782-7617

or at l.j.mcelvain@gmail.com.

Friends of Llandover Woods (FoLW)

Friends of Llandover Woods has been in operation for about 6 years and is dedicated to preserving a peaceful 10-acre patch in Northwest Seattle.  FoLW is currently working on forest restoration plan created collaboratively with Seattle Urban Nature and participates in the Green Seattle Partnership (GSP) program.  FoWL holds regular 2nd Sunday of the month work parties year round.  These are also listed in both the Green Seattle Partnership Event's web page and Seattle Parks and Recreation Volunteer calendar.  

--->  For more information or to volunteer, contact Glenn Austin at (206) 364-9252 or at gaustin@path.org.

Service Learning Credits

Carkeek Park Caretakers welcome school and youth groups! Service Learning Credits can be given for any of the volunteer activities at Carkeek Park.  Please be sure to let the contact person for your project know about your need for credits.