FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Duwamish Alive! 2008 Volunteers at Codiga Park in North Tukwila

Duwamish Alive! Receives NOAA Coastal America Award As Hundreds Gather to Restore Seattle's Hometown River

Seattle's Duwamish River and Washington's Puget Sound are healthier today thanks to the efforts of hundreds of volunteers who worked on Earth Day 2008 weeding, planting, mulching and cleaning up.

Hundreds of volunteers today worked along the banks of Seattle's Duwamish River from 10 AM to 2 PM at eight work sites to bring the river back to health.

At Codiga Park in Tukwila, one of the eight work sites, over 200 volunteers joined representatives of the 27-member Duwamish Alive! Coalition to receive the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s Coastal America Award for outstanding restoration volunteer service.

"Since Duwamish Alive! began in 2006, it has engage over 1700 citizens in hands-on volunteer activities throughout the watershed," said Tim Keeney, Deputy Assistant Secretary for NOAA's Office of Oceans and Atmosphere. "In its first two years, volunteers at 11 sites removed over 2 acres of invasive weeds, spread over 180 cubic yards of mulch (about 18 dump truck loads), planted more than 1,000 plants, and removed 325 pounds of garbage."

"The Duwamish Alive! Coalition has shown, beyond a doubt, what amazing things can happen when so many organizations and communities work together to achieve a common goal," said Keeney.

The award was accepted by People For Puget Sound's Executive Director Kathy Fletcher on behalf of the Coalition.

"The accomplishments of this group of organizations and all of our volunteers are impressive," said Fletcher.  "However, at its core, Duwamish Alive! is really quite simple.  It's about creating a healthy river for people, salmon, and wildlife. Duwamish Alive! is improving the river for all who live - and make a living - here."

At Codiga Park alone, volunteers dug out Himalayan blackberry, common tansy, and other weeds amounting to about 30 cubic yards over an area of 42,000 square feet. They also planted 900 native trees and shrubs, including Oregon ash, Pacific ninebark, cluster rose, Douglas fir, black hawthorne, red osier dogwood, red flowering currant and tall Oregon grape, and applied 15 cubic yards of mulch around these plantings.

In addition to individual volunteers, volunteers participated as a group from Highline Community College, Boeing, Starbucks, Nova High School, O’Dea High School, Everett High School, Puget Sound Business Travelers Association, City of Seattle, Washington Department of Ecology, Rainier Scholars, Boeing Employees Credit Union, and Arnold Air Society.

Duwamish Alive! Earth Day is the collective effort of the Duwamish Alive! Coalition comprised of: Cascade Land Conservancy | City of Seattle |  City of Tukwila |  Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition | EarthCorps |  Edwards Mother Earth |  Elliott Bay Restoration Panel | Environmental Coalition of South Seattle | U. S. Environmental Protection Agency | Friends of Duwamish Riverbend Hill | Green/Duwamish and Central Puget Sound Watershed Forum of Local Governments |  Green Seattle Partnership | Georgetown Community Council |  IM-A-PAL Foundation | King County | King Conservation District |  Longfellow Creek Watershed Council | Nature Consortium | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | People For Puget Sound |  Port of Seattle | REI |  Restore America's Estuaries | Seattle Parks and Recreation | Veterans Conservation Corps | Washington State Department of Ecology.

Contact: Mike Sato | 206.382.7007

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