Roughly one dozen volunteers turned out today for the tree-planting event on N. Maple street.

Representatives from the Office of Neighborhood Services and Spokane Urban Forestry were there to lend a hand, and Nancy MacKerrow of The Susie Forest attended with cookies and “treegrams” to allow the planters’ wishes to flourish along with the trees.

A treegram hangs from one of the branches.

Jim, Bert and Tim figure out who’s next on shovel duty.

Linda spreads some compost around a tree.

Andy and Bert deal with the shrinking pile of compost.

Bryce digs in to the pile of compost.

Loni rakes some compost around a tree.

Stacy rakes out compost.

Melissa scoops mulch into the wheelbarrow.

Karl hauls some compost.

Jim and his young assistant

Volunteers of all ages came to help.

A treegram hangs from one of the branches.

Loni and Karl tend to a tree.

Bryce and Alicia fill a wheelbarrow with mulch.

Tim and Bryce fill a wheelbarrow with mulch.

Bryce fills a wheelbarrow with mulch.

Jackie shovels some compost.

Andy of Spokane Urban Forestry gives some tips and instructions.

Jackie fills out a treegram.

The tree-planting crew.

Jigmed wheels some mulch to where it’s needed.

Jim and Tim talk trees.

Angel of Spokane Urban Forestry and Nancy MacKerrow of the Susie Forest.

Angel and Stacy catch up.

The line of new trees next to N. Maple.

Tim fills out a treegram.

Jim signs the MoU.

Loni is having a lot of fun spreading compost.

This marks the first important step in dealing with this stretch of property on N. Maple. The Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council hopes to work with the city to install stormwater improvements, sidewalks and more plantings in the relatively near future.