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.

Bryce and Alicia fill a wheelbarrow with mulch.

Bryce fills a wheelbarrow with mulch.

Loni and Karl tend to a tree.

Andy of Spokane Urban Forestry gives some tips and instructions.

Jim and Tim talk trees.

Tim fills out a treegram.

A treegram hangs from one of the branches.

Jim signs the MoU.

Karl hauls some compost.

Jackie fills out a treegram.

Stacy rakes out compost.

A treegram hangs from one of the branches.

Volunteers of all ages came to help.

Tim and Bryce fill a wheelbarrow with mulch.

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

Melissa scoops mulch into the wheelbarrow.

Loni is having a lot of fun spreading compost.

Andy and Bert deal with the shrinking pile of compost.

Jim and his young assistant

Angel and Stacy catch up.

Linda spreads some compost around a tree.

Jackie shovels some compost.

The tree-planting crew.

Loni rakes some compost around a tree.

The line of new trees next to N. Maple.

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

Bryce digs in to the pile of compost.

Jigmed wheels some mulch to where it’s needed.

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.