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.

Jim and his young assistant

A treegram hangs from one of the branches.

Bryce and Alicia fill a wheelbarrow with mulch.

Loni is having a lot of fun spreading compost.

Loni rakes some compost around a tree.

Bryce fills a wheelbarrow with mulch.

The tree-planting crew.

Linda spreads some compost around a tree.

Jim signs the MoU.

Jim and Tim talk trees.

Loni and Karl tend to a tree.

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

The line of new trees next to N. Maple.

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

Karl hauls some compost.

Stacy rakes out compost.

Andy of Spokane Urban Forestry gives some tips and instructions.

A treegram hangs from one of the branches.

Jigmed wheels some mulch to where it’s needed.

Jackie fills out a treegram.

Jackie shovels some compost.

Melissa scoops mulch into the wheelbarrow.

Tim fills out a treegram.

Angel and Stacy catch up.

Tim and Bryce fill a wheelbarrow with mulch.

Volunteers of all ages came to help.

Andy and Bert deal with the shrinking pile of compost.

Bryce digs in to the pile of 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.