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.

Andy of Spokane Urban Forestry gives some tips and instructions.

Loni is having a lot of fun spreading compost.

Bryce fills a wheelbarrow with mulch.

Bryce and Alicia fill a wheelbarrow with mulch.

Linda spreads some compost around a tree.

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

Angel and Stacy catch up.

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

Andy and Bert deal with the shrinking pile of compost.

Melissa scoops mulch into the wheelbarrow.

Loni and Karl tend to a tree.

A treegram hangs from one of the branches.

The line of new trees next to N. Maple.

Jackie shovels some compost.

Tim and Bryce fill a wheelbarrow with mulch.

Jim and his young assistant

Loni rakes some compost around a tree.

The tree-planting crew.

Volunteers of all ages came to help.

A treegram hangs from one of the branches.

Jim and Tim talk trees.

Jim signs the MoU.

Jigmed wheels some mulch to where it’s needed.

Stacy rakes out compost.

Tim fills out a treegram.

Jackie fills out a treegram.

Karl hauls some 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.