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.

Tim fills out a treegram.

Jigmed wheels some mulch to where it’s needed.

Angel and Stacy catch up.

Linda spreads some compost around a tree.

Bryce and Alicia fill a wheelbarrow with mulch.

Bryce digs in to the pile of compost.

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

A treegram hangs from one of the branches.

Volunteers of all ages came to help.

The tree-planting crew.

Karl hauls some compost.

Andy of Spokane Urban Forestry gives some tips and instructions.

The line of new trees next to N. Maple.

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

Jackie fills out a treegram.

Loni is having a lot of fun spreading compost.

Stacy rakes out compost.

Tim and Bryce fill a wheelbarrow with mulch.

Andy and Bert deal with the shrinking pile of compost.

Bryce fills a wheelbarrow with mulch.

Jim and his young assistant

Loni and Karl tend to a tree.

Loni rakes some compost around a tree.

Jim and Tim talk trees.

Melissa scoops mulch into the wheelbarrow.

Jim signs the MoU.

Jackie shovels some 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.