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.

Jackie fills out a treegram.

The line of new trees next to N. Maple.

The tree-planting crew.

Bryce fills a wheelbarrow with mulch.

Melissa scoops mulch into the wheelbarrow.

Volunteers of all ages came to help.

Karl hauls some compost.

Loni rakes some compost around a tree.

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

Loni and Karl tend to a tree.

Jigmed wheels some mulch to where it’s needed.

Tim fills out a treegram.

Andy of Spokane Urban Forestry gives some tips and instructions.

A treegram hangs from one of the branches.

Jackie shovels some compost.

Bryce digs in to the pile of compost.

A treegram hangs from one of the branches.

Linda spreads some compost around a tree.

Bryce and Alicia fill a wheelbarrow with mulch.

Jim signs the MoU.

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

Andy and Bert deal with the shrinking pile of compost.

Loni is having a lot of fun spreading compost.

Angel and Stacy catch up.

Tim and Bryce fill a wheelbarrow with mulch.

Jim and his young assistant

Stacy rakes out compost.

Jim and Tim talk trees.

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.