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.

Volunteers of all ages came to help.

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

Melissa scoops mulch into the wheelbarrow.

Stacy rakes out compost.

Jackie shovels some compost.

The tree-planting crew.

Linda spreads some compost around a tree.

Karl hauls some compost.

Jigmed wheels some mulch to where it’s needed.

Andy and Bert deal with the shrinking pile of compost.

Tim fills out a treegram.

Andy of Spokane Urban Forestry gives some tips and instructions.

Jim and his young assistant

Bryce fills a wheelbarrow with mulch.

Angel and Stacy catch up.

A treegram hangs from one of the branches.

Bryce and Alicia fill a wheelbarrow with mulch.

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

Jim signs the MoU.

Loni rakes some compost around a tree.

Jim and Tim talk trees.

Loni is having a lot of fun spreading compost.

Jackie fills out a treegram.

The line of new trees next to N. Maple.

Loni and Karl tend to a tree.

Tim and Bryce fill a wheelbarrow with mulch.

A treegram hangs from one of the branches.

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.