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.

Tim fills out a treegram.

Linda spreads some compost around a tree.

The line of new trees next to N. Maple.

Bryce and Alicia fill a wheelbarrow with mulch.

Jim signs the MoU.

The tree-planting crew.

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

Bryce digs in to the pile of compost.

Jackie fills out a treegram.

Tim and Bryce fill a wheelbarrow with mulch.

Bryce fills a wheelbarrow with mulch.

Jackie shovels some compost.

Loni is having a lot of fun spreading compost.

A treegram hangs from one of the branches.

Angel and Stacy catch up.

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

Loni and Karl tend to a tree.

Volunteers of all ages came to help.

Jim and his young assistant

Melissa scoops mulch into the wheelbarrow.

Karl hauls some compost.

Andy and Bert deal with the shrinking pile of compost.

Loni rakes some compost around a tree.

Stacy rakes out compost.

Jigmed wheels some mulch to where it’s needed.

Jim and Tim talk trees.

A treegram hangs from one of the branches.

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.