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.

Jackie fills out a treegram.

Jim and Tim talk trees.

Loni and Karl tend to a tree.

Andy of Spokane Urban Forestry gives some tips and instructions.

Linda spreads some compost around a tree.

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

Tim and Bryce fill a wheelbarrow with mulch.

Andy and Bert deal with the shrinking pile of compost.

Loni rakes some compost around a tree.

Jackie shovels some compost.

Jigmed wheels some mulch to where it’s needed.

Loni is having a lot of fun spreading compost.

The line of new trees next to N. Maple.

A treegram hangs from one of the branches.

Melissa scoops mulch into the wheelbarrow.

Bryce digs in to the pile of compost.

Bryce fills a wheelbarrow with mulch.

Karl hauls some compost.

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

Volunteers of all ages came to help.

Bryce and Alicia fill a wheelbarrow with mulch.

Tim fills out a treegram.

The tree-planting crew.

Stacy rakes out compost.

Angel and Stacy catch up.

Jim and his young assistant

Jim signs the MoU.

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.