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.

The line of new trees next to N. Maple.

Melissa scoops mulch into the wheelbarrow.

Jim and Tim talk trees.

A treegram hangs from one of the branches.

Karl hauls some compost.

Tim and Bryce fill a wheelbarrow with mulch.

Loni is having a lot of fun spreading compost.

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

Andy of Spokane Urban Forestry gives some tips and instructions.

Loni and Karl tend to a tree.

Stacy rakes out compost.

The tree-planting crew.

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

A treegram hangs from one of the branches.

Tim fills out a treegram.

Jackie fills out a treegram.

Linda spreads some compost around a tree.

Bryce fills a wheelbarrow with mulch.

Andy and Bert deal with the shrinking pile of compost.

Angel and Stacy catch up.

Volunteers of all ages came to help.

Jigmed wheels some mulch to where it’s needed.

Loni rakes some compost around a tree.

Jackie shovels some compost.

Bryce and Alicia fill a wheelbarrow with mulch.

Bryce digs in to the pile of compost.

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.