New College Students: Go Volunteer on September 28

More than 800 Seattle Pacific University students, faculty, and staff, including SPU President Dan Martin, will take part in a day of community service on Saturday, September 28, 10:30 a.m.–2 p.m. They will volunteer at more than 30 locations around Seattle, cleaning up parks, removing invasive plants in local creeks, painting rooms in shelters, and working on countless other projects. This annual event called “CityQuest” introduces new students to SPU’s commitment to community engagement. Autumn Quarter starts Monday, September 30.

Here are a few CityQuest locations: 

Cheasty Greenspace at Mt. View on Beacon Hill
2809 S. Alaska Place

The largest project involving 80 students will be at Cheasty Greenspace at Mt. View, a 10-acre urban forest between the Lockmore neighborhood of Beacon Hill and Columbia City. The effort to clean up the forest is headed by SPU alumna Mary DeJong. The area was overgrown and had a lot criminal activity. During the past several years, SPU students have worked with neighbors and a number of nonprofits to develop the natural area with trails and native plants. President Martin will be working at this site.

Seattle Parks and Recreation, Sandpoint
6327 Sand Point Way NE and NE 74th Street

Volunteers will maintain the trees planted by CityQuest volunteers in 2010. They will also work on removing invasive weeds like blackberries, replace wire cages to prevent beaver damage, and spread mulch around the tree wells.

Friends of Martha Washington Park, Seward Park
6612 57th Ave S

Volunteers will remove invasive weeds, mainly blackberry and ivy, to restore and protect the historic Garry Oaks at the park.

Posted: Friday, September 27, 2013