Thousands of native trees and shrubs are being planted this year by a dedicated community of volunteers along Quilcene’s Tarboo Creek and its surrounding wetlands.

Coordinated by local nonprofit the Northwest Watershed Institute, volunteers and staff members will work to restore the stream and wildlife corridor from the headwaters of Tarboo Creek to Dabob Bay.

The watershed institute works with landowners and partnering organizations to protect and restore local environments such as the Tarboo Creek area.

“Throughout February and March, community planting projects provide opportunities for folks of all ages to get involved in the ongoing restoration of the Tarboo Creek — Dabob Bay watershed,” said Megan Brookens, a director with the watershed institute.

Rather than doing the larger, less frequent Plant-A-Thon events of prior years, the Northwest Watershed Institute will host several smaller events. Volunteers from three schools in the area kicked off 2023’s Plant-A-Thon in February as 30 people planted 900 trees and shrubs in the wildlife corridor and surrounding spots.

Student and adult crew leaders attended a short training before the event began. As more volunteers arrived, crew leaders helped lead groups in each planting zone.

Volunteers chose from a variety of potted and bare-root native plants in each zone such as spirea, sword fern, crab apple, salmonberry, osoberry, Douglas fir, Western hemlock, Western red cedar, and vine maple.

“By the end of the project, it became apparent that, though our work was simple, our actions can add up to big change,” said David Dunn, a parent-volunteer. “The sites looked completely different with all these new plants in place.”

“You could just feel the potential of our work – we were a part of the transformation of the watershed,” Dunn added. 

Plant-A-Thon school coordinators Kit Pennell (Chimacum School District), Emily Gohn (Swan School), and Amber Jones (OCEAN School) have supported the Plant-A-Thon for many years and were instrumental in bringing people together for another successful planting project.

“Every year, school groups come together for Plant-A-Thon, and this year, I am excited that more community members are also participating through monthly Dabob Days volunteer projects,” Brookens said.

Additional restoration planting projects will take place at a Dabob Days event Saturday, March 4 and a Plant-A-Thon day Saturday, March 11 on the watershed institute’s Tarboo Wildlife Preserve in partnership with local schools and community members.

To volunteer at an upcoming Dabob Days project or Plant-A-Thon project,  email megan@nwwatershed.org.

For more information about the Northwest Watershed Institute, visit nwwatershed.org.

Funding to run Plant-A-Thon and Dabob Days projects is made possible by Washington State’s No Child Left Inside grant program, the Jefferson County Conservation District, the Washington State Conservation Commission, the Clif Family Foundation, and Dennis Watson Spirit of TEAM Memorial Grant.