The event begins with introductions by the Renton
Mayor, any City Councilmembers present, and any
Park Commissioners who care to speak. We have
received our Tree City USA award at this event in
the past, presented by a WA State legislator, but
we switched this up in the past two years, having
the award presented at a City Council meeting a
week or two prior to the event.
Once the speeches are over, volunteers gather with
their assigned City staff person and move to their
pre-assigned work location. The staff person per
-
forms a quick safety and how-to demo, after which
the volunteers get to work and within an hour
to an hour and a half complete the planting and
cleanup. We follow that with a lunch for the partic
-
ipants and an Arbor Day/Earth Day t-shirt.
The event begins at 9 a.m. with registration and
site assignments. The Mayor speaks at 9:30, and
the volunteers go to work around 10 a.m. The
entire event wraps up by 1 p.m.
Some of the behind the scenes things that occur
include:
• Plant ordering and delivery
• Giving planting plans to volunteers or posting
them at the site
• Placement of plants in the exact location they are
to be planted or marking the locations
• Finding sponsors for t-shirts and other funding for
food, drink, plants, etc.
• Pre-registration of volunteers (helps with head count
and avoids too many volunteers standing around
without much to do). We quit advertising the event
once we reach our volunteer goal number.
• Documenting dignitaries present so they can be
recognized by the Mayor
• Providing the Mayor with information for his/her
speech
• Site preparation—removing dead plants, loosening
soil, stock piling mulch, and the like
