Formed in 2018, the Green Burien Partnership is a City program that brings together community members and private and public agency partners to restore and care for Burien’s parks and urban forests. Over the last year, the program achieved some major successes.
- New staff support: Maya Klem joined as a part-time program manager for the Green Burien Partnership. She also supports the Green Tukwila Partnership, a similar program managed by the City of Tukwila. Her position is funded through the King Conservation District.
- Burien Green Teen: Ten Highline Public Schools teens took part in a two-week paid internship at Salmon Creek Ravine Park last August. This program was grant funded and provided in partnership with Dirt Corps and Mountain to Sound Greenway Trust.
- Hilltop Park Afterschool Program: Last October, the City partnered with King Conservation District, EarthCorps, and Partner in Employment to host an afterschool program at Hilltop Park. This program, funded by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, paid 12 students to learn about environmental restoration and become empowered to care for their local park.
- Hazel Valley Park Restoration: A year-long project to replace a large patch of blackberry and ivy with new trees, pollinator plants, and native plants. Community joined City staff and EarthCorps in a planting event in November.
- Green Burien Day: On October 22, more than 40 people braved the cold and rain in Hilltop Park for our third annual Green Burien Day event. Neighborhood volunteers were joined by City staff and partner organization volunteers to install 240 native plants, transforming areas of the park from overgrown blackberry patches and ivy-covered trees to a healthy urban forest.
- Forest steward program: Forest stewards adopt a park and receive training, tools, and materials to do environmental restoration with friends, family, and neighbors. Burien currently has 12 volunteer stewards who in 2022 held 31 events and restored 30,814 square feet of urban forest.
- Paid forest steward program: In recognition that not everyone can provide unpaid volunteer labor, the City launched a paid forest steward program to help more community members take ownership of their local parks and green spaces. The City aims to have four paid forest stewards begin work this spring.
There are some exciting opportunities on the horizon for community who wants to get their hands in the dirt and help out!
- Apply to be a forest steward! There are both paid and volunteer opportunities.
- Register to participate in a planting event
- Sign up for the Burien Environment News email newsletter burienwa.gov/newsletters
None of these milestones could have been reached without the hard work and dedication of our volunteers and community partners. Thank you!
About the Green Burien Partnership
Healthy forested parks and green spaces have the power to strengthen neighborhoods, provide safe access to nature, and provide many benefits to the environment. Without a coordinated effort to restore and care for our forests, we are at risk of losing many benefits of these forests and natural areas.
The Green Burien Partnership brings together community members and private and public agency partners to restore and care for Burien’s parks and urban forests. The Partnership’s activities include:
- Community outreach and engagement to guide project prioritization and implementation.
- Development of a 20-year plan for restoring forests and increasing the amount of tree canopy across the three cities.
- Implementation of projects and volunteer programs that organize local neighbors and community groups to plant trees, remove invasive plant species, and meet restoration goals.
