Weed Warriors are Environmental Stewards
with a Passion for our Parks, Trails, and Open Spaces
Weed Warriors are volunteers from the community working to reduce the negative impact of invasive weeds. All members of the community, including youths and adults, participate in projects that positively affect the environmental health of our public areas, like parks, trails, and open spaces. Volunteers remove invasive weeds and restore habitats with native plants, improving the aesthetic and recreational quality of our public places.
Weed Warrior workshops and projects offer the opportunity to learn how invasive noxious weeds wreak havoc to our environment. Particpants experience “hands on” stewardship activities that make a positive difference in the environmental health of the community. Projects include invasive weed removal and habitat restoration using native plants and trees that stabilize the environment.
The Weed Warrior program imparts an awareness of local
invasive weed issues and the need for environmental stewardship. In Weed Warrior projects, today’s youth, who
are tomorrow’s citizens, civic leaders, and environmental stewards for the next generation, experience
activities in the local community while learning what it means to be an environmental
steward.
The Weed Warrior program invites all ages to participate in the projects that develop a sense of
connection to and responsibility for the natural landscape and public areas,
thus empowering community volunteers to help shape the environmental health of their public
places. Weed Warriors encourages everyone to get involved and challenges all members of the community to become part of
the solution to the invasive weed problem.
Weed Warriors launched their first project in February of 2008 with the massive ivy removal and habitat restoration of the Newcastle Historical Cemetery. Throughout 2008, 2009 & 2010 volunteers removed various species of invasive noxious weeds in many locations around the City of Newcastle, reaching over an impresive amount of volunteer time totaling a 3,091 hours since we began. The benefits to the City of Newcastle and residents of the restoration projects are priceless, since the projects impart an awareness of and need for environmental stewardship of our public areas which will be enjoyed by generations to come. If a price could be put a value of the work offered by the volunteers, it would total over $59,518.22. Thank you, Volunteers!
Volunteers and supporters include adults, elementary, middle and high school students from the community; members from Newcastle Trails, Newcastle Historical Society, Newcastle Chamber of Commerce, Hazen High School, Hazen's Girls and Boys Cross Country Teams, Liberty High School, Northwest Outdoor 4-H Club of King County, Hazelwood Brownie Troop, Boys Scouts from the Community, Newport Woods Association, Hazen High School Earth Core Club, Hazen Key Club, Newcastle Starbucks, Sweet Decadence, Newcastle Dentistry, Attorneys Maria Victoria, LLP, Orthodontic Excellence, and more.....
Youths fulfilling community service for school requirements are encouraged to participate and give their volunteer time to local stewardship projects.
Weed Warriors wants YOU to become an environmental steward!