Dozens of volunteers spent Martin Luther King Jr. Day cleaning up and planting more than a thousand Sitka willows on the muddy banks of the Wishkah near Kurt Cobain Memorial Park.

A great turnout, good weather and good attitude helped dozens of volunteers get it all done with flair, said David Marcell, district manager for the Grays Harbor Conservation District.

“It was a great turnout. We got all the willow shrubs planted that we wanted,” Marcell said, taking a moment from planting in the muddy riverbank. “We removed a lot of invasives, like English holly, English ivy. Two shopping carts and a folding chair. The shopping carts have barnacles.”

The day went smoothly, Marcell said, without any snags.

“Because we’re taking a three foot stick and pushing it two feet into the ground, it was surprising how easy it was,” Marcell said. “There was some people that were concerned about it. We had to let them know we weren’t building a fence or anything.”

More than a thousand willows were live-staked into the ground to help stabilize the riverbank of the Wishkah near the Young Street Bridge. (Michael S. Lockett / The Daily World)

Ashley Towanda, a first-time volunteer with the district, praised the coordination and efficient use of volunteers by the conservation district.

“I was really impressed how well it was coordinated. People were actually engaged. I was impressed with how many people showed up too,” Towanda said in an interview. “I would absolutely do it again. We got to tear some stuff down, hammer some stuff in. It’s fun to have our children out here, seeing what it’s like to help our community.”

Homeowner LeAnne Kirkwood said it was good to see the planting occurring in the riverbank, that will help to push back against the encroaching erosion by the Wishkah.

“The deck is basically over the river when it’s high tide,” Kirkwood said. “It’s amazing how many people showed up and plant plant plant.”

More than 25 volunteers came out, said Alex Birk, outreach coordinator for the conservation district, as well as some extra help from local high schoolers.

Michael S. Lockett / The Daily World Volunteers, including a group of high schoolers, helped clear trash and invasive plants out of the area around Kurt Cobain Memorial Park before volunteers planted more than a thousand trees.

“The community really rallied. A bunch of high schoolers showed up extra early to pick up trash,” Marcell said. “Someone who I don’t even know donated a porta-potty.”

The weather warmed up from the frigid depths of the weekend, Birk said, and the sun graced the efforts with its presence, perhaps explaining the solid turnout.

“It’s been so fun. This is one of the best turnouts we’ve have for a volunteer event since I’ve been here,” Birk said. “It was a beautiful day. I think it’s the only day that’s supposed to be sunny this week.”

The work comes as part of the collaboration with Mount Olympus Brewing to sponsor trees for planting in the riverbanks, Birk said. Any property owner seeking to reinforce their riverbank property can apply for the same service, at no cost to themselves, from the conservation district, Birk said.

Michael S. Lockett / The Daily World Volunteers planted more than a thousand trees in the riverbank near Kurt Cobain Memorial Park on Monday.

“The reason we were able to do this is the homeowners signed up for our technical assistance. We’re hoping more folks along the Wishkah and Hoquiam rivers sign up,” Birk said. “This is part of our river roots collaboration with Mount Olympus. As people buy more of those beers we’ll have more sponsored trees to put on folks property.”

The Sitka willows, a local plant, are planted during the cold season so they can take root and grow during the spring.

“They’ll probably have four feet of new growth on them by the end of this spring,” Marcell said. “You’ll definitely be able to tell we were here.”

Kirkwood said she’s excited to see the trees grow.

“This is definitely a good start,” Kirkwood said. “I’m anxious to see the willows take off.”

Contact Senior Reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or mlockett@thedailyworld.com.