In 2016 I began volunteering as a native habitat restoration steward at həʔapus Village Park and Shoreline Habitat (formerly referred to as Terminal-107 park) on the banks of the Duwamish River in Seattle, in partnership with EarthCorp and the Port of Seattle. Through my continued volunteer work there, I have helped to restore and maintain the habitat at this site by engaging, educating, and leading community volunteers and through regular weeding, watering, planting, and monitoring. Through the habitat restoration work at this site and related workshop and conferences, I have learned a lot about Pacific Northwest native plants and applied it in my own backyard. There I am in the process of restoring habitat dominated by invasive Himalayan blackberry to more native ecosystems. I am excited about how this habitat restoration plays into broader ecosystem restoration, allowing the return of people, fish, and so many other forms of life to interact within the ecosystem.
