Green Tacoma Day is an annual day of service that offers great opportunities for the Tacoma community to get to know each other and our local green spaces. This year’s celebration will be on Saturday, October 14, 2023. Participants are encouraged to take individual actions and participate in volunteer activities to help protect and restore natural spaces in their neighborhoods.
Green Tacoma Day Lead-Up Events
Nature Mindfulness Walk, September 30 at 1 PM
Join Sarah C. Low of Strategic Nature LLC. in collaboration with the Green Tacoma Partnership on a nature mindfulness walk at Titlow Park. This will be a gentle walk that is intended to cultivate awe, appreciation, and relaxation. The walk will include gravel trails and some uneven surfaces. Meet in the parking lot in front of the historic Titlow Lodge. No registration required.
City of Tacoma Nursery Tour, October 7 from 9:30 AM – 11 AM
The City of Tacoma is hosting a nursery tour. Learn how the City’s nursery supports our Open Space, Urban Forestry, and Washington Conservation Corps programs. You will have the option to directly participate in caring for our native plant and street tree stock if you’d like! The tour has limited capacity, so please RSVP to LMatteri@cityoftacoma.org with your interest and party number. Location and details to follow for registered participants.
Green Tacoma Day Sites
Gog-le-hi-te Wetlands
Volunteers will nurture a wetland ecosystem by creating mulch rings that help retain soil moisture, regulate temperatures, and deter weed growth for young plants. Volunteers may also plant native trees and shrubs.
Clover Park Technical College
Volunteers joining us on CPTC’s Flett Property for habitat stewardship will help remove invasive species such as scotch broom and Himalayan blackberry, along with possibly seeding and planting native species (appropriate weather conditions permitting). It is also a great opportunity to network and build community with others interested in habitat restoration.
Green Blocks McKinley Hill
Volunteers will join the Tacoma Tree Foundation to help plant trees in the McKinley Hill neighborhood as part of the Green Block’s program, which distributes free trees for residents in the project area to plant in their right-of-way. Come help your neighbors and plant trees that reduce and filter stormwater, cool the neighborhood, slow traffic, and create a greener community!
Lincoln Park
Join Communities for a Healthy Bay (CHB) to help protect our waters by marking storm drains! The single largest source of pollution that contaminates the Salish Sea is polluted stormwater runoff. Marking storm drains with “No Dumping | Drains to Puget Sound” stencils and paint helps educate our community and lets them know that nothing but rain should go down those drains! NOTE: If it rains this event will change to a trash pickup.
Proctor Tree Planting
17 new trees will be added across Proctor Business District to grow tree canopy over these businesses. We are looking for 20 volunteers to install these large landscape trees. Tools will be provided, just bring your favorite gloves and energy!
South Ash Open Space
Join the City of Tacoma and our site stewards the S.U.N. Alliance at this South End green space! We will be planting native species, removing invasive species, and mulching—all to enhance the natural beauty of the site and improve this space for the neighborhood community.
Trafton Slope Open Space
Join the City of Tacoma and your community neighbors to care for this unique site which contains native Garry oaks and prairie habitat! We will be planting native species and removing invasive species like blackberry and scotch broom.
Titlow Park
Lend a hand, connect with your community, and steward the Earth by celebrating Green Tacoma Day at Titlow Park! Enhance the natural beauty of the park by removing invasive species, mulching, and planting native species!
Swan Creek
Join your neighbors at Swan Creek in helping us establish a Camas prairie and plant Garry Oak in the natural area!
Kandle Park
Come join Metro Parks staff and volunteers at Kandle Park for a 30 tree planting event. We will be planting larger trees, staking, and mulching them throughout the park. We really appreciate your support and volunteerism for this tree planting project. This project is Metro Parks commitment to providing greenery throughout Tacoma for all to enjoy.
Fred Meyer
Join the South End Neighborhood Council green up this major intersection (S. 74th St x S. D St) by installing pollinator friendly flowers and a wildflower meadow. Tools will be provided, just bring your favorite gloves and excitement to see this space come to life.
Spanaway Park
Pierce County Parks Pitch in For Parks will be by the playground at Spanaway Park to get down and dirty pulling English ivy, removing blackberries, and maybe even taking time to go down the slides. Registration for the event is required, event limited to 15 participants. Free trees and shrubs available for all participants to take home!
Pierce County Parks is giving away FREE one gallon trees and shrubs at their Pitch In For Parks event at Spanaway Park by the playground. Registration is not required for a tree, just show up ready to take one (or two) home!