Did you know Tukwila can be approximately 10 degrees hotter in the summer than other cities due to the malls, freeways, and lack of green spaces within the city?  

Thankfully, the trees, shrubs and groundcover in Crystal Springs Park actively help cool down the area, plus act as a noise buffer and air pollution filter from the multiple freeways and industrial developments. 

So, for the last six years, McKinstry volunteers have maintained nearly two acres of parkland, hosted more than twenty-two volunteer events, and planted over 1570 plants. In total, more than 468 volunteers have participated, totaling nearly 1150 volunteer hours! 

And earlier this month, 19 volunteers from Venture General Contracting a participant in Forterra’s Evergreen Carbon Capture Program came to Crystal Springs Park to plant 143 trees, shrubs and ground cover, continuing the extensive restoration work done by the volunteers from McKinstry. 

Judging by the numerous Big Leaf Maple in the park, Crystal Springs was likely logged around 100 years ago. Then deciduous trees like Big Leaf Maple and Cottonwood took hold. Many of these old deciduous trees at Cystal Springs Park will reach the end of their natural lifetime in the next decade or less. 

Once these older trees die, it will be significantly harder to establish any plants at the site without that canopy. Tukwila Parks Department is working at parks right now where there is a lack of older shade-making trees, and consequently they are struggling to establish new growth.  

Thanks to the amazing effort by the team from Venture General Contracting, the old deciduous trees will be able to provide shade to help the younger saplings survive.  

Thank you to everyone who participated!  

More about Evergreen Restoration Program 

Forterra is shifting away from the Evergreen Carbon Capture (ECC) program, since it is becoming less relevant because of the increased development and sophistication of climate markets. The Evergreen Restoration Program evolves Forterra’s focus from carbon mitigation to embrace a holistic approach to ecological restoration. This means that in addition to restoration work that directly contributes to addressing climate-related challenges, our efforts will concentrate on eradicating invasive species, strategically planting diverse vegetation to support all forest layers and habitats, and education. Learn more about how you can get involved by emailing restoration@forterra.org.