Seattle Crew works in Edmonds Marsh

The Edmonds crew worked in the Edmonds Marsh, located near the Edmonds waterfront, 20 miles north of Seattle. This site is owned by Edmonds Dept. of Parks & Recreation. The crew worked to remove 31,000 square feet of invasive plants from the boundary of the 26 acre marsh, while also removing trash and minimizing impact on native plants. 

This delicate area of the marsh habitat marks the transition from a freshwater marsh to a saltwater marsh. Crew member Madison Laughlin was one of the hardest working crew members, always looking for another task when her assigned task was completed. She enjoyed the learning part of the crew as much as the work, eagerly seeking more information about the plants that we were working among in the marsh.

“This crew was the best thing ever! We got to work in the marsh and see different birds and even a coyote!” - Chaplyn Mack

This crew came from all across Edmonds and surrounding areas to work together for 3 weeks. It wasn’t all removing invasives though! For many of these students it was their first job and first introduction to working outside daily. There were also lessons that focused on personal and professional development, the favorites being leadership and job readiness skills like mock interviews and resume writing. The crew visited the Edmonds Wastewater Treatment Plant and learned the direct impact that they were having on the environment. Edmonds Parks Director Carrie Hite invited the crew to be a part of an Edmonds focus group, where they learned about civic engagement and how they as teenagers could have a voice and make a difference. This crew also focused on environmental education components such as local plant identification, green jobs, and sustainability. 

“At first, I thought that the crew was just going to be work from beginning to end. But the environmental education lessons taught me a lot about plants, leadership, and my impact on the environment. The balance between work and learning was perfect. I enjoyed the trip to the Edmonds Wastewater Treatment Plant the most because it really opened my eyes to the impact that I can have on the environment, and that’s something I want to share.” - Madison Laughlin



Partner Organization