MUD MONSTER TO HELP OUT ON EARTH DAY DUWAMISH ALIVE! AT 8 RIVER SITES

The Mud Monster and Mud Buddy, last seen last fall before the rains began, is reported to be in the vicinity of the Duwamish River and ready on Earth Day April 19 to help volunteers step up to work at any of eight restoration sites to bring Seattle’s hometown river back to health.

Organizers of Duwamish Alive! Earth Day expect hundreds of volunteers to weed, plant, mulch and clean up sites along the historic waterway.

“It’s great news that the Mud Monster is again rising from the depths to lead our mud brigades forward,” said Eliza Ghitis of People For Puget Sound. “Step up and sign on to volunteer and let’s show the Mud Monster we can work hard to get the job done.”

Restoration sites include Codiga Park in north Tukwila, Duwamish Waterway Park in South Park, Gateway Park North/8th Ave. S. in Georgetown, Hamm Creek in South Seattle, Duwamish Riverbend Hill Park in north Tukwila, Pigeon Point in West Seattle, Roxhill Park in West Seattle and Brandon Street Natural Area in West Seattle.

Restoration work runs from 10 AM to 2 PM, followed by a celebration at Cooper School with food, drink, music, games and free copies of the new river map produced by the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition and partner.

To volunteer, contact Jamie Wine, (206) 382-7007. Complete details of Duwamish Alive! Earth Day site information and locations is found at http://www.pugetsound.org/events/duwamishalive.

Duwamish Alive! Earth Day is the collective effort of the Duwamish Alive! Coalition:

Cascade Land Conservancy | City of Seattle |  City of Tukwila |  Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition | EarthCorps |  Edwards Mother Earth |  Elliott Bay Restoration Panel | Environmental Coalition of South Seattle | U. S. Environmental Protection Agency | Friends of Duwamish Riverbend Hill | Green/Duwamish and Central Puget Sound Watershed Forum of Local Governments |  Green Seattle Partnership | Georgetown Community Council |  IM-A-PAL Foundation | King County | King Conservation District |  Longfellow Creek Watershed Council | Nature Consortium | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | People For Puget Sound |  Port of Seattle | REI |  Restore America’s Estuaries | Seattle Parks and Recreation | Veterans Conservation Corps | Washington State Department of Ecology.

A complete Earth Month 2008 calendar of events and information on how residents can become Sound Citizens by doing any of the ’10 Simple Things to Save Our Sound’ is found at PugetSound.org

Puget Sound Earth Month 2008 is made possible in part by a grant from the Washington Department of Ecology.