Arbor Day and Oaktoberfest are scheduled for Saturday, October 17, at the Meadowbrook Farm Interpretive Center in North Bend. Oaktoberfest begins at 9 a.m., followed by Arbor Day activities at 10 a.m.
Mayor Miller will open the Arbor Day event with a proclamation at 10 a.m. Representatives from the City, Meadowbrook Farm Preservation Association, Snoqualmie Tribe and Eagle Scout candidate Elijah McCarty will speak about the planting project, local conservation and the original Snoqualmie Prairie (Baqw ab).
Eagle Scout candidate Elijah McCarty of Boy Scout Troop 466 will lead the planting activity beginning at 10:30 a.m. Native trees and shrubs will be planted around the Meadowbrook Farm Interpretive Center as part of a larger project involving the Meadowbrook Farm Preservation Association and the Snoqualmie Tribe. QR code posts will be installed beside the plants with their names in Lushootseed and information about how the Snoqualmie Tribe historically used them on its ancestral lands.
Volunteers can register in advance through the registration webpage and complete a Volunteer Service form. Paper copies will also be available at the event. Participants under 13 must be accompanied by an adult. Volunteers are encouraged to bring their own shovel, as only a limited number will be available, and must wear long pants, sturdy closed-toe shoes and gardening gloves.
Now in its fourth year, Oaktoberfest will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and include children’s activities, native plant sales and educational booths focused on trees, plants and local ecosystems. Oaktoberfest coordinators will also lead a Treemendous Trees of North Bend Tour beginning at 1 p.m.
Both events are free and will take place at and around the Meadowbrook Farm Interpretive Center, with on-site parking available. Oaktoberfest is independently organized and is not a City of North Bend event.
Together, the two events offer a chance to learn about native plants, local conservation and the landscape surrounding Meadowbrook Farm.
[Information provided by the City of North Bend. Featured photo by Daniel Frank on Unsplash]
