Volunteer opportunities at the Ching this summer

Gone are those laborious blackberry work parties! This summer our Saturday work parties and gatherings have a whole new vibe...

The trees are fruiting, and thriving are the berries, shrubs and perennials in the "Apple Tree Guild", planted by Lakeside LEEP program alumni volunteers back in April. Our Nursery holding area is bursting with beautiful specimens awaiting future transplanting.

This looks to be a very hot, dry summer. Would you like to volunteer but prefer a weekday? Consider helping on Water Wednesday. Volunteers will receive orientation beforehand. You're sure to be entertained by the many hummingbirds who show up to drink water from the hose.

The pumpkin patch was such a big hit last year that we're doing it again... this time in the large central bed. On June 6 and June 13, we'll prepare and plant 150 squash and pumpkins left over from our May plant sale. There may even be a few extras for volunteers to take home.

Heard about hugelkultur beds and want to learn how to build one? Learn how at our Hands-On Hugelkultur Bed Build on Saturday, July 11, 2026 led by Maryn Wynne and Londa Jacques. With a good turnout, we should be able to complete the 15ft bed in about 3 hours!

Also in July, thanks to partial funding from a recently-awarded Environmental Mini-Grant from the CIty of Shoreline, volunteers will lay substrate and install 6 raised bed troughs to be planted with late season Asian vegetables. Later in July, our LEEP students return to fill and plant the beds as their summer environmental project.

On Saturday, October 3, we'll say goodbye to summer, and welcome the harvest season with the long-awaited Grand Opening of the garden and volunteer celebration!

Sign up for any or all of these events at Volunteer Sign up. The Garden is located at 16034 Greenwood Avenue North in Shoreline, across the street from Shoreline College.