King County Parks

King County Parks

King County’s award-winning Parks and Recreation system consists of 200 parks, 175 miles of regional trails, and 28,000 acres of open space. In our parks, you'll find ballfields, playgrounds, and pools as well as lush forests, quiet meadows, and many other Pacific Northwest ecosystems.

Why Your Volunteer Service is Important

Forests need to have diversity in order to be healthy and thrive. When forests are thriving, they can provide many benefits to our community like filtering pollution, mitigating erosion and storm damage, providing habitat for wildlife, and creating green spaces where people can connect with the outdoors. Aggressive weeds like English Ivy and Himalayan Blackberry were brought to this area for their desirable characteristics of staying green all year round or for their tasty fruits. These plants, however, have upset the balance that our forests need to survive and thrive. Removing these aggressive weeds and planting native plants can help restore balance to a damaged ecosystem.