A large turnout of volunteers joined forces with officials recently to help restore a local wetlands area.

The Pacific Meadows Wetlands Habitat Restoration planting party – an event sponsored by the City of Pacific, Friends of the Lower White River and the National Wildlife Federation Northwest office – featured crews placing native plants in a wetlands area where invasive plants had been removed.

Nearly 50 volunteers from Auburn Riverside High School’s Skills USA, White River Valley Lions Club, Pacific Partnerships, Boy Scouts Troop 835 and the Pacific Meadows neighborhood association planted more than 1,000 Douglas fir, Western red cedar and other trees and plants native to the area.

Using funds set aside for wetlands and park improvements, the City of Pacific had overgrown and invasive plants such as the non-native Himalayan blackberry removed from approximately a third of the wetlands area. Volunteers from Friends of the Lower White River then worked to organize the planting, as well as supply food, water and other snacks for the volunteers.

“It was an amazing turnout,” said Pacific Mayor Richard Hildreth. “This was a great accomplishment that not only works to improve a wetlands, but creates a much safer place for citizens to live and play.”