Pair of volunteers prep path for Adopt a Stream boardwalk

EVERETT— For nearly three years now, Marian Hanson has been slogging through knee-deep mud puddles, tromping through thick underbrush and making her way over slick, downed logs.

Of late, Larry Gearheard has been out there with her.

On a recent gray, soaking-wet day, the two were leading a group of sailors from the USS Nimitz through the same muck, near North Creek in Everett.

The volunteer group’s mission: to clear a path for an interpretive boardwalk trail near the Adopt a Stream headquarters at the south end of McCollum Park.

Hanson started volunteering two years ago with the non-profit stream restoration and education group, documenting the plants and animals in the wooded wetland area. It wound up becoming the thesis for her master’s degree in landscape architecture.

“It was so much fun I just stuck with it,” Hanson said.

Hanson, 56, of Lynnwood, returned to school at age 49 to earn her master’s degree from the University of Washington-Bothell.

Gearheard, of Bothell, has been volunteering with the group for about a year, doing handyman jobs around the group’s Stream Center. Recently, he’s been using his chain saw to clear downed logs and dead trees from the boardwalk path.

At 66, Gearheard is retired but still has a lot of energy, he said. He runs, hikes and climbs mountains and believes in Adopt a Stream’s cause.

“I want to see the natural streams in this area be taken care of and not just be like an L.A.-area strip mall,” he said.

Gearheard volunteered at Adopt a Stream because he’s drawn to “any efforts where I sense the people involved are being honest and heartfelt.”

The group has many valuable volunteers, director Tom Murdoch said, but Hanson and Gearheard have stood out because of the long hours they’ve put in.

“They just go out and do it,” he said.

Before he retired, Gearheard ran Baker Industries, which did pollution control at fueling sites. Earlier, he was the plant manager at Ace Tank of Tukwila, which built double- and triple-hulled fuel tanks.

He’s put his mechanical knowledge and experience to use at Adopt a Stream. He built a structure to support a “green,” growing rooftop as part of the group’s trout stream exhibit.

“He (Murdoch) had been quoted a lot of money and I did it for virtually nothing,” Gearheard said.

Now, he’s planning to build some steel shutters for the plexiglass viewing window at the stream exhibit. This will include drilling bolts into concrete.

“I’m just going to do it for the cost of the metal,” Gearheard said.

Hanson works part-time with her husband “flipping” houses and doing some landscape design, but working in the woods is her first love.

Adopt a Stream for years has been planning the $500,000 boardwalk project and is hoping to get it built this year. The trail, complete with educational signs, would loop about a half-mile through the woods east of North Creek and around the wetland area. The group leases the land from Snohomish County.

Hanson estimates she’s taken 15,000 photos on the site.

“It’s one of those projects that gets under your skin and you can’t let go of it until it’s done,” Hanson said.

Most of the money has been raised but much work remains. About 20 sailors from Naval Station Everett have pitched in but more volunteers are welcome.

The work is slow because the group is trying to preserve as many plants as possible— digging them up and replanting them off the boardwalk path as opposed to discarding them. Plants include sedges, ferns and skunk cabbage.

It takes about 20 minutes to slog to the end of the trail, so on a recent day Hanson brought a bag of granola bars with her to feed the group.

In addition to his work with the chain saw, Gearheard led a group of sailors in cleaning up a former transient camp and hauling out the garbage.

“I could not get this done if it weren’t for them,” Murdoch said.

Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439; bsheets@heraldnet.com.

For more information about Adopt a Stream or its boardwalk project, visit www.streamkeeper.org or call 425-316-8592.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Olivia Vanni / The Herald 
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County.
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mukilteo mayor vetoes council-approved sales tax

The tax would have helped pay for transportation infrastructure, but was also set to give Mukilteo the highest sales tax rate in the state.

Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring gives the state of the city address at the Marysville Civic Center on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Marysville, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Marysville council approves interim middle housing law

The council passed the regulations to prevent a state model code from taking effect by default. It expects to approve final rules by October.

x
State audit takes issue with Edmonds COVID grant monitoring

The audit report covered 2023 and is the third since 2020 that found similar issues with COVID-19 recovery grant documentation.

Bothell
Bothell man pleads guilty to sexual abuse of Marysville middle schoolers

The man allegedly sexually assaulted three students in exchange for vapes and edibles in 2022. His sentencing is set for Aug. 29.

Larsen talks proposed Medicaid cuts during Compass Health stop in Everett

Compass Health plans to open its new behavioral health center in August. Nearly all of the nonprofit’s patients rely on Medicaid.

District 2 candidates differ in public safety approach

Incumbent Paula Rhyne is facing challenger Ryan Crowther. The third candidate, Jonathan Shapiro, is no longer seeking the seat.

From left to right, Edmonds City Council Position 3 candidates Joseph Ademofe, Alex Newman and Erika Barnett.
Amid budget crisis, Edmonds City Council candidates talk revenue, affordability

Three newcomers are facing off for Position 3 on the council, currently held by council President Neil Tibbott.

Community members gather for the dedication of the Oso Landslide Memorial following the ten-year remembrance of the slide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The Daily Herald garners 6 awards from regional journalism competition

The awards recognize the best in journalism from media outlets across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

Everett
Everett approves new fines for non-emergency lifts

The fire department will only issue fines for non-emergency lift assists at licensed care facilities, not for individuals at home calling 911.

Guns for sale at Caso’s Gun-A-Rama in Jersey City, New Jersey, which has been open since 1967. (Photo by Aristide Economopoulos/New Jersey Monitor)
After suing, WA gets carveout from Trump administration plan to return gun conversion devices

The Trump administration has agreed to not distribute devices that turn semi-automatic… Continue reading

The Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility about 16 miles east of Ellensburg in central Washington is part of Puget Sound Energy’s clean energy portfolio. (Courtesy of Puget Sound Energy)
Megabill’s elimination of tax credits for clean energy projects could cost WA $8.7 billion

Washington households could see electricity costs increase $115 per year by 2029; 21,800 workers could lose their jobs by 2030, analysts say.

Everett mayor candidates focus on affordability, city budget in costly race

As incumbent Cassie Franklin seeks a third term in office, three candidates are looking to unseat her.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.