On a crisp October 2021 day, Aspect staff, partners, kids (and one dog) helped restore a riparian area along the Snoqualmie River at Carnation Farms by clearing invasive blackberries and planting almost 100 trees and shrubs. In what has become a fall volunteer tradition, Aspect staff have worked with Stewardship Partners and Carnation Farms for years to volunteer and plant in riparian areas to help restore habitat along the Snoqualmie River.
This was our first big volunteer event in Pandemic times and everyone was excited to focus time and energy on giving back to our earth and water environment in Western Washington.
Reflecting on Working and Seeing People in Person
One thing quickly felt by all was how great it was to see people, meet people, and get outside.
“I really enjoyed it, it wasn’t too mentally exhausting for a Saturday morning which was perfect for giving space for small talk with each other. Another fun note was just meeting everyone’s plus 1’s too, everyone was lovely. Especially planting a tree with Milo and Athena, that was adorable and went along with the “stress-free/non-work” energy of the day.”
“These volunteer events with Stewardship Partners are a win-win-win – it amplifies the importance of their Partners work; riparian habitat is restored; and we have a lovely day out building community within our company. ”
“The pandemic has greatly affected many areas of our lives and one of them was our ability to volunteer (in-person). I felt very grateful for the opportunity to get to know some of my peers better while we planted trees and pulled out blackberry bushes. As an engineer, I am familiar with riparian restoration but I’ve never actually participated in it out in the “real world” before. It felt nice knowing that our team was proactively working towards a common goal together.”
“I really like getting outside, so that’s always a win for me, but it was especially meaningful to see people from Aspect in person again, it’s been too long since having that face-to-face connection.”
“Thank you to all from Aspect Consulting who came out to help us restore riparian habitat along the Snoqualmie River at Carnation Farms. It was such a great day and a great way to continue our partnership. You all made a huge impact!”
Since 2017, Planting to Build Riparian Zones and Construct Rain Gardens
Aspect has worked with Stewardship Partners since 2017 and this is our third event at Carnation Farms (2018, 2019, and 2021) and the sixth event total (the others are two work parties on the Rain Garden at Carnation Elementary + participating in a STEM night at Carnation Elementary).
Aspect Community Team (ACT) Activated
ACT is Aspect’s Community Team, which helps non-profit causes throughout the year and is led from within by Aspect staff. This Fall event is one ritual the team does – all are volunteers from Aspect staff -- as well as gather for other key programs such as STEM education events for underrepresented groups and participate in pro bono projects where we can share our Earth + Water expertise.