Port team plants native trees at SWIFT Center

(SEDRO-WOOLLEY)- The team of staff from the Port of Skagit planted 190 native trees and shrubs along new trails at the SWIFT Center, according to a news release from the port.

Stepping away from their regular roles last Friday morning, more than a dozen Port of Skagit staff members donned rain gear and picked up shovels as part of a planting work party to restore some of the natural habitat along the trail system that runs through and around the Port’s SWIFT Center property.

The plantings were added to the new Winfield and Quarry Trails at the SWIFT Center. SWIFT Center facilities staff prepped the planting sites in the weeks leading up to the event, including the removal of invasive plants to make room for native species. Port staff from Skagit Regional Airport, La Conner Marina, SWIFT Center, and the Administrative Office planted nearly 200 trees and shrubs, ranging from Western Red Cedar and Big Leaf Maple, to Oceanspray and Red Flowering Currant, with a coordinated plan to place more flowering shrubs near benches and viewpoints for trail users to enjoy.

The planting work party was a team effort that provided additional labor to the project as well as a great team-building opportunity for Port staff. This event also provided a head start on plantings in the high-profile areas of the new trail system before the larger scale riparian restoration work begins in 2027 with the support of a Washington State Department of Ecology grant, in partnership with Skagit County.

The Port of Skagit has a long history of environmental stewardship work, including the responsible management of wetlands and forested lands, and creating 10+ miles of nature trails, in lieu of curbs and sidewalks, during the development of Bayview Business Park in Burlington, to better complement and support the natural landscape of the forested business park.