Dozens of Sammamish residents looking for a meaningful way to spend a few hours on the weekend came together at a small park on the Plateau on Saturday.

Some were students looking to earn community service credits, others were locals with an interest in conservation. Many were Sammamish families eager to contribute to the city in which they live. In the end what they all achieved was to rid the small park of a strand of the invasive Scotch Broom – a noxious weed which poses a great threat to native ecosystems.

Not so long ago, a herd of Llamas used to graze here. Now the Scotch Broom has begun to take over the tract of land, known as Llama Landing, surrounding a wetland. Due to the development of the adjacent Illahee neighborhood in recent years, and the paving over of what was once grass and soil, the wetland has become an important water retention pond.

In order to help the catchment area function as a natural filtration system, the city must remove noxious weeds, like Scotch Broom and Blackberry, and replace them with native plants and trees.

The event at Llama Landing was hosted by the City of Sammamish, and is part of a series of volunteer activities over the next few months.

On the fourth Saturdays in March and April, the city will host similar invasive plant pulling projects in parks around Sammamish.

On Saturday, March 27, volunteer work parties will pull invasive species at Beaver Lake Park, near the dog park.

These events are great opportunities for residents wanting to get involved in the betterment of their city, roll up their sleeves, get their hands dirty and do something active.

For more information on this, and other, volunteer opportunties with the city, visit www.ci.sammamish.wa.us/Volunteers, e-mail Volunteer Coordinator Dawn Sanders at dsanders@ci.sammamish.wa.us, or phone 425-295-0556.