Last night at a ceremony hosted by Seattle Parks and Recreation, longtime Capitol Hill resident Doug Bayley was honored with a 2015 Denny Award for Outstanding Volunteer Stewardship to the cheering applause of over 230 attendees.

As the chair of Volunteer Park Trust (http://volunteerparktrust.org), and a board member of Friends of Seattle’s Olmsted Parks (http://seattleolmsted.org/), Doug has worked tirelessly to help Seattle’s green spaces for over a decade. A concerned neighbor and frequent user of Volunteer Park, Doug helped identify the park’s failing infrastructure and spearheaded the formation of Volunteer Park Trust to enact hands-on stewardship.

Acting as chair of the Trust since its inception, Doug “has led efforts to reverse neglect, replant beds according to the original Olmsted design and improve irrigation delivery within the park.” In addition to leading monthly stewardship events with in-the-dirt weeding and clearing of beds, Doug also helped found the Volunteer Park Sustainability Coalition, which is working to find green solutions and energy efficient long-term improvements for the park’s future.

The awards ceremony was held at the Museum of Flight and featured an introductory speech by Mayor Ed Murray. Nine awards were presented by Parks Superintendent Jesús Aguirre to applause from the largest-ever audience to attend the event. The Denny Awards (http://www.seattle.gov/parks/denny_awards/) were created in 2003 “to honor the valuable work done by the individuals and organizations that volunteer for Seattle Parks and Recreation.”