Before her Lou Gehrig’s disease diagnosis, Maureen McCarry spent her last year on Issaquah City Council working on a project that would preserve Park Pointe.

When the city recognized her work with a prestigious environmental award, she spent the prize money on trees for the property. But it wasn’t until her daughter, 13-year-old Michaela Knollmann, helped plant the trees herself Wednesday that she understood everything her mother worked toward.

“She was really proud that I’d do this for her,” she said, with a shovel in hand and fresh mud on her sneakers. McCarry couldn’t physically make it to the event.

A small group of volunteers planted about 120 trees Wednesday with $1,000 from McCarry, who matched her prize money before giving it to the Issaquah Environmental Council earlier this year.

There are about 30 acres on the property that are filled with invasive plants, 12-foot blackberry bushes, and various rubbish, including about 80 tires, a boat and abandoned cars.

Matt Mechler, who oversees parks volunteer projects, spent the summer mowing down the blackberry bushes and digging up tires, which still had their rims.

His hope is that the new cedars will drown out enough light that the blackberry bushes won’t make a comeback.

There are still plenty more invasive plants to mow down. In the middle of a cleared field stands a pile of bushes. Mechler tried to tear them down, but he hit too much waste, including used barrels.

He hopes to use partnerships with IEC and Mountain to Sound Greenway to restore the 104-acre property.

Paul Algate brought his 13-year-old daughter Anna to tree planting project. After all that Christmas pudding, it was good to get outside again, he said, but he also did it on behalf of McCarry.

The Park Pointe land was preserved through a Transfer of Development Rights deal that allowed developers to build in a different part of the city.

If the city can grow while keeping its focus on the outdoors, it strikes a good balance, Algate said.

Claire McDonald participated in a tree planting at Park Pointe in Issaquah. BY CELESTE GRACEY

Paul Algate participated in a tree planting at Park Pointe organized by the Issaquah Environmental Council. BY CELESTE GRACEY

Michaela Knollmann plants a tree on behalf of her mother, Maureen McCarry, who purchased them with money she won from a city environmental award. McCarry, who is struggling with Lou Gehrig’s diseases, couldn’t attend the event. BY CELESTE GRACEY

Claire McDonald, left, and Michaela Knollmann plant trees at Park Pointe in Issaquah as a part of an Issaquah Environmental Council project. Knollmann’s mother, Maureen McCarry, donated money she won from the award to buying the trees. BY CELESTE GRACEY