Sustainable West Seattle: Sailing, wildlife, 2010 in review

January 19, 2011 7:31 pm
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 |   Sustainable West Seattle | West Seattle news

Story and photos by Jason Grotelueschen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
   

About 30 people gathered for Sustainable West Seattle‘s monthly Community Forum on Tuesday night at Coffee to a Tea with Sugar in the Alaska Junction (the event’s original venue, the Senior Center of West Seattle, was unavailable at the last minute).

Although the group’s “volunteer fair” format couldn’t happen Tuesday night because of space/time limitations related to the venue change, it was a busy night of “annual reports” for 2010, and guest presentations from the West Seattle Wildlife Habitat Project and the Salish Sea Trading Co-op.

Highlights on what’s been accomplished – and what’s coming up, plus the lineup of new SWS leadership, ahead:

After welcoming attendees and emphasizing that the group is always looking for volunteers, outgoing SWS President Brian Allen asked several of the individual event/activity coordinators to briefly speak about 2010. Highlights:

MARKETING AND WEB:  The group has a new website, Twitter feed at @sustainablews, and Facebook page, with plans to continue incorporating online tools into their services and projects. They also need volunteers to help “write articles about sustainable topics,” to help spread the word about how individuals and businesses can support the cause.

WEST SEATTLE TOOL LIBRARY: The group’s popular tool-lending service was launched last June and boasts 115 members and about 1,000 tools, both numbers that “exceeded our expectations” according to coordinator Patrick Dunn. (WSB coverage here) New volunteers are needed to fix and refurbish tools, and to help “mobilize” tools to deliver them to groups and community worksites where they’re needed.  Also, Dunn reported that the Tool Library has “outgrown its space” at South Seattle Community College and is tentatively looking at moving to the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center where they would have “5 times the space.” moving there – 5 times space we have now.  This Saturday the 22nd, the Tool Library will have an “Ask The Expert” session for DIY enthusiasts, from 12-2pm.

FARMERS’ MARKET: SWS leader Chas Redmond reported that SWS has been a regular participant (an “anchor non-profit tenant”) at the weekly West Seattle Farmers’ Market, and that the group’s participation is being used as a model for the Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance of how such groups can get involved. Volunteers are always needed to help represent the group at the Market, and they’re open for ideas for demonstrations — such as the beer-brewing demonstration being planned for February 20th.  

FESTIVALS: Christina Hahs talked about the group;s participation in the enormously successful Delridge Day/Sustainable West Seattle/ReFRESH Southwest Festival, as well as co-presenting GreenLife at the West Seattle Summer Festalong with West Seattle Nursery, and the Eat Local Nowevent. Hahs also discussed the group’s upcoming film series, which will open with “The End of the Line,” a film about overfishing, with a special guest speaker: Chef Hajime Sato of Mashiko. The screening is set for March 21st at the Admiral Theater at 7pm.

STORMWATER ISSUES: Cate Whitegave an update on the group’s efforts with regard to stormwater drainage (particularly the overflow issues at Lincoln Park), and reminded attendees that stormwater is “the #1 source of pollution entering Puget Sound.” There will be a meeting on the topicat Uptown Espresso on Wednesday January 26th. White said the group is working with Pathfinder Elementary on permaculture gardens and educational programs, as well as community outreach (looking for volunteers to help).

SWS leader Stu Hennessey was unable to attend the meeting, but Brian Allen reported on the Spokespeople West Seattle bike-ride project (a 38-mile ride starting at Alki), organized by Hennessey last week.

“SUSTAINABILITY STATION?”: After the meeting, we asked outgoing SWS President Brian Allen about the group’s previously discussed ideas regarding the purchase of ex-Fire Station 37 at 35th/Othello (map), and its potential conversion to a “sustainability station.” Allen said there hasn’t been any significant activity on the proposal, adding that he’ll have more time to work on it since he’s stepping down from his role as SWS president. He added that “lots of groups are excited about the idea,” but that the discussions “fell into the December vortex” when too many stakeholders were out of town. He’s hoping to make progress in the near future.

COORDINATING COUNCIL, NEW OFFICERS: Almost half of the group’s 12-member “Coordinating Council” leadership had reached their 3-year term limit, so a new slate of 5 officers was proposed and unanimously passed. 
Post-meeting update: According to Brian Allen, the new Council members met immediately after the Tuesday night meeting, and fully approved the following new slate of members and officers:   

The past Coordinating Council was 12 people, it’s now 5 (the minimum):

  • Christina Hahs – President
  • Patrick Dunn – Vice President
  • Amanda Goodwin – Secretary
  • Gene Homicki
  • Nicholas Smith

Rotating off the CC were:

  • Brian Allen – Founder, President
  • Bill Reiswig, Founder
  • Gary Lichtenstein – VP
  • Cate White – Secretary
  • Chas Redmond
  • Stu Hennessey
  • Manuela Winter

Next on the agenda was a presentation from the West Seattle Wildlife Habitat Project, kicked off by Dolly Vinal (pictured below, at left) and Kara Whittaker:

The group’s goals are centered around helping residents to get their communities “certified” as wildlife habitats — individual residents can help by getting their yards, balconies, school grounds, businesses, and public spaces certified. Certification involves five elements crucial to wildlife habitat:  food, water, cover, sustainable gardening, and places to raise young.

A good local example is Seacrest Park, where the group has “done a number of things over the years to get certified,” including pulling out old sod, putting down mulch to kill weeds, and setting up a rock basin, driftwood, and native plants.

There are currently 39 certified “community wildlife habitats” in the nation, and 11 are in Washington – the most in country. They are: Bellingham, Fidalgo Island/Anacortes, Skagit Valley, Camano Island, Edmonds, Lake Forest Park, Shoreline, Kirkland, Bainbridge Island, Tukwila, and yes — Alki (98116 area code).  The group hopes to achieve certification in the other 4 zip codes in West Seattle, and is looking for volunteers to help. They have a Facebook page and can be contacted at wseawhp@gmail.com. They’re also working on a website (the national site is www.nwf.org).  

The final presentation of the evening was from the Salish Sea Transport Co-op, led by Skipper Fulvio Casali (pictured below):

The group operates in Ballard, with the goal of “revitalizing sail travel” and promoting wind-powered sail transport in the Puget Sound. Casali, who hails from Italy and has been “sailing since the age of 11,” presented the SWS group with a gift of “sail repair tools” for their Tool Library. His group is operating a twice-weekly produce-delivery service that involves his boats picking up fresh produce at their partner farm in Sequim, sailing back to Ballard, and making the boxes available for pickup by their customers (currently numbering about 40).  

They have a mailing list of customers, and Casali encouraged meeting attendees to consider whether such a service might be an option for West Seattle — he mentioned the Seacrest Dock as a possible spot where sailboats could dock and deliver produce or other goods.

The group also has a Twitter feed (regular updated by the Skipper during sailing season), and can be reached at  info@salishseatrading.com.

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