(WSB photos)

It was all about vision when Sustainable West Seattle gathered interested community members last night at Beveridge Place Pub in Morgan Junction. Our top photo shows people trying out the Oculus gear brought by “Diver Laura” James, featuring her Virtual Salish Sea video.

She also explained the camera gear she uses to shoot underwater video in Puget Sound. Another type of vision at the gathering: The many projects and groups tied into Sustainable West Seattle, including the Green Spaces Coalition:

But you can take your own sustainability hopes and dreams and work to make them a reality, noted SWS leader Stu Hennessey:

In general, Hennessey said, SWS works to help and uplift people and ideas, focusing on the positive – what you can be for, rather than what you’re against. For example, you can work on components of the “Green New Deal” – attendees could check out ideas via a flyer made earlier this month for West Seattle Meaningful Movies – another group with ties to SWS, and one of several whose reps were at last night’s gathering. Other projects/programs/groups discussed included the West Seattle Tool Library, Puget Ridge Edible Park, and Hate-Free Delridge.

12 years after Sustainable West Seattle‘s founding, the word “sustainable” is more relevant than ever. It’s gone far beyond environmental applications. What does it mean to YOU? Bring your hopes and ideas to SWS’s next public gathering, 6:30 pm Wednesday (March 13th) at Beveridge Place Pub (6413 California SW) in Morgan Junction. Incentives include free pizza supplied by SWS and viewing of the Virtual Salish Sea courtesy of “Diver Laura” James. Topics include the “Green New Deal”

It’s prime time for gardening – so don’t let your broken tool(s) keep you from getting out and working in the yard, or courtyard, or P-Patch plot – take it to the West Seattle Tool Library before 4 pm and the WSTL/Sustainable West Seattle folks will be happy to help. Thanks to Julie for the photo! The WSTL is at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW), on the northeast side of the building.

It’s been 10 years since Sustainable West Seattle launched (found this in our archives!) and the group is getting ready for the next decade. SWS sent the following update after its annual meeting and election of new board members:

Sustainable West Seattle’s new board is set to tackle projects in 2017!

On February 27th, Sustainable West Seattle held its Annual Meeting at the Senior Center of West Seattle. The membership elected a new board, discussed the focal points and alliances for 2017, and celebrated the 10-year anniversary of Sustainable West Seattle, SWS.

Stu Hennessey, Sustainable West Seattle’s new president, suggested that members no longer be required to pay annual dues, which was approved. SWS is transitioning to an open-membership policy and is currently considering all persons who participate in SWS meetings to be members of the organization. Tax-deductible donations to Sustainable West Seattle are appreciated and help fund operational expenses and events like Green Life at West Seattle Summer Fest.

The new board has hit the ground running and is currently working on a spring newsletter and the Green Life festival lineup (2017 schedule coming soon!). The strategic goals for 2017 have largely been set. The Green Life Festival, the transition to open membership, communication (via newsletter, website, and social media), and getting members involved in on-going projects and events, are in the focus of this year’s board. SWS’s mission is to educate, create and advocate for urban sustainability in our local community. It does so in cooperation with allies such as the West Seattle Timebank, the West Seattle Tool Library, Tox-ick.org, Community Orchard of West Seattle, Hate-Free Delridge, West Seattle Bike Connections, DIY Bikes, and West Seattle Meaningful Movies.

This is Sustainable West Seattle’s new board:

Amanda Goodwin
Position: Secretary

Amanda has been on the board of Sustainable West Seattle previously for 3 years from 2010-2012. Amanda is a dancer and choreographer and has collaborated to create a multi-disciplinary art project called Illuminatio. She is a certified Spanish translator and interpreter and has translated Illuminatio from its original Spanish (originally titled Illuminatio: Yo soy.) She also translated the stormwater presentation of Tox-ick.org into Spanish. She has taught ballet and Spanish to children. As a mother, she cares intensely about healthy living conditions, now and in the future.

Jon Grant
Position: Treasurer

Jon is a 11-year resident of West Seattle and has been volunteering for Sustainable West Seattle for most of that time. Jon is looking forward to working on the exciting projects SWS has coming up and maintaining SWS’s web presence.

Stu Hennessey
Position: President

Longtime West Seattle neighbor, lifetime Seattle resident, and Seattle native! Growing up surrounded by trees, mountains and seas, the instinctive feeling of being one with nature will never leave my consciousness. I am on the core group of several Sustainable West Seattle endeavors. Carbon-free transportation associated with West Seattle Spokespeople and DIY Bikes as well as growing food locally at COWS are my passions and commitments to a healthier and happier community. My day job is the owner of Alki Bike and Board in the Admiral District. Typical of a gardener/farmer, I like to plant seeds of change in our community, and watch them grow.

Hildegard Nichols
Position: Board member, Social Media

A resident of West Seattle for the last 10 years, Hildegard studied political economics and journalism in Mainz, Germany. She worked for many years as a free-lance journalist for public TV stations, mostly in Berlin, focusing on economy and ecology, with a special interest in rivers. Hildegard has been active in the Green Party of Seattle and looks forward to help her friends at Sustainable West Seattle get the message across, through social media.

Ibrahim Osman (no photo provided)
Position: Board – Graphic Artist

I am Ibrahim Osman, a Somali-American design student who has lived in West Seattle for 2 years. The idea of sustainability to me is pretty new, it’s not something I really thought about before. By joining Sustainable West Seattle, I hope to gain a lot of knowledge on what that means and grow in the process. I also hope to help out SWS with the skillset that I have.

Watch sustainablewestseattle.org for word of upcoming meetings and SWS projects to get involved with!

Wondering about community work you can do tomorrow on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day? Might be as simple as coming to a meeting: Sustainable West Seattle has chosen Monday night for its annual membership meeting, themed “Learn, Volunteer, Join.” The invitation is for anyone and everyone, member or not, per the official announcement:

On the National Day of Service, start the New Year off by donating some time to Sustainable West Seattle (SWS), the organization spearheading West Seattle’s effort to provide alternatives to globalization and planet exploitation. SWS is looking for new members and board members for 2015’s “projects of hope.”

Here is your chance to influence the shape of your sustainable community and local projects. The evening will include:

*Review of Projects & Events in 2014
*Look Forward & Idea Sharing for Focus of 2015
*Prospective Board Candidates — Attendees for consideration by Incoming 2015 Board will share their ideas for, and what they can contribute to SWS
*SWS Members at large and interested participants (not SWS members) share ideas for local West Seattle efforts and to help SWS as an organization

Dessert will be provided by the current 2014 SWS Board. Hope you can join in the local effort with Sustainable West Seattle.

It’s happening at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 5612 California SW (if you’re taking the bus, the California/Findlay RapidRide station is steps away), 6:30 pm. P.S. New benefit for SWS membership – discounts at several local businesses!

This year, Sustainable West Seattle members and friends headed into the trees for the group’s annual picnic, gathering among the food-producing plants at the Community Orchard of West Seattle on the northeast edge of the South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) campus. Before dessert time – which included the option to make smoothies with a human-powered blender! – SWS’s Stu Hennessey announced this year’s honorees. First, Steve Richmond, honored for his work with native plants and removing invasives – projects such as the wetland restoration by Sanislo Elementary – “which he does all by bicycle!”

Speaking of bicycling – tonight’s other honoree was West Seattle Bike Connections president Don Brubeck, not on hand, but lauded by Stu for his “mild-mannered” advocacy, and everything he and WSBC have accomplished in just a few short years.

Stu also listed some of SWS’s main projects/events this past year, including the orchard itself, where a row of trellissed apple trees grows – most made naturally problem-resistant, compared to a few on the north side that aren’t:

Apples were going into the cider press borrowed from the West Seattle Tool Library, also a SWS project:

SWS also planned and presented the GreenLife area at West Seattle Summer Fest again this year; other programs and projects include DIY Bikes, Tox-Ick.Org, Spokespeople, and West Seattle Meaningful Movies, whose next presentation, September 6th, is “Princess Angeline,” about Chief Sealth‘s daughter, an event also intended for support of and updates about the Duwamish Tribe‘s ongoing battle for official recognition.

Find out more about SWS at sustainablewestseattle.org.

(WSB photo from SWS picnic – including a celebration of volunteers – last August)
“Volunteers are the essential ingredient to make West Seattle more sustainable.” So says Sustainable West Seattle, inviting you to its first Volunteer Orientation and Appreciation Party next Saturday (May 3), 4-7 pm, at CrossFit West Seattle in The Admiral District (4200 SW Admiral Way). From the announcement:

… The orientation for prospective volunteers includes descriptions of what SWS volunteers do and the many opportunities offered. Volunteers work at the Tool Library, Community Orchard, Tox-Ick wastewater awareness program, multiple bicycle activities including WS Spokespeople, West Seattle Bike Connections and our newest project, DIY Bikes.

… The celebration includes a Volunteer Appreciation Party, with a potluck, music and green prizes. SWS will provide food and beverages and you’re welcome to bring a dish to share. For additional information, contact Kimberly Leeper at kimberly@sustainablewestseattle.org

That photo is from tonight’s Sustainable West Seattle community picnic at Lincoln Park, where SWS (whose president Kimberly Leeper is second from right) honored West Seattle Bike Connections (4 reps at left) as Sustainability Champions and “Diver Laura” James (at right) as Volunteer of the Year. Here’s our video of the back-to-back presentations – and speeches:

As members explained in the clip, WSBC is a relatively new group – its early organizational outreach last year, in fact, involved the WSB Forums. WSBC has since gotten deeply involved in advocacy for safety, for a louder West Seattle voice in transportation planning, and much more. You can find WSBC online here.

“Diver Laura,” meantime, at first gained attention for her amazing underwater video and cleanup work – and then got increasingly involved in organized environmental advocacy, taking over the Tox-Ick Monster runoff-reducing campaign and most recently joining up with Puget Soundkeeper Alliance.

The announcements were part of an annual tradition for SWS, now in its seventh year (first mentioned here on WSB in the summer of 2007) – a celebratory summer picnic:

This past year, its meetings continued evolving into community forums, focusing on a particular sustainability topic for more than one month at a time – such as a popular series on gardening. Watch for upcoming events – not just sponsored by SWS, but related to sustainability, all over the peninsula – on the group’s frequently updated website.

Much yet to come this summer – including Sustainable West Seattle‘s annual picnic on the Lincoln Park shore, just announced:

Join Sustainable West Seattle on Monday, August 19th for our fun and beautiful Annual Community Harvest Celebration and Picnic!

We will be gathering at Shelter #3 at Lincoln Park, the large shelter with a barbecue grill, on the southern end of the park near the Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal dock. The picnic begins around 4:30 pm with the preparation of the grill. We should have everything ready for celebrating by 5:00 pm. Members, guests, and new folks who want to check out this group are asked to bring a potluck item to share — side dish OR dessert would be great. SWS will provide the protein for the BBQ + condiments. Bring your own dishes/utensils, if possible. The picnic continues through sunset on the beach and usually concludes around 9:00 pm with shelter-area cleanup.

We’ll honor a few of the amazing people in our local community, too – Sustainability Champion and Volunteer of the Year. Also, consider bringing your acoustic instrument to share a song or two with our creative & playful group…maybe a community jam will happen?! We’d love to hear about the “green” things you’ve been up to in the last year! Come on out and connect with an inspring community of people, ideas, and practice!

Just in from Sustainable West Seattle‘s Kate Kaemerle – the WS Tool Library is adding more hours for summer:

As of July 1st, WSTL is adding hours on Tuesdays from 5-8 pm. They are also adjusting their hours on Thursday and weekends to serve more member requests for tools and workshop use.

“We’re expanding our hours to keep up with demand for our tools,” said WSTL Manager Micah Summers. “Our new hours should help accommodate more people and increase the convenience of checking tools in and out.”

The new West Seattle Tool Library summer schedule begins July 1st:

Tuesday 5-8 pm (new day)
Thursday 5-8 pm (new hours)
Saturday 11 am – 4 pm (new hours)
Sunday 11 am -4 pm (new hours)

The West Seattle Tool Library is a non-profit, community service, offering access to a collection of over 1,500 tools. With more than 1,000 members, the tool library has helped build orchards, playgrounds, greenhouses and supported thousands of home, yard and neighborhood projects.

The West Seattle Tool Library is located at:

Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, 4408 Delridge Way SW

The West Seattle Tool Library is a project of Sustainable West Seattle and was made possible by a neighborhood grant from the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods and is powered by the LocalTools.com lending-library-management system.

(First two photos courtesy SWS)
Thanks to Kate Kaemerle from Sustainable West Seattle for sharing updates from the “Presto Garden” project that’s now moved on to the planting stage at Westcrest Park P-Patch in Highland Park. It was just a couple of hours ago that volunteers were putting down compost, as shown in an earlier photo from Kate:

And a few hours before that, we caught up with Kate and Bill Reiswig getting ready at the West Seattle Tool Library:

(Photo by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand)
Food grown organically and sustainably in the garden will be donated to the White Center Food Bank. Read more about the project on the SWS website; if you haven’t been by yet, head for 8th/Henderson; they’re scheduled to continue till 5, and the more help they have, the more they can get done.

ADDED: We went back around 4:40 pm to see something close to the “after” photo:

Now – it’s time to grow!