West Seattle, Washington

18 Sunday

48℉

Environment 1886 results

Another big overflow-prevention storage tank proposed for West Seattle
May 14, 2025 4:43 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | West Seattle news

King County Wastewater Treatment continues working on ways to reduce combined-sewer overflows (CSO) into local waterways. One of its next projects is a million-gallon storage tank in southeast West Seattle, near the 1st Avenue South Bridge, to protect the Duwamish River. And now it’s proposing another, much-bigger storage tank, also along the Duwamish’s west shore in West Seattle further north. It’s part of this announcement today:

King County has proposed a solution to control overflows from five combined sewer overflow (CSO) outfalls at the mouth of the Duwamish River. The proposed solution to improve water quality in the Duwamish River and Elliott Bay includes a new wet weather treatment station in SODO and a new storage tank in West Seattle. It also includes a new outfall for cleaned water, supporting facilities, and new pipes to connect flows along the way.

Now that we have a proposed solution, we will prepare an engineering report for review by the Washington State Department of Ecology. We will also start the design phase and environmental review.

This update circulated today had a few more details – including a construction timeline that’s still at least four years away. We asked KCWTD spokesperson Akiko Oda about the size and location proposed for the new megatank; she replied that it would be “Approximately 7.5 million gallons of combined stormwater and wastewater,” on a site at 4034 West Marginal Way SW [map], owned by King County, though Oda added, “We still need to secure right-of-way easements for the conveyance pipes. Details for the tank capacity and easements will be finalized in the engineering report to the Washington State Department of Ecology, which is anticipated for March 2026.” Ways to find out more: Online here, and/or in person at a drop-in info session at Delridge Community Center (4501 Delridge Way SW), 10 am-noon Thursday, June 12.

Share This

FOLLOWUP: Fauntleroy Church Recycle Roundup total, and next one’s date
May 7, 2025 11:27 am
|      0 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | Fauntleroy | West Seattle news

(April 26 WSB photo by Jason Grotelueschen)

As we get ready for Saturday’s “person-to-person recycling” during West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day, we have a followup on our area’s most-recent dropoff recycling event, Fauntleroy Church‘s spring Recycle Roundup. Judy Pickens just sent the numbers, and the fall date:

On April 26, nearly 400 “donors” brought just shy of 10 tons of electronics, appliances, and other products to the spring Recycle Roundup at Fauntleroy Church. The congregation’s zero-waste partner, 1 Green Planet, is now repairing what can readily be reused and reclaiming the rest for new products.

Since 2010, these free community events have kept 374 tons of valuable resources out of landfills. Volunteers and crew will be back for the fall roundup on Saturday, Sept. 20. Watch for details here, starting in mid-August.

Share This

UPDATE: City cleanup crews at Longfellow Creek encampment site; ‘resolution’ in future
April 28, 2025 5:03 pm
|      15 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | Environment | West Seattle news

ORIGINAL MONDAY REPORT: Thanks to the texter who sent that photo of city and contractor crews along the east end of Sylvan Way (north of The Home Depot) earlier today. They were there for an encampment on Longfellow Creek. Not long after receiving the photo/tip, we went over for a firsthand look, but the last crew was leaving. The nearby Vietnamese Cultural Center and others have voiced concerns about the encampment; we checked with the city Unified Care Team to find out exactly what was happening today, and spokesperson Kate Jacobs replied, “The Unified Care Team deep-cleaned an area today in Longfellow Creek Greenspace at Sylvan Way SW by removing accumulated trash and debris related to an unauthorized encampment. UCT will provide ongoing trash mitigation to reduce the public impact of this site until a full resolution can be completed. Simultaneously, outreach teams continue engagement efforts as they work to connect individuals with shelter and supportive services that meet their needs.”

ADDED TUESDAY MORNING: We asked Jacobs about a timeline for the “full resolution.” Her reply today: “The Longfellow Creek Greenspace is scheduled for resolution in the next 3-4 weeks. We do not provide specific resolution dates in advance, since schedules are subject to change based on a variety of factors including site conditions and resources. UCT will provide ongoing trash mitigation to reduce the public impact of this site until the resolution is complete.”

Share This

UPDATE: New life for old stuff at Fauntleroy Church’s spring 2025 Recycle Roundup
April 26, 2025 9:37 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | Fauntleroy | West Seattle news

(WSB photo by Jason Grotelueschen)

That’s Sara Smith, coordinating Fauntleroy Church‘s long-running twice-yearly Recycle Roundup for the first time today, and excited about it! The church’s partner in the free dropoff event, 1 Green Planet, has two trucks ready to fill, and reinforcements waiting in the wings.

Just drive, ride, or walk up to the dropoff spot in the church’s lot at 9140 California SW before 3 pm. Sooner rather than later, so they don’t wind up with a last-minute backup! The list of what they will and won’t take is here.

2:15 PM: WSB’s Jason Grotelueschen sends that photo taken about half an hour ago, as Recycle Roundup approached its final hour, and reports, “Volunteers say things are going well, traffic slowed down around lunchtime, but has now picked up in the final hours. Still ample space for your treasures!” But 3 pm is closing time.

Share This

FOLLOWUP: See what volunteers found around and beneath Seacrest during this year’s cleanup
April 25, 2025 2:21 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | West Seattle news

(Photos courtesy Seattle Dive Tours)

Those are some of the volunteers who removed almost 400 pounds of junk from the water and shore of Elliott Bay off Seacrest last Sunday morning. You’ll recall the West Seattle Water Taxi started late for the day while Seattle Dive Tours led its annual cleanup beneath and around the surface. We asked SDT about the results; they sent these photos and the wrapup:

The clean up went swimmingly. The final weight total for the cleanup was 384.8 lbs! Some item-total highlights are more than 450 cigarette butts, 72 aluminum cans, 5 shoes (including a matching pair of rain boots), 4 cell phones, over 100 fishing lures, and of course the ebike and shopping cart! If you include all the tiny pieces of plastic, it was over 1000 items picked up.

We ended up having 19 shore volunteers, and 14 diver volunteers.

SDT’s Scott Flaherty adds, “We thank all of the volunteers, especially a great number of local shore volunteers and coordination with A Cleaner Alki. Additionally, we always want to recognize Marination Ma Kai for the use of their dumpster to handle the debris.”

Share This

Ready to recycle? Fauntleroy Church’s spring Roundup tomorrow
April 25, 2025 9:00 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | Fauntleroy | West Seattle news

(WSB photo, April 2024)

Among the many things happening in West Seattle tomorrow is one that needs some preparation to get ready for, so we’re reminding you one more time that Saturday (April 26) is when Fauntleroy Church hosts the next twice-yearly Recycle Roundup. See the official list of what they will and won’t accept by going here. The Recycle Roundup is a free drive-up/ride-up/walk-up event in the church lot at 9140 California SW, 9 am-3 pm, with longtime recycling partner 1 Green Planet.

Share This

EARTH DAY: West Seattle church going solar
April 22, 2025 2:29 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Environment | West Seattle news | West Seattle religion

Toward the bottom of that rendering is a depiction of the future solar array planned by St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church in Admiral. The church is announcing the plan on Earth Day:

St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, located adjacent to West Seattle High School, will be joining the ranks of other local, recently installed solar projects, such as South Seattle College and Highline High School, with an installation to go live later this year. Once complete, the solar panels will provide 100 percent offset of the church’s annual energy consumption while also delivering to Seattle City Light more renewable energy to meet the rising demand for power, especially during peak usage. The solar panels are one of several infrastructure upgrade projects to be funded by St. John the Baptist’s capital campaign – ‘Building Our Legacy of Hope’ – that kicked off earlier this year. The capital campaign, chaired by West Seattle resident and St. John’s member Jeana Frazier, was launched this month with the goal of raising $800,000. The campaign will conclude in early June.

“Installing solar panels, particularly given how much sun our south-facing roof receives, made so much sense and is consistent with our pledge to reduce our carbon footprint and be a responsible neighbor,” said Reverend Elise Johnstone, rector of St. John’s. “And improvements to our building mean we can continue to be a welcoming place for worship and community gatherings, contributing to this vibrant West Seattle community.”

Currently, the church provides space for Endolyne Children’s Choir, WSHS Friday Football dinners, Alcoholics Anonymous, and will become the temporary space for Admiral UCC Church as they redevelop their North Admiral property into housing and new church/community spaces.

St. John’s solar installation will be done by Solterra, after the church completes roof work that has to be finished first.

Share This

VIDEO: Duwamish Alive! starts with honors for urban-stream ‘champion’ Katherine Lynch
April 20, 2025 10:48 pm
|    Comments Off on VIDEO: Duwamish Alive! starts with honors for urban-stream ‘champion’ Katherine Lynch
 |   Environment | West Seattle news

Before volunteers start digging into their work at the twice-yearly Duwamish Alive! events, organizers usually lead an opening ceremony at one of the sites on the river. Our photo above is from Saturday’s gathering at həʔapus Village Park, where longtime Seattle Public Utilities fish biologist Katherine Lynch was honored as a “Green-Duwamish Champion.” Joining in the recognition at the port-owned park were Seattle Port Commissioners Hamdi Mohamed and Fred Felleman, and photographer Tom Reese, who has documented the Duwamish (and whose photo graces the award plaque). Sharon Leishman of the Duwamish Alive Coalition presented the award to Lynch – one of just a few to receive the honor:

As Leishman and Lynch both explained, her work focused on, and in, urban streams, such as West Seattle’s Longfellow Creek, as discussed in a 2023 Duwamish Longhouse event (WSB coverage here) at which they and Reese all spoke. Meantime, the port commissioners also received gifts of gratitude, after voicing their appreciation for the volunteers’ work helping the river heal:

Once the speeches wrapped up, volunteers gathered at this park and more than half a dozen other sites to get briefed and start their work.

If you missed the chance to volunteer during this Duwamish Alive! day, watch here for word of the fall edition – and keep an eye on sites like this and this for other cleanup and restoration opportunities all year long.

Share This

PHOTOS: As DNDA volunteers dig in for Earth Day, a legend rejoins them
April 19, 2025 7:47 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Environment | Pigeon Point | West Seattle news

WSB photos by Dave Gershgorn

In honor of Earth Day, this was a day for hundreds of people to dig into restoration and cleanup work in some of West Seattle’s greenspaces, particularly the watershed of the Duwamish River. Some of them joined the Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association – DNDA – at Pigeon Point Park, to celebrate a longtime partnership and the legendary woman who launched it:

Nancy Whitlock founded the environment-and-art focused Nature Consortium in 1998 and led it until a decade ago. It’s now part of DNDA, which “revived” Nature Consortium – with Whitlock on hand – for today’s volunteer event at a site where it hosts many work parties each year

DNDA’s announcement of today’s event explained, “This year is the 20th anniversary of the Green Seattle Partnership. The milestone has prompted reflection on all that has been accomplished by tens of thousands of volunteers over the decades, and it felt like a natural occasion to highlight all that was accomplished under the Nature Consortium banner.”

(Volunteer Emily Grayson, chopping through roots obstructing a trail)

DNDA continues the work that Whitlock began, “connecting people, arts, and nature.” And that was in evidence as volunteers dug into their tasks this morning, with arts and music to be part of the event too.

(Volunteer Alex Tranum, chopping through blackberry vines)

Today also was the multi-site Duwamish Alive! volunteering event, and we’ll have coverage from one of its sites a bit later.

Share This

Spring cleaning? Free shredding tomorrow, free recycling a week later
April 18, 2025 12:10 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Environment | Fauntleroy | West Seattle news | Westwood

Two quick reminders about free services the next two Saturdays that can help with your spring cleaning:

(WSB photo, 2023 event)

FREE SHREDDING TOMORROW: Saturday (April 19) brings the annual shredding event in the northwest Westwood Village parking lot, offered by John L. Scott Westwood Real Estate-The Madrona Group (WSB sponsor), 9 am-noon. Shredding is free, but if you can, bring food/money to donate to the White Center Food Bank.

RECYCLE ROUNDUP ON APRIL 26: Then one week from tomorrow, 9 am-3 pm Saturday, April 26, it’s the spring edition of Fauntleroy Church‘s Recycle Roundup – free dropoff recycling for electronics and much more. Here’s the newest list of what will and won’t be accepted. Drive/ride/walk up to the church lot at 9140 California SW (but don’t wait until the last hour unless you absolutely can’t make it any sooner – they want to avoid a big crowd at closing time).

Share This

Still need to shred? John L. Scott Westwood announces your next chance!
April 8, 2025 11:24 am
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | West Seattle news | Westwood

(WSB photo, April 2024)

Last year, John L. Scott Westwood Real Estate/The Madrona Group (WSB sponsor) shredded almost two tons of paper during their free shredding event at Westwood Village. We just got word they’re offering free shredding again this year, and again it’ll be part of a donation drive for White Center Food Bank. Just bring your shredding – and a donation of nonperishable food and/or money – to the northwest area of the Westwood Village parking lot between 9 am and noon on Saturday, April 19. (And if you have friends in the north/east metro area, take note that – as also shown on this flyer – they’re presenting a 1-4 pm shredding event in Kenmore the same day.)

Share This

FOLLOWUP: Morgan Junction EV charging lot completion date slides yet again
April 3, 2025 2:02 pm
|      15 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | Transportation | West Seattle news

(WSB file photo)

Another new date for completion of the Morgan Junction EV-charging lot between Fauntleroy Way and SW Morgan, north of 42nd. This time it comes from District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka, who says City Light is now projecting the long-planned eight-charger lot will be open for use in April of next year – still a year away. While his newsletter – and the City Light memo it links to – describe this as an “acceleration,” it is not; the last update from City Light, just a few months ago at the Morgan Community Association‘s January 2025 meeting, said the lot was expected to be ready to go in fall of this year. And that of course was just the latest of multiple delays; we’ve been reporting on this project since its inception, and when the proposal first came to light in early 2022, SCL said construction could start as soon as fall of that year.

Share This

Need to shred? Delridge Community Center event ahead
March 26, 2025 11:21 am
|    Comments Off on Need to shred? Delridge Community Center event ahead
 |   Delridge | Environment | West Seattle news

If you didn’t get to the recent West Seattle shredding/recycling event … or have amassed need-to-shred paper since then … Seattle Parks has just announced an event ahead:

On Saturday, April 5, from 10:30 am-1:30 pm, Delridge Community Center will host a paper shredding event. Get rid of confidential documents securely! Please remove paper clips and staples. Limit 2 garbage bags per car. Recommended $10 donation to support Delridge CC’s programs.

Delridge CC is at 4501 Delridge Way SW. One more thing: Parks says this is for residents, not businesses.

Share This

COUNTDOWN: One month until spring Recycle Roundup
March 26, 2025 9:00 am
|    Comments Off on COUNTDOWN: One month until spring Recycle Roundup
 |   Environment | Fauntleroy | West Seattle news

(WSB photo from last fall’s Recycle Roundup)

One month from today – on Saturday, April 26 – Fauntleroy Church hosts the next twice-yearly Recycle Roundup. We have the official list of what they will and won’t take this time – see it here. This is a free drive-up/ride-up/walk-up event in the church’s lot at 9140 California SW, 9 am-3 pm, in partnership with 1 Green Planet.

Share This

EARLY ALERT: Register now for your choice of Duwamish Alive! sites
March 24, 2025 7:20 pm
|    Comments Off on EARLY ALERT: Register now for your choice of Duwamish Alive! sites
 |   Environment | How to help | West Seattle news

(WSB file photo)

Twice a year, the mega-work parties for Duwamish Alive! – spring and fall, assisting the watershed of Seattle’s only river – fill up fast. So here’s an early heads-up that you can register right now for your choice of volunteering locations that’ll be part of the spring Duwamish Alive! on Saturday, April 19, 10 am-2 pm. As you can see on the Duwamish Alive! main page, there are locations in West Seattle as well as other areas in the watershed, from South Seattle to Tukwila. Some sites are habitat restoration, some are cleanups, and as usual, you even choose the option of signing up to remove debris from the river itself from your kayak.

Share This

WEST SEATTLE SALMON: Student research hints at health of Fauntleroy Creek
March 20, 2025 3:56 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | Fauntleroy | West Seattle news

Story by Judy Pickens
Photos by Dave Gershgorn
For West Seattle Blog

School salmon releases will start soon on Fauntleroy Creek, and student research this week confirmed that coho fry that drift down to the lower creek, as well as “home-hatch” fry from last fall’s spawning there, will likely find food.

Two dozen fourth graders from <strong>Louisa Boren STEM K-8 did the annual count of stonefly exoskeletons in the spawning reach on Tuesday to continue research that’s been going on since 2000. Stonefly larvae crawl out of the creek this time of year, shed their exoskeletons, and fly for a short mating season.

The students’ count suggests how clean the water is and how much food is available for fry. The study also gives young researchers experience in following scientific protocol. They found 25 exoskeletons in the study area, compared with 16 last year. Torso size ranged from 3 cm to 4 cm, which was similar to 2024.

Led by Shannon Ninburg, volunteer educator with the Fauntleroy Watershed Council, the field trip also included a chance to see hundreds of fry from last fall’s spawning, as well as the first smolt documented leaving the creek this spring for saltwater.

Share This

GOT QUESTIONS? ‘Informational meet and greet’ announced for Alki Point pump station generator project
March 19, 2025 4:11 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Environment | West Seattle news

If you have questions about the Alki Standby Generator Project – toward the south end of the Alki Point Healthy Street’s Beach Drive stretch – you can get answers during an “informational meet and greet” just announced for next Monday, March 24:

Are you interested in learning more about upcoming construction in your neighborhood? Please join us for an informational meet and greet at Constellation Park on Monday, March 24.

Members of the project team will be onsite to answer your questions and provide an overview of upcoming construction work this spring. The meet and greet will be followed by an optional site walk for those interested in seeing how crews will move throughout the neighborhood along the conduit route.

Event details:

WHEN: Monday, March 24, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: Constellation Park (Beach Dr SW and 63rd Ave SW)

The meet and greet will start at Constellation Park, then move along the construction work area.

We are hosting this rain or shine. Please dress for the weather accordingly. We hope you can join us!

The project is meant to make the pump station at 63rd/Beach more outage-resistant and therefore less overflow-prone.

Share This

FOLLOWUP: Beach Naturalist program’s future still a mystery, but clues are surfacing
March 17, 2025 11:56 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news

(File photo, Lincoln Park)

By Anne Higuera
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

With only about 2 months before the traditional start of the Beach Naturalist program at Lincoln Park, Constellation Park, and other beaches around the region, the Seattle Aquarium tells WSB there are “no new updates” about their plans to revise the popular low-tide program. But clues are starting to surface.

As we reported last month, the program is on “pause” and being reconfigured, following layoffs due to the Seattle Aquarium’s reported budget shortfall. The Aquarium says the program, which has included full-time and part-time seasonal staff overseeing hundreds of volunteers, will “look different” but has been slow to share details. While Aquarium staff works to “reimagine” the popular program, some of the seasonal staff who were laid off are talking about organizing their own program.

The Aquarium has organized and trained Beach Naturalists for more than 20 years, assigning staff and volunteers to beaches from Dash Point to Shoreline, both during daytime and occasional evening mega-low tides. It has attracted a dedicated group of volunteers, many of whom are on the same beaches year after year, and who are passionate about the way the program makes the Aquarium’s educational outreach available to anyone who can go to the beach, even if tickets to the Aquarium itself may be out of reach financially. The Aquarium has also paused its Cedar River Salmon Journey program, which relies on volunteers at the Ballard Locks and other locations to teach about the migration and life cycle of salmon. The pause in the two programs has left all of those volunteers largely in limbo for the last few months.

Now a “listening session” is planned by the Aquarium for volunteers of both programs next week. An email to volunteers sent a week ago indicated the program is intended to become a collaboration between the Aquarium and several other marine-focused educational groups. A followup email sent last evening makes mention of the potential for a much scaled-back program, with just a handful of low-tide events a year. That email also stated that the volunteer trainings that are usually scheduled in March will not happen at all this year. The Aquarium did not answer questions about the specifics when asked.

Some of the staff laid off in January feel they can’t wait indefinitely to hear about plans that they think are unlikely to include them. “None of us expect to be rehired,” says Bill Rogers, one of the 20 part-time seasonal staff known as “beach captains” who managed volunteers in the field. Knowing that the beach captains were laid off signals what Rogers expects will be a big change to the program, so he and others are now organizing to bring together those who are interested in making sure there are as many naturalists at beaches on as many days as possible during the very low tides. It would also provide an opportunity for volunteers and former staff who feel blindsided by the way the changes to the program are being handled and are upset enough they wouldn’t go back if invited. Rogers noted, “It hurt a lot of people personally.”

Exactly what shape a new naturalist program might take is uncertain. A formal work meeting in early April with interested volunteers may help focus both structure and mission. “Will it be a group or a club? We have to work that out,” says Rogers, who was looking forward to his 13th season as beach captain and 15th in the program, “The plan is to still be involved.”

As for the Seattle Aquarium, it’s also dealing with the impending arrival of a new CEO and the first operational year of its Ocean Pavilion, part of a $160 million project.

Share This

Port of Seattle promoting sustainability initiatives
March 8, 2025 7:56 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | Port of Seattle | West Seattle news

The Port of Seattle is working on sustainability, and has been sponsoring WSB this month to offer information about its efforts, including this message:

(Port of Seattle photos)

The Port of Seattle is striving for a “SEA CHANGE” — a fundamental transformation toward sustainability across its aviation and maritime operations. This ambitious goal requires long-term commitment, innovation, and collaboration. The journey is not without challenges, but the Port has made remarkable progress in reducing environmental impact, modernizing infrastructure, and investing in clean energy solutions. Notably, the Port is on track to decarbonize its operations by 2040, working alongside cruise lines, airlines, and tenants to adopt sustainable practices.

Key accomplishments include groundbreaking environmental initiatives, such as becoming the first U.S. airport to remove harmful PFAS chemicals from fire trucks and mandating shore-power use for cruise ships by 2027.

Efforts to reduce single-use plastics at SEA Airport have also led to significant waste reduction. Additionally, the Port has cut Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% through renewable natural gas and secured federal funding for maritime decarbonization projects.

Land and water stewardship remain priorities, with the Port removing over 40 tons of marine debris and conducting extensive research on fish monitoring and shoreline restoration.

Environmental cleanup efforts have also advanced, with the EPA finalizing the East Waterway Record of Decision, and a promising soil-washing study offering an alternative to traditional disposal methods for PCB-contaminated soil. Parks and public spaces were recertified as Salmon-Safe, reinforcing the Port’s commitment to sustainable ecosystems.

The Port continues to invest in sustainable infrastructure, with major environmental assessments, noise compatibility studies, and climate resilience initiatives underway. Community engagement remains integral, with over 50 public habitat tours and volunteer events conducted, alongside grant funding for local environmental projects. Looking ahead to 2025, the Port remains committed to fostering partnerships and advancing sustainability efforts to drive the SEA CHANGE needed for a greener future.

The Port is overseen by five elected commissioners (as well as staff); their contact info is here.

Share This

UPDATE: First West Seattle recycle/reuse/shredding dropoff event of the year
March 8, 2025 9:20 am
|      22 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | Puget Ridge | West Seattle news

9:20 AM: We’re on Puget Ridge to check out what’s happening in the first hour of this morning’s recycling/reusing/dropoff event in the north lot of South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor), presented by the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce and West Seattle Junction Association. For starters, the line of cars stretches about a block past the SSC south entrance. Updates to come.

9:45 AM: Once you’re in the lot, things appear to be moving smoothly. Parking is to the west; the trucks are in a line to the east; lots of volunteers to direct you, and carts on wheels that you can borrow if you need one.

Above, that’s WSJA executive director Chris Mackay directing drivers as they arrive for dropoffs.

10:06 AM: The line of cars waiting to get into the lot is very short now! Fewer than 10 cars before the lot entrance.

12:20 PM: Commenters note that the electronics-recycling truck hit capacity before the event is over. If you still have those types of items waiting to be recycled, that’s part of what they’ll be taking, as usual, at the Fauntleroy Church Recycle Roundup, a free dropoff event 9 am-3 pm Saturday, April 26 – we’ll publish the official item list when it’s available.

Share This

COUNTDOWN: Two days until West Seattle recycle/reuse/shredding event
March 6, 2025 11:38 am
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | West Seattle news

(WSB photo, March 2024)

Just two days until the recycle/reuse/shredding event presented every year by the West Seattle Junction Association and WS Chamber of Commerce, 9 am-noon Saturday (March 8), at the usual place, the north lot of South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor). As announced, this time you’ll be directed to park in the lot and walk your item(s) over to the dropoff station(s); assistance will be available for those with mobility challenges. Here’s the list again:

ACCEPTED ITEMS:

• Foam blocks
• Household batteries (no damaged batteries)
• Fluorescent tubes and bulbs (no broken bulbs, limit: 4 ft.)
• Small, empty propane camping canisters
• Small electronics (TVs, computers, etc.)
• Small appliances (non-freon)
• Paper for shredding (limit: 4 boxes of paper)
• Clothing, accessories, bedding, and curtains in good condition
• Home goods and toys

ITEMS NOT ACCEPTED:

• Stained, ripped, or worn-out fabrics
• Mismatched items (single shoes, etc.)
• Furniture
• Hazardous waste
• Automotive waste
• Construction waste
• Car seats
• Mattresses
• Household garbage, yard waste, or recycling

This is all free, first-come, first-served.

Share This

SURVEY: Are greenspaces important to you? UW student wants to know
March 4, 2025 9:56 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | West Seattle news

(Schmitz Park, December 2024 – photo by Theresa Arbow-O’Connor)

With so much greenspace in West Seattle, University of Washington student Kristina Canonizado asked us to offer you the opportunity to answer a few questions:

I am a graduating senior at the University of Washington currently conducting my Senior Capstone project through the Program on the Environment. With my project I seek to investigate communities’ experiences with greenspace, their opinions on greenspace initiatives, and the effectiveness of Seattle’s greenspace initiatives.

Here is the survey link:forms.gle/Cj6D1KDSVSTKdcap6

And here’s a flyer with a few more details.

Share This

Signs of spring already, in and along Fauntleroy Creek
February 27, 2025 12:51 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | Fauntleroy | West Seattle news

(Fry in Fauntleroy Creek – photo by Dave Gershgorn)

By Judy Pickens
Special to West Seattle Blog

Three Fauntleroy Creek events this week signal that winter is on the wane:

– “Home hatch” coho started emerging to feed in the creek.
– Skunk-cabbage blossoms started dotting the streambank.
– Teachers started signing up for salmon releases.

(Skunk cabbage along Fauntleroy Creek – photo by Dave Gershgorn)

Two weeks ago, volunteers began monitoring the lower creek for evidence that eggs left in November by a record number of spawners (347) had survived. Yesterday (2/26) they sighted 15 active fry darting around in the water.

Last fall, spawners hid their eggs under a blanket of loose gravel for protection. After a few weeks, the eggs hatched into alevin equipped with a yolk sac to sustain them until they were mature enough to emerge from the gravel and forage for themselves. In a year’s time, they will have grown into 4”-5” smolts, ready to leave the creek for two years in saltwater.

This same transformation is playing out across West Seattle as students in the Salmon in the Schools program rear their own coho. Come May, Fauntleroy Watershed Council volunteers will host 18 field trips to Fauntleroy Park, where students will release their fry and explore habitat.

Share This