With the tax deadline just past, you might have old paper documents you’re ready to shred and recycle. Just announced – a chance to do that for free this Wednesday (April 22), 1-4 pm!

Got sensitive documents piling up at home? We’ve got you covered! Join us for a FREE community shredding event with Liberty Shredding at Village Green West Seattle!

Secure, on‑site shredding

FREE (up to 3 boxes per person)

Just drive up and shred with confidence! Hearthside Driveway (building two)

Village Green West Seattle (WSB sponsor) is at 2615 SW Barton.

(Photos by Macey Wurm unless otherwise credited)

By Macey Wurm
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

The Duwamish Alive! Coalition hosted the spring version of its twice-annual multi-site volunteer work party today, after taking time to recognize four people with the John Beal Environmental Stewardship Award.

(Photo by Don Brubeck)

The day was kicked off by coalition executive director Sharon Leishman. She noted that typically, Puget Soundkeeper and the River Access Paddle Program would usually be part of the day via an on-water cleanup, but they had to do it last weekend (WSB coverage here) because today’s tide was too low. Last weekend’s cleanup, she announced, brought a quarter-ton of trash out of the river. She then introduced q́wat́ələmu, or Nancy Bob of the Duwamish Tribe, who performed a traditional welcome chorus.

Seattle Port Commissioner Hamdi Mohamed thanked the coalition and volunteers. She shared thoughts on her two-month-old daughter’s future stewardship of the land, and expressed hope that her daughter’s children would also someday have an opportunity to engage in stewardship. “The investments we make today ultimately decide what that looks like,” she observed.

Leishman preceded the awards with the backstory of their namesake. John Beal was a Vietnam War veteran, who after suffering some serious medical issues, was informed that he only had four months to live. Within those four months, he dedicated himself to cleaning up Hamm Creek, which feeds the Duwamish River, and was one of the first to acknowledge the Duwamish as a river instead of a waterway, leading to increased stewardship and care. He ended up living 27 years past this initial prognosis, and died in 2006.

The award in his name is not given out often, but this year the coalition honored four individuals – Bob Weeks, Willard Brown, Vince Savery, and Whitney Fraser.

Bob Weeks of Seattle City Light was honored for his extensive work transforming a site at North Wind’s Weir, a transitional zone where freshwater and saltwater mix. The area, which is very important to juvenile salmon, was completely transformed into an incredible area of biodiversity after being dominated by invasive species.

Willard Brown, long known for his work with the Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association, has spent many years connecting school and community groups to the river and surrounding lands. “When you talk about boots on the ground in the community making a meaningful difference, Willard’s the first name that comes to everybody’s list,” said Leishman.

Vince Savery, with the Port of Seattle, stewarded a site on the lower Duwamish to take it from highly industrialized to a significantly healthier environment. The area serves as the last habitat for salmon before they go into Elliott Bay. He also started the local chapter of Pollinator Pathway.

(Photo by Don Brubeck)

Whitney Fraser of Puget Soundkeeper Alliance is (corrected) a longtime volunteer with the salmon survey that raised awareness of their pre-spawn mortality rates. Puget Soundkeeper was one of the first organizations to focus on Longfellow Creek in West Seattle. Fraser had advice for the audience of volunteers: “Start showing up and keep showing up, and learn, and try to make it a better place as much as you can.”

After the awards were presented, Andrew with Dirt Corps instructed the volunteers to follow different group leaders to their respective parks to get started on the work party. The Green Seattle Partnership occupied Herring’s House Park, with Dirt Corps at həʔapus, and a smaller group headed to Pigeon Point Park.

The Dirt Corps group went to work on removing the bluebells in the area. They aren’t a native species and are aggressive with their growth, and removing them gives native plants a better chance to thrive.

Green Seattle Partnership volunteers worked to weed and mulch so that the existing plants will be able to survive the upcoming hot summer. These preparations aided a long-term Herring’s House project, aimed at creating a native plant species area and an eventual incorporation of a native sculpture at the entrance of the park.

The Duwamish Alive! Coalition will muster volunteer groups at sites along the river and in its watershed again this fall – October 17 is the date, and when it gets close, volunteer opportunities will be listed at duwamishalive.org.

By Macey Wurm
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

After eight weeks of planning and construction, 9th graders from Maritime High School are bringing their floating-wetlands pilot project to a close in West Seattle waters, another step toward saving salon.

The school’s entire freshman class – 23 students – worked together learning how to use hand tools, power drills, and a newfound understanding of a human-made floating wetland’s restorative role in the Duwamish River’s ecosystem.

The project was a partnership with the River Access Paddle Program and the Port of Seattle, funded by the Rose Foundation. Saturday morning at Herrings House Park on the river, community members were invited to be involved with the construction of the last two floating wetlands, with the first two entirely built and planted by the students two weeks ago.

Floating wetlands are being used to provide habitat for juvenile salmon. The lower part of the Duwamish River is highly industrialized and the banks are mostly “armored,” which means rock without a place for juvenile salmon to feed, as explained by Sharon Leishman of the Duwamish Alive Coalition. These juveniles need their bodies to adapt to go from freshwater to saltwater, and the wetlands help create a space for these necessary changes.

Leishman was also involved in a floating-wetlands project with the University of Washington in 2019 in Lake Union. This project differs in that these use air-infused recycled glass instead of plastic for buoyancy. This change was made in an effort to eliminate the harms of microplastics.

This was the first floating wetlands project taken on by Maritime High School, and its continuance in the future will depend on whether or not the program can secure a location for more wetlands to go. In this case, George Blumberg with the port helped the school to find the location – a dock space on Harbor Island that the port can’t rent out by the port because it’s too small for boats.

Regardless, the school will continue with projects that incorporate similar learning outcomes. “The thing that really works for us and that we want to replicate is: How do we combine some of that construction skills training that we want to do with restoration?” mused Tyson Trudel, who works at Northwest Maritime, which brings the “intensely maritime parts” of the curriculum to the school.

Coinciding with the community assistance in building the second two floating wetlands was the semiannual kayak cleanup organized by the Duwamish Alive Coalition. In the spring, this garbage cleanup project is hosted with salmon retention in mind. The first group of kayakers went out at 10:30 Saturday morning, with the second deploying around 12:30.

Both projects are centered around taking care of the Duwamish River and its surrounding land. “This area right here has such huge environmental, social, and historical significance because Seattle would not be the place it is today without the industry that started in this valley,” Leishman said.

You have a chance to help next Saturday in the spring edition of the mega-work party Duwamish Alive! Partner organizations include Dirt Corps and the Green Seattle Partnership. Dirt Corps, an organization specializing in developing skills for green jobs, will be at həʔapus park, and Green Seattle will be at Herring’s House. The Duwamish Alive Coalition also plans to present awards to four dedicated volunteers in the opening event at Herring’s House park. To volunteer Saturday at a Duwamish Alive! site, go here.

(File photo from a reader – that long stretch of greenbelt is the WDG)

Just west of Seattle’s only river, in eastern West Seattle, you’ll find the city’s longest unbroken stretch of forest, the West Duwamish Greenbelt. Last year we reported on a survey asking your thoughts about it, conducted by the Ridge to River Coalition. Now the results are out, and we’ve received this announcement summarizing it and looking ahead to what’s next:

Last year, the Ridge to River Coalition (R2R) invited the community to share experiences and ideas for the West Duwamish Greenbelt, Seattle’s largest forest. 589 people completed an online survey. That is an impressive response! To see the results, visit the R2R website r2rduwamish.org. R2R thanks all who participated.

Survey findings will help shape a community vision for the greenbelt that supports environmental stewardship and addresses the needs of the surrounding communities.

Key findings include:

-The West Duwamish Greenbelt is widely viewed as a critical environmental resource and a valued refuge for nature, recreation, and community wellbeing.

-Respondents most frequently engage with the Greenbelt through walking, hiking, nature observation, and informal recreation.

-Environmental protection, personal safety, encampments, wayfinding and maintenance emerged as overall priorities.

-Many respondents expressed concern about balancing improved access with preservation of sensitive ecosystems.

-Top priorities for trail development were wayfinding, developing longer, continuous hiking routes within the greenbelt, and making trails usable in wet weather.

-Community members demonstrated strong interest in continued involvement and stewardship.

R2R is currently inviting adjacent neighbors and landowners to meet for “coffee hours” for more input. Later this year, R2R will return to gather public feedback on options for planning concepts for trails and restoration. Herrera Environmental Consultants is leading a team to perform environmental studies and planning.

The Ridge to River Coalition includes West Seattle and Duwamish Valley community organizations, individuals, and the Duwamish Tribe. This project is funded by grants from the King County Parks Levy Fund and the King Conservation District. Seattle Parks Foundation is the fiscal sponsor of R2R. Seattle Parks and Recreation is reviewing the work as it proceeds. Technical assistance is being provided by the National Park Service’s River and Trail Corridor Assistance Program.

For any questions or comments, please contact info@r2rduwamish.org

Thanks to AH for sending the flyer that’s up for an “all hands” community cleanup tomorrow (Saturday, March 28) in South Delridge/White Center:

No RSVP required – show up, 9 am at 9440 Delridge Way SW, and you’re in!

(WSB photo, Saturday)

If you took recyclables and/or shreddable paper to last Saturday’s event at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) presented by the West Seattle Junction Association and West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, you were one of 503 participants. The local organizations’ partners at Waste Management also reported, “We saw 84% of residents coming from single-family homes, 11% of residents coming from apartments/condominiums, and 5% of residents coming from townhomes. The most popular items that were donated by number of households were appliances/electronics, shredded paper, and batteries/lightbulbs. The least popular items were propane canisters and clothing/textiles. An interesting note is that we saw a 50% reduction in the amount of foam collected (likely due to less amount of Styrofoam packaging being created).”

If you missed it, there’s annther big free-dropoff recycling event coming up in a month, the spring Recycle Roundup at Fauntleroy Church (9140 California SW), exactly one month away, 9 am-3 pm Saturday, April 25 – here’s the list of what will and won’t be accepted.

We’re in the south lot at South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor), new location for the annual free recycle/reuse/shred event presented by the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce and West Seattle Junction Association with a variety of partners. (Here’s what they will and won’t take this year.) First thing we noticed: No backup on 16th. You can approach from either direction. Not much of a wait once you’re in the lot. The line at the shredding truck is the main wait – see our top photo. It’s a two-step process this year – park, and take your stuff over to the trucks (there are volunteers with carts if needed).

This continues until noon.

(WSB file photo)

A spring tradition is just two days away – this year’s free dropoff recycle/reuse/shred event is Saturday, 9 am-noon, this time in the south parking lot of South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) instead of the north as in past years. It’s presented by the West Seattle Junction Association and West Seattle Chamber of Commerce; WSJA provides this bring-and-don’t-bring list:

What Can You Bring?

We’re collecting hard-to-recycle and reusable household items, including:

Small, empty propane canisters
Fluorescent tubes and bulbs (no broken bulbs, 4 ft max)
Household batteries (no damaged batteries)
Clothing, bedding, and curtains in good condition
Small electronics (TVs, computers, cellphones)
Small appliances (non-freon only)
Foam blocks (polystyrene only)
Paper for shredding (limit: 4 boxes)
Home goods and toys

What We Can’t Accept

Furniture
Hazardous waste
Bicycles/tricycles
CRT tube TVs
Mattresses
AC units
Car seats
Stained, ripped, or worn-out fabrics
Automotive waste
Construction debris
Garbage, compost, or regular curbside recyclables
Mismatched items (like single shoes)

,

Often, stories about saving trees involve trees in the path of development.

Not this one – a tree so wide and gangly, we have to show it to you on video rather than just a photo.

The threat to this weeping willow tree in Upper Alki is not development, but another d-word … drainage – according to its owner.

The tree is in Irene Trimble‘s yard in Upper Alki, along SW Spokane east of 59th SW. It’s a landmark – “I’ve given the community access to the tree for engagement, prom, and senior photos as well as wedding ceremonies at no charge to anyone. A lot of memories have been made here by folks in West Seattle.” She provided this photo of one couple:

Part of the tree hangs over her fence, and she’s let people into the yard to visit it.

But it’s dying because of too much underground water just inches below the south side of the yard after a shift in the flow, which she has been told is a natural phenomenon. Irene says an arborist estimates the tree will die in about a year unless the excess water is drained away and rerouted. She’s been told that can be done – for about $9,000.

A friend suggested she try crowdfunding to cover some of that cost, and set up this GoFundMe campaign.

It describes the tree as “ancient” – that’s a relative term, as willows go; Irene says this one is believed to be at least a century old. She bought the property six years ago, and says it didn’t come with any history of the tree, such as who planted it there and why.

All that’s clear is that too much of a good thing – water – is killing it. And for those who know it and appreciate it, Irene says they have a chance to help save it. At least its human fans do – it has wildlife fans too, like this video Irene provided from a duck family’s visit:

Irene says the tree is registered with Plant Amnesty as one of Seattle’s remaining “heritage trees,” and if she is able to save it, it could live to be cherished by at least another generation.

(WSB file photo)

Another reminder: The next West Seattle recycle/reuse/shredding event is now less than a week away, presented by the West Seattle Junction Association, West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, and partners next Saturday (March 21). To ensure you’re ready, we’re again publishing the list of what you’ll be able to drop off during the 9 am-noon event. And remember that the location is changing – now in the south parking lot at South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) – drive/ride/walk in via the southernmost SSC entrance off 16th.

The list:

ACCEPTED ITEMS include:

Small propane canisters
Fluorescent tubes and bulbs
Household batteries
Clothing, bedding, curtains in good condition
Small electronics (TVs, computers, cellphones)
Small appliances (non-freon)
Foam blocks (polystyrene only)
Paper for shredding (limit: 4 boxes)
home goods and toys

NON-ACCEPTED ITEMS include:

Furniture
Hazardous waste
Bicycle/tricycles
CRT tube TVs
Mattresses
AC units
Car seats
Stained, ripped or worn-out fabrics
Automotive waste
Construction waste
Garbage, compost and household recycling items
Mismatched items (single shoes, etc.)

For suggestions about disposing of those items or others not mentioned at all, check out this Seattle Public Utilities lookup tool. And note that a wider variety of electronic items will be accepted next month at the Fauntleroy Church Recycle Roundup – 9 am-3 pm Saturday, April 25.

(WSB file photo)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Saving salmon – and in turn, saving animals that need them, like Southern Resident Killer Whales – is a painstaking job.

Just ask the dozens of people who gathered steps from the Duwamish River’s southern stretch this past Tuesday to share strategies and successes about restoring the river’s habitat. We accepted an invitation to cover their presentations.

Much of what we hear about cleaning up and restoring the Duwamish River and its watershed focuses on pollution, contamination, and the multi-billion-dollar, decades-long work of cleaning it up. But those gathered for the Duwamish River Habitat Symposium (held at Tukwila Community Center) are the ones who take over after that – turning former industrial sites back into places where fish, plants, insects, and people can flourish.

The presentations touched on common problems – Canada Geese seeing restored habitat as a tasty buffet, for example. They also celebrated successes – at a Harbor Island site owned by Vigor, it was declared triumphantly that, “Juvenile salmon are feeding.” That’s at an area that hasn’t been “heavily used” since World War 2, right by the mouth of the Duwamish. They’re ultimately restoring it for insects, too.

A duo from the Port of Seattle livened up their presentation with “habitat restoration bingo,” underscoring how everyone in the room was dealing with similar challenges and triumphs.

The sites discussed at the gathering were along many miles of the Duwamish/Green River, from its mouth on Elliott Bay deep into the southern reaches. That’s where another presentation was focused, a six-acre site that had hed a rundown hotel, demolished 10 years and yielding 250 tons of asbestos. Lessons learned from that site: Don’t put wood where it doesn’t belong; the fish weren’t interested; the choice of restoration materials is important Also, be ready for surprises – they discovered a significant amount of stormwater drainage that had to be rerouted. Here, like other sites, they had to work on repelling geese – they even took over a pole that was meant for osprey.

Now, after a few years. the plants are growing well, and an ecologist who grew up in the area says it’s “magical to see … important and valuale to bring all that nature right to where people see it all the time.” (This site has some noise challenges, though – it’s in earshot of a rifle range.)

Back toward the north, a West Seattle site just south of the former T-105 Park (now known as t̓uʔəlaltxʷ Village Park and Shoreline Habitat), is owned by a subsidiary of Nucor (WSB sponsor), and its restoration project is in construction right now, almost complete. Past and present photos were shown:

The challenges on this site range from creosote pilings to a rail line that takes scrap steel to Nucor and has had “some past derailments,” the symposium was told. They had to “clear 3 1/2 feet of contaminated fill” and remove a steel bulkhead, eventually resulting in almost three acres of habitat area, half of it “intertidal.”

The firm KPFF worked on this site as well as the aforementioned Vigor site and said the two were “really different” – among other discoveries, they found “an old concrete bunker filled with cable and a “huge outfall … draining a large part of West Seattle.” This presentation was one of several that mentioned another common challenge – boaters that don’t observe the speed limit and therefore churn up wakes that can damage the restoration zones.

Also on the West Seattle stretch of the river, two Seattle Parks reps, David Graves and Matthew Hilliard, talked about one of the earliest projects, at
Herring’s House Park (Tualtwx) – you might recall Graves from West Seattle projects including the restoration of shoreline at Lowman Beach. He said it was important to recall “there was a place here” before there was a park. The siute includes “the last remaining oxbow on the river,” he added; the Duwamish was once a winding river before it was straightened in the name of industry. The city took over the site in the ’90s and took on a 17-acre restoration, 11 of the acres intertidal, 6 upland, completed in 2000.

The fish, however, haven’t been so interested in using this habitat, they said, so the question now is, how to make it better? They’ve hired a consultant for a feasibility study.

With all that, they’re at 30 percent design on projects; they’re planning for a “loop trail” to replace the “social trail worn throughout the years,” noting they’ve tried to “discourage” it over the years with fencing but that had been “destroyed three times” before they finally gave up. Park users also have put up problematic signs, Hilliard noted, such as “no minors.” In non-human challenges, the parks pair echoed others regarding geese. “You’ve got to goose-proof your plants or they’re going to be decimated.”

Back down to the Tukwila area, Mike Perfetti from the city spoke about two habitat-restoration projects, the Duwamish Gardens – near the mentioned-earlier Chinook Wind site – and a flapgate-removal project on Riverton Creek. The Duwamish Gardens site was an “abandoned derelict farm” (backstory here) bought by the city for a park. The cleanup required here was traced back to chemical contamination from years of farming, including DDT; cultural resources had to be respected as well. They had to excavate 30,000 cubic yards; 1,000 yards of that were able to be reused as a viewpoint.

One thing notable about this presentation – it was a reminder that some restoration sites include public access, some – mostly because they’re on an industrial site – do not.

The Riverton Creek project was aimed at restoring salmon access into the creek, by taking out flapgates and culverts, requiring many agreements and easements to work out. But in the end, the stream was daylighted and the shoreline restored. And – the fish are back.

One last jump back to the north: Duwamish River People’s Park and Shoreline Habitat, the Port of Seattle-owned site in South Park. This higlighted another point common to some presentations – the process of acquisition, cleanup, and restoration often takes many years; in this case, the port acquired the site in 2000, it was cleaned up 2012-2014, and park construction was 2020-2022. Now they’re in a “monitoring” phase that will continue until 2032.

Here, they built a sort of “macrame” fence to exclude geese, who had even kicked out nesting ospreys. Here too, the fish are back – far more chum than chinook – and the chum draw other predators, like river otters. Another challenge: South Park’s “king tides,” although the habitat features survived them.

Even for a layperson, the day was a fascinating peek into what it’s taken to try to bring stretches of “Seattle’s only river” back to life.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Help with habitat restoration!

(WSB photo, spring 2024 Duwamish Alive!)

This spring, for example, you can join the Duwamish Alive! Coalition – which organized the symposium – at the twice-yearly, multi-site work party that will show up here soon.

(WSB file photo)

Last weekend, we noted that the next West Seattle recycle/reuse event was exactly a month away. Now, courtesy of one of the lead organizers – the West Seattle Junction Association – we have details on what you’ll be able to drop off during the 9 am-noon event on Saturday, March 21, so you can start planning. First, a reminder that the location is changing – now in the south parking lot at South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor), which is accessible via the southernmost SSC entrance off 16th.

Now the list:

ACCEPTED ITEMS:

Small propane canisters
Fluorescent tubes and bulbs
Household batteries
Clothing, bedding, curtains in good condition
Small electronics (TVs, computers, cellphones)
Small appliances (non-freon)
Foam blocks (polystyrene only)
Paper for shredding (limit: 4 boxes)
home goods and toys

NON-ACCEPTED ITEMS (which are included but not limited to):

Furniture
Hazardous waste
Bicycle/tricycles
CRT tube TVs
Mattresses
AC units
Car seats
Stained, ripped or worn-out fabrics
Automotive waste
Construction waste
Garbage, compost and household recycling items
Mismatched items (single shoes, etc.)

If you’re looking for suggestions about how to best dispose of those items or others not mentioned at all, check out this Seattle Public Utilities lookup tool. And a wider variety of electronic items will be accepted (though we don’t have the official list yet) at the Fauntleroy Church Recycle Roundup – which is exactly two months from today, on April 25.