West Seattle, Washington
06 Thursday
When you can spare five minutes, watch that video – a big winner at last week’s annual Environmental Slam. Its creator was among students from three local schools whose work was honored at the event. Here’s a report by two educators whose students were among them, Stacia Bell of Madison Middle School and Tim Owens of Explorer West Middle School (WSB sponsor):
West Seattle students from area schools had a big night at the city-wide Environmental Slam, sponsored by the Washington Foundation for the Environment (WFFE). Due to the pandemic, this year’s Slam was conducted virtually using Zoom and pre-recorded entries. The Environmental Slam is an annual event that encourages middle- and high-school students to prepare 5-minute presentations on any local environmental issue. Winners are recognized and donations from WFFE will be made to the students’ chosen environmental non-profit organization that works specifically with the environmental issue that students focused on.
Madison MS 8th grader Aria Erickson won both the Judges’ Choice 1st-place award (with a perfect score for the first time ever in Slam history) and the Audience Choice award. Her presentation, titled A Single Fish (video above), was about the pain plastic inflicts on marine life in Puget Sound. Aria won $1,000 and will be donating it to the local environmental organization, the Washington Environmental Council. When asked what she loved about the event, Aria said, “Watching the other presentations, I not only was made aware of the dangers facing the Earth, I could also feel in each the passion and dedication of my fellow youth environmentalists. This was incredibly encouraging, and I am so honored to have been a part of it.”
Teams from West Seattle High School and Explorer West Middle School had a three-way tie for 2nd place. West Seattle High School 9th grader Tim Deppe won with his presentation about the effects of consumerism on our environment. One Explorer West team – made up of sixth graders Diane Heckman, Sylvie Kaufman, and Ali Lazar – focused on fertilizer runoff and dead zones in Puget Sound. The final 2nd=place winners, Delia Hutchinson and Sarah Deppe, focused on how contaminants reach Puget Sound, having a drastic effect on salmon. These students will be donating their winnings to Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, the Surfrider Foundation, and 350 Seattle.
If you haven’t had a chance to attend an Environmental Slam, it happens each year in April around Earth Day and is a city-wide event designed to amplify young people’s voices on environmental issues. This year’s event had 10 participating teams from Seattle area middle and high schools, including Madison MS, West Seattle HS, McClure MS, Whitman MS, Explorer West MS, and SAAS. The Slam will be back next year, and without a doubt, you will walk away from this event inspired by the passion of these young activists, as they speak their truth for the environment!
After an initial rush – 100 visitors in the first half-hour – we got to the Fauntleroy Church Recycle Roundup during a semi-break in the action, Organizers told us people were already waiting before it began at 9 am!
1 Green Planet brings multiple trucks and containers to the free dropoff event in the parking lot at 9140 California SW (map).
Here’s the list of what they will and won’t accept this time. They do the unloading, but please wear your mask while there; church volunteers are there to direct traffic and answer questions (and accept donations if interested). The Recycle Roundup usually happens twice a year, spring and fall, but not last year because of the pandemic; it continues today until 3 pm.
Puget Park got some TLC on this soggy Saturday – and you can help next time. The photos and report are from Matthew J. Clark (thank you!):
Amidst the towering cedars, hemlock, and alder, with a slight drizzle, a small group of volunteers worked in Puget Park today clearing brush and invasive species to make way for a new trail. The Forest Steward for Puget Park, Christine Clark (below right), led the group as they methodically worked through the process of clipping, digging, pulling, and cutting debris.
The goal of today’s work is to reroute the existing trail to avoid a muddy section. Clark was happily surprised by the turnout. “I was worried that the little bit of rain would scare people away from showing up.” But eight volunteers did show up, and the group made quick work of clearing over 140’ of new trail.
The trail improvements in Puget Park have been on going for the last 4-5 years. Through volunteer work, partnerships with Green Seattle and guidance by Seattle Parks, the trail has taken shape to be a draw for the neighborhood and the broader West Seattle Community affording a great path for walking and running.
The Puget Park trail connects with trails between Pathfinder K-8 to the north and Highland Park to the south. You can easily stitch together an 8-mile round-trip walk in the woods and never cross a road.
What are the next steps for the Puget Park trail? Clark says they’ll work on drainage along the new path, then add a top layer of gravel. There will be work parties throughout the summer.
Check with the Green Seattle website for future volunteer opportunities. “You don’t need any experience or tools,” Clark say. “Just show up and we’ll help you learn the ropes. It is so much fun meeting new people from around the neighborhood and from around the community.”
The next event on the schedule for the greater Duwamish Greenbelt, which Puget Park is a part of, will be on Sunday, May 2nd. This will be a fun trail-cleanup work party. The group will meet up at 14th Ave SW and SW Holly.
(#SB photo from fall 2018 Recycle Roundup)
One more reminder – Sunday is the day for Fauntleroy Church‘s first Recycle Roundup since before the pandemic. It’s a drive-up/ride-up, free-of-charge event in the church parking lot – Sunday (April 25th), 9 am-3 pm. 1 Green Planet will be there to accept recyclables as listed here. The church is at 9140 California SW (map). Though you’re asked to stay in your vehicle, please wear a mask.
P.S. This happens rain or shine, so if Sunday’s soggy, don’t worry, this will still happen.
It’s Earth Day! As announced last week, the Care for Creation teams at Holy Rosary and Our Lady of Guadalupe again invited West Seattleites to display signs in honor of the occasion. Here are photos we’ve received so far – above and below, Terry Blumer and grandson Asher carried on their tradition: “We decided to go big this year! Go big or go home, right?”
That’s at Atlantic and 44th in North Admiral. There are also simple signs in yards, like this one put up by Lucy Johnson:
And Vince Stricherz, who sent us the invitation, recycled (of course!) this sign from last year:
ADDED: Debbie texted this photo, reporting it’s on the west side of Hiawatha Playfield:
ADDED: Texted from Sylvan Way:
Anybody else? We’ll add any photos we get – westseattleblog@gmail.com or text to 206-293-6302 – thank you!
(WSB file photo, Duwamish River seen from high-rise West Seattle Bridge)
If you have something to say about the Environmental Protection Agency‘s proposal to reduce the Duwamish River cleanup area because of a new health-risk standard for a particular pollutant, time is running out. Last time we reported on the comment period, two weeks ago, it was extended one more time, but that’s not expected to happen again. The Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition has published its comments online here, voicing opposition to the change: “DRCC has concerns about this proposal and is opposed to its execution,” says spokesperson Robin Schwartz. Among its concerns is uncertainty among the scientific community over the actual cancer risk of the pollutant involved in the proposed change, benzo(a)pyrene. The DRCC letter says, “To us, it appears that EPA is taking a large risk that could affect human health in an environmental justice community for such a small change (0.33% or $1,117,000) in the overall cleanup costs.” If you’re interested in signing onto the DRCC letter, you can do that here. If you have a comment of your own, send it to Region10@epa.gov by midnight Wednesday night (April 21st).
P.S. If you missed previous coverage, here’s our report on the EPA’s explanatory meeting in February.
(File photo – honey-bee swarm photographed in Genesee)
Honey bees are vital to our ecosystem. So if you see a swarm, you don’t want to harm them. The Puget Sound Beekeepers Association compiles a list every year of members who volunteer to respond to swarm reports and remove them for free. In sending this year’s list, PSBA explains that when swarms are removed, “They will be relocated to a place where they can continue to provide their valuable contribution to our environment.” Here’s the newest version of the list, with five beekeepers listed for the West Seattle/White Center area. (The list also includes photos so you know what’s a honey bee and what’s not.)
We’re now less than one week away from Fauntleroy Church‘s first Recycle Roundup since pre-pandemic. Here’s a reminder from Judy Pickens:
It’s time to top off your bag, box, or bin of recyclables because we’re less than one week away from the return of the Recycle Roundup at Fauntleroy Church! The building is still closed but the parking lot will be wide open on Sunday, April 25, 9 am-3 pm, for free, responsible recycling by 1 Green Planet. Plan to wear a mask and stay in your vehicle. Donation optional. The updated list of what they will/won’t accept this time is here (PDF). The church is at 9140 California SW (map).
Pre-pandemic, the church hosted these events twice a year; the last one was in September 2019.
That’s one of the signs made by West Seattleites of all ages in honor of Earth Day last year, after an invitation to create and place signs of support in windows or yards. Earth Day is April 22nd – one week from today – and you’re invited to do it again! From Vince Stricherz:
Happy Earth Day!
Earth Day, that annual celebration of our planet and all the work being done to protect its environment, is fast approaching. Once again, the Care for Creation team from Holy Rosary and Our Lady of Guadalupe parishes is urging people all over West Seattle to place an Earth-related photo or illustration in their windows or a sign in their yards on April 22 to demonstrate our commitment to taking care of this place we call home. One possibility is for kids to make drawings around Earth Day themes, or kids and adults can work together to make displays highlighting the importance of clean water, clean air and healthy soil! You also can download images from the Internet and place them where all who pass by your home can see them. We hope to see lots of images celebrating Earth Day!
As we did last year, we also invite you to send us a photo of your sign/display on Earth Day – westseattleblog@gmail.com or text the pic to our 24/7 hotline at 206-293-6302 – thank you!
In case you didn’t see it in our coverage of last month’s HPAC meeting or on the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar – this Saturday morning (April 17th) brings another compost giveaway in the north lot at South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor). 9 am until it’s gone, bring your own shovel and container(s) for up to a half-yard of compost per household. Masks required.
(WSB photo from spring 2018 Duwamish Alive!)
The twice-annual Duwamish Alive! event is back, and you have two ways to be part of it this Saturday (April 17th):
This Saturday, communities in the Green-Duwamish watershed will be celebrating Earth Month by participating in restoring habitat along the Green-Duwamish River and offering the self guided Green-Duwamish Journey. Several volunteer opportunities are still available, including the Heron’s Nest site:
Volunteer at Heron’s Nest restoration site in West Seattle, stewarded by the Duwamish Tribe and Shared Spaces as they restore native habitat on this site along with additional activities. Volunteers will be weeding, mulching, planting, and helping Seattle Tool Library build needed items. Email: heronsnestoutdoor@gmail.com
2021 Green-Duwamish Self Guided Journey
Community members are also encouraged to learn more about the Green-Duwamish River by visiting many of its environmental, historical and culturally significant sites on the Green-Duwamish Journey, provided in a booklet with activities families can enjoy while visiting the sites. The booklet can be downloaded from DuwamishAlive.org, with coordinating learning packets from Nature Vision for grades K-12.
If you were on or near the Fauntleroy ferry terminal at mid-afternoon, you might have seen those students sending a message they hope will be heard thousands of miles away. They’re from the Summit Atlas hub of the Sunrise Movement, which organizer Hannah Lindell-Smith describes as “a youth-led organization to stop the climate crisis and create good jobs in the process.” Today, school hubs around the city were holding actions like this to send a message to U.S. Senator Patty Murray, asking her, Hannah says, “to stand up for our generation’s right to good jobs and a livable future and sign onto the Green New Deal and Good Jobs For All Pledge.”
Starbucks, like many coffee purveyors, has not yet resumed accepting personal cups. But for customers uneasy about all the resulting waste, they’ve just launched a pilot program called Borrow A Cup – testing it at five stores, four of them in West Seattle.
(Fauntleroy/Avalon cup return – photo courtesy Starbucks)
At a participating store, you can “borrow” one of these cups for your hot or cold beverage for a one-dollar deposit, which is refunded when you return the cup in one of two ways: Scanning and dropping it in a special box at a participating store, or having door-to-door recycler Ridwell pick it up if you’re a member. Either way, baristas don’t have to handle used cups – they’re collected, cleaned, sanitized, and returned to stores by a company called GO Box. Starbucks says the cups are USA-made “from a very lightweight polypropylene plastic … the same material used in our current cold cups and both our hot and cold cup lids, and is recyclable in Seattle.” Each cup is expected to get about 30 uses The pilot program is running through the end of May; participating stores are at California/ Fauntleroy, California/Alaska, Westwood Village, and Avalon/Fauntleroy. (the fifth is at 4th/Diagonal in SODO).
P.S. The “borrowable” cups are available for 12-, 16-, and 24-ounce drinks, but 31-ounce drinks are still only available in single-use cups.
(EPA slide explaining ways in which people come into contact with pollutants)
If you have something to say to the Environmental Protection Agency about a plan to reduce the Duwamish River cleanup, today’s your last chance. (10:36 AM UPDATE: This has just been extended until April 21st.)
We reported back in February on the proposal to remove scattered areas totaling about five acres (not yet mapped) from the cleanup zone because the government increased the allowable level of a particular pollutant – benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), a “carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (cPAH).” On the night of the EPA community meeting we covered, the agency agreed to extend the public-comment window, and has since extended it again, but the deadline is tonight.
The reminder came in emails from two interested parties sharing the comment letters they have just submitted. The first is from BJ Cummings, longtime area advocate, who points out “significant questions about the scientific merit of the BaP reassessment” as well as a lack of time for discussion with community members who will be most affected by a cleanup change, which would leave a higher level of the substance in shellfish. Here’s her comment letter:
She refers to comments from an unofficial community coalition called the Duwamish River Accountability Group, which also sent us their letter:
That group’s points also include the time frame as well as the fact the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition, an official advisory group, only released its own fact sheet on the proposal about a week ago;
The DRCC fact sheet also notes that the scientists from the UW are concerned that “inconsistent results” among studies including those that led to the proposal to change the cleanup “means that there is still a high level of uncertainty about the cancer risk of BaP.”
As linked in our February report, the full document for review is here; an explanatory one-sheet is here. If you are interested in commenting, 11:59 pm tonight April 21 is the deadline to send email to Region10@epa.gov.
(WSB photo, March 20)
Two weeks after the latest West Seattle drop-off recycling/shredding event, we have the results! Forwarded by the West Seattle Junction Association, which organized the event in partnership with the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce:
Still have stuff to recycle beyond the regular curbside items? Fauntleroy Church is bringing back the Recycle Roundup, 9 am-3 pm Sunday, April 25th – this flyer lists what will and will not be accepted at that event. And if you need to shred – Daystar Retirement Village (2615 SW Barton; WSB sponsor) is offering free drive-up shredding Saturday, April 17th, 10 am-1 pm – bring up to three boxes.
(Reader photo, recent tree work near Alki Point)
Much of the city’s remaining forested areas are here in West Seattle, so it’s no surprise that many people on the peninsula feel fiercely protective of trees. We often get email from readers concerned about development projects that take out trees; most of the time, our subsequent research reveals the removal was allowed. So, what if anything is the city doing to try to keep the Emerald City from turning something closer to topaz? A couple of hints came during the most-recent meeting of the City Council’s Land Use and Neighborhoods Committee, 39 and a half minutes in:
The committee got its “quarterly tree report” – mandated since fall 2019 – from reps of the city Department of Construction and Inspections and Office of Sustainability and the Environment. See the summary here. This didn’t includes basics such as “X trees cut,” however – they’re still working on compiling that kind of data. But they discussed both progress toward the city’s revised Urban Forest Management Plan – three years in the making – and what’s being done under existing rules.
Sandra Pinto Urrutia from OSE talked about the former, explaining that they’ve continued to collect public input about what the new plan should cover; prevailing themes so far, she said, included requests to focus city resources on tree care and to examine economic effects of tree loss. A draft of the updated plan should be ready for council review later this spring.
Chanda Emery of SDCI said the department has been enforcing violations, even fining one developer $99,000 in a “triple penalty” for illegally removing an exceptional tree. She elaborated that despite extensive back-and-forth with SDCI, the tree eventually was cut to make way for a two-car garage. Councilmember Alex Pedersen interjected that this wasn’t a situation city reps discovered, but rather something that community members had uncovered.
One point of progress mentioned by Emery: A draft “director’s rule” requiring tree services operating within the Seattle city limits to acknowledge that they have read and are aware of city rules. She also said the city plans a federally funded survey using LIDAR data to determine how the city’s tree canopy has changed, starting within a few weeks. Councilmembers were told that past canopy assessments weren’t of much comparative use because the technologies kept changing, but this time “we have everything we need in place.”
For more on what the city is and isn’t doing about trees, you can go here.
(February photo, sent by Conrad)
That photo is from the last community cleanup that Conrad organized under and around the West Seattle Bridge last month. He tells WSB, “I got so many requests to hold another event that I’m hosting a second one – people felt such a pleasant sense of community and neighborliness at the last event,” It’s happening next Saturday afternoon (April 3rd), 1-3 pm, and you’re invited to join – here qre the basics:
Once again, we’ll meet at the cul-de-sac on SW Marginal Place. This project will focus on litter abatement, and it will have a larger focus on removing invasive and overgrown vegetation. Our work on vegetation will make the highly trafficked area safer for pedestrians and allow us to remove trash that’s currently covered in blackberries. We’ll also send people to the nearby Riverside Memorial Plaza to rake leaves.
P.S. If you’ve been participating in Jessica‘s monthly first-Saturday Alki cleanups – she’s joining this one for April, but will be back hosting Alki events in May and beyond.
10:24 AM: If you’re headed for the recycling/shredding event in the north lot at South Seattle College (WSB sponsor) – be patient! By 9:30 am, the vehicle line was backed up on northbound 16th SW past the campus’s south entrance and almost all the way to SW Holly. (If you’re just bringing something you can carry, you can park on 16th and walk in.) Once you’re in, here’s the setup:
Trucks are lined up from participants including Friendly Earth for electronics/small-appliance recycling:
Bring your Styrofoam, too, since Styro Recycle is there. And for paper, Sea-Dru-Nar is there for up to four boxes of shredding:
Volunteers are there to guide you in. The event organized by the West Seattle Junction Association and Chamber of Commerce is on until noon – 6000 16th SW, north entrance. Don’t forget your mask! If you have to head north to somewhere else on Puget Ridge this morning, we advise an alternate route. Southbound 16th, however, is not affected.
P.S. If you miss this event, as announced earlier this week, Fauntleroy Church is bringing back its twice-annual dropoff Recycle Roundup on April 25th (no shredding or Styrofoam, though) – details soon!
11:33 AM UPDATE: From volunteer Judy: “No longer taking light bulbs and electronics. Shredding, Styrofoam, batteries still accepted.”
Now there are TWO upcoming chances for dropoff electronics-and-more recycling in West Seattle:
(WSB photo, September 2020)
SATURDAY: We’ve told you about this one several times already – now it’s already here! The West Seattle Junction Association and Chamber of Commerce are presenting a spring recycle/reuse/shredding event 9 am-noon this Saturday (March 20th), different location this year – the north parking lot of South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor). Drive up, ride up, walk up! This preview explains how it’ll work as well as what they will and won’t take. Masks required!
APRIL 25: Just announced, Fauntleroy Church is bringing back the Recycle Roundup – usually held in spring and fall, but last year both were skipped because of the pandemic. Details on what will and won’t be accepted are still in the works but the time/date is set – 10 am-3 pm Sunday, April 25, in the church parking lot (9140 California SW).
(Seattle Parks photo)
If you walk, run, or ride along the Lincoln Park beach, you might have seen this cleanup operation – removing a damaged floating dock and the Styrofoam beads with which it was contaminating the water and shore. A post by Seattle Parks today explains how volunteers and city crews teamed up to get rid of it after an initial report came in from a park visitor. Friends of Lincoln Park, Puget Soundkeeper, Green Seattle Partnership all had a hand in it. The cleanup started last Thursday with Parks’ Heavy Equipment crew removing the dock, and continued Friday with work to remove the bits of Styrofoam. That involved a variety of tactics – from vacuuming up dry bits of foam to filling buckets with scooped-up beach stones, sand, and shells, adding water so the foam pieces would float up for removal. (See more photos here.) If you ever see a problem like this, you can report it via the Find It Fix It app or the Parks maintenance line, 206-684-7250.
Another reminder so you can get ready this weekend – next weekend starts with the FREE recycling/shredding event presented by the West Seattle Junction Association and WS Chamber of Commerce, 9 am-noon Saturday, March 20th. Different location this year so there’s lots of room to distance – the expansive north parking lot at South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor). Guidelines for what the event will and won’t take:
ACCEPTED ITEMS INCLUDE:
Styrofoam
Household batteries
Fluorescent tubes and bulbs
Small electronics
Paper for shredding (limit 4 boxes) – you CAN bring confidential documentsNOT-ACCEPTED ITEMS INCLUDE:
Automotive waste
Furniture
Broken household goods
Construction waste
Latex paint
Large appliances
Garbage or yard waste
Hazardous waste
Car seats
Non-recyclable or non-reusable items
Commercial loads
NO clothing/linens (due to capacity)
NO household goods (due to capacity)
Masking/distancing protocol and other info is on the WSJA’s preview page.
P.S. The sponsoring nonprofits run on volunteer power, and a couple spots remain for peoplr to help the event go smoothly. Sign up here!
A West Seattle woman is in the bug business this time of year. Tiny Science proprietor Jen the Entomologist says it’s time for Mantis Madness – science lessons you and your kid(s) can explore at home:
Tiny Science started 5 years ago when Jen brought a praying mantis tank to her kids’ preschool. Visiting to care for the tank, those preschoolers asked some awesome questions. Jen started planning weekly visits to discuss insects with preschoolers and Tiny Science was born. Jen has taught around West Seattle (including WorldKids School, Senior Center of West Seattle, The Tilden School, Gatewood and Arbor Heights Elementaries, Westside, and more).
The praying mantis hatching kit from Tiny Science comes with everything you need for a summer full of fascinating praying mantis encounters. Purchase your hatching kit online at tinyscience.org/mantis-madness
This simple and memorable project includes observing newly hatched mantises, releasing them into your outside space, and encountering them all summer long. Mantises are completely self-sufficient from hatching and require no care. This is an excellent educational experience for all ages, especially wonderful for multi-generational relationships. Kids and grownups spend the summer outside searching for (and finding!) these charismatic arthropod ambassadors of nature as they hunt and grow in your natural space.
Some FAQ include “Is it responsible to release these here?” and “Are they safe to hold?” These are Chinese mantids, a naturalized generalist predator with no direct native competitors. They contribute to their ecology as a prey item for many birds and arthropods and rarely generate offspring in our mild, wet climate. They are safe and fascinating to hold. Find more answers to frequently asked questions on the Tiny Science website.
High-quality ootheca (egg cases) are treated with expert care by Jen the Entomologist, West Seattle mom and small-business owner. We expect high viability from this robust bunch. Tiny Science’s mission is to improve science literacy and learner confidence in science. Contact Jen to learn more about awesome online science “Field Trips” for your class or school. Tiny Science teaches entomology to all ages and groups.
*Purchase your kit online
*Porch pick-up in West Seattle (Seaview, near the Junction) beginning mid-March. Hatching is expected to begin sometime in April with kits available through that month.
Mantis Madness is an annual springtime educational science experience from Tiny Science. Jen the Entomologist is a West Seattle mom and business owner of Tiny Science, a community resource for science education. Tiny Science online classes for early elementary boost learner confidence.
Jen says Tiny Science offers classes, parties, and badges too.
The first day of spring – March 20th – is also the next big recycling/shredding event in West Seattle. This was announced a month ago; we’re reminding you about it now that it’s just two weeks away. The location has changed this year, to the north parking lot of South Seattle College (6000 16th SW; WSB sponsor) – look for the sign in the photo at right. Here’s what the event, with sponsors including the West Seattle Junction Association and WS Chamber of Commerce, will and won’t take:
ACCEPTED ITEMS INCLUDE:
Styrofoam
Household batteries
Fluorescent tubes and bulbs
Small electronics
Paper for shredding (limit 4 boxes) – you CAN bring confidential documentsNOT-ACCEPTED ITEMS INCLUDE:
Automotive waste
Furniture
Broken household goods
Construction waste
Latex paint
Large appliances
Garbage or yard waste
Hazardous waste
Car seats
Non-recyclable or non-reusable items
Commercial loads
NO Clothing & linens (NEW in 2021 due to capacity)
NO Household goods (NEW in 2021 due to capacity)
Distancing protocol and other info is all on the WSJA’s preview page. One more thing: Want to volunteer to help the event go smoothly? Sign up here.
P.S. The event is scheduled for 9 am to noon.
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