Earth Share of Washington

Earth Share Notes - May 2005

Monthly perspectives from Earth Share of Washington staff members on activities and trends.

Dear Reader:
Each April 22 the Gallup Organization releases its annual Earth Day poll, reflecting Americans’ attitudes toward the environment and environmental protection.

This year’s poll results include the following:

When asked if they “think the U.S. government is doing too much, too little, or about the right amount in terms of protecting the environment” a clear majority of Americans (58%) say “too little” and only a small minority (5%) say “too much.” These figures represent the highest ratio of “too little” to “too much” observed since 1992, and a continuing increase in support for governmental action since a low point in March 2003 when 51% held the former view. Such results demonstrate that the vast majority of Americans do not want to see a reduction in the government’s environmental protection efforts (because 92% respond that it is doing “too little” or “about the right amount”).

While Americans believe the government should do more to protect the environment, we shouldn’t rely on the government to take care of our house (eco-logy, the study of the house). We must insist on good government, and we should also assume the personal day-to-day responsibilities of house-tending. This may include volunteering (you’ll see opportunities later in The Earth Page), donating professional services, financial support, or leading by example.

Here’s a good question to ask your friends at the next party, “Are you an environmentalist?” Let us know what you hear (eswinformation@esw.org).

William Borden
Executive Director

Back to Life: The Iron Goat Trail

- submitted by Todd Jennings from ESW organization Volunteers for Outdoor Washington

March 1, 1910, near Wellington. Two Great Northern Railway trains—a local passenger and a fast mail from the east—are delayed by snow slides just west of Stevens Pass. Snow plows are out of coal, food is scarce and the heavily falling has been joined by a tremendous lightning storm. Then, in the middle of the night, a huge section of snow on Windy Mountain breaks free and rushes down the mountainside, sweeping the cars into the Tye River Valley 150 feet below. Ninety-six souls are lost that night, the deadliest avalanche in American history.

The Wellington disaster of 1910 is just part of Back to Life: The Iron Goat Trail, a documentary to be premiered at the end of the month. This 30-minute film documents how thousands of volunteers have turned an abandoned railway bed into an interpretive trail that brings back to life the rich history of the Great Northern Railway.

Great Northern’s line over Stevens Pass began as an intricate set of switchbacks cut into the mountainside. The switchbacks posed serious problems: steep slopes requiring lots of coal and water, plus the hazard of rock and snow slides. Then in 1900 a 2.6 mile-long tunnel was blasted through thanks to three years of three shifts of men working seven days a week. (During tunneling operations, the story goes, 800 men worked, while 800 slept and another 800 stood at the bar.)

Snow slides remained a problem, however. To address this danger, Great Northern built eight snowsheds; their sloped roofs created a continuous line with the mountainside to keep snow sliding over the sheds, thereby protecting the track and trains. But not all sections were covered and barren hillsides—often the result of fires sparked by passing trains—only increased the likelihood of avalanches. The Wellington disaster of 1910 closed the line for nearly three weeks.

Harsh winters continued to make it difficult to maintain the tracks and snowsheds and in 1929, following the completion of a new 7.8 mile-long tunnel, the Great Northern abandoned the section that is now the Iron Goat Trail. Camps were torn down, people moved on, and thick vegetation reclaimed the mountainside.

Since 1990, thousands of volunteers, led by Volunteers for Outdoor Washington, have contributed over one hundred thousand hours to turning the abandoned line into a historic recreational trail. Today the completed trail is over nine miles long; about half of it is wheelchair accessible. In 2006 a third trailhead—the Iron Goat Interpretive Site that will also serve as a Highway 2 rest area—will provide another point of access.

Back to Life: The Iron Goat Trail is from the lens of John de Graaf, a veteran filmmaker with a mantle full of awards. This 30-minute documentary showcases the area’s natural beauty and remarkable history, and weaves the story of the volunteers and their labor of love. Moreover, Back to Life demonstrates the power of citizen action—led by the vision of 87 year-old Ruth Ittner—to preserve the past and the environment for future generations.

Look for the red carpet world premiere of Back to Life: The Iron Goat Trail on Wednesday, May 25th @ The Mountaineers Seattle Branch. (KCTS Channel 9, the local PBS-affiliate, will air Back to Life on Thursday, June 2nd at 10pm.) The premiere event is free and a wine and cheese affair. So they know how much wine and how much cheese, they’re asking that people RSVP: info@trailvolunteers.org org 206-517-3019.

To join an Iron Goat Trail work party—every Wednesday and Saturday!—and experience the snow shed remnants and soul-refreshing scenery for yourself, please visit www.trailvolunteers.org and click on Events Calendar.

"Active Transportation" Projects Linked to Public Health

- submitted by Melissa Briody from ESW organization Transportation Choices Coalition

Five to fifteen per cent of Washingtonians use active modes of transportation to get to work, to school, and to amenities in and near their neighborhoods. Yet today in Washington, only about one per cent of state funding is budgeted for “Active Transportation” projects—safe routes to school & transit, pedestrian & bicycle connections, and walking & bicycling routes in transit-oriented development—that can help improve the overall transportation system and the public’s health.

While five to fifteen per cent may sounds reasonably good, Washington State faces a major health care crisis—and one of the factors driving this crisis is a lack of physical activity. In the Central Puget Sound region, half of all auto trips are five miles or less (that’s less than a 30 minute bike ride), and 16 per cent are two miles or less (less than a 30 minute walk). However, nearly half of Washington adults are not getting enough physical activity, and even worse, an estimated 10% of our population is defined as inactive, getting less than 10 minutes of moderate physical activity in a week.

Adding insult to injury, air pollution from our auto dependence has resulted in 10% of kids in urban areas such as Seattle and Spokane suffering from asthma, compared with less than seven percent nationally. Lack of physical activity and over-dependence on polluting automobiles contribute to many of our biggest health problems—obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and respiratory problems.

There are ways to begin to solve this health crisis while addressing the funding inequity for Active Transportation projects. Investing in Active Transportation can increase physical activity and create healthier communities. Investing in bike, pedestrian, and transit-oriented development projects saves us money, improves our health and air quality, and helps relieve traffic congestion.

Transportation Choices Coalition convened a coalition of health- and transportation-related government agencies, non-profits, and businesses. We’ve been working hard since then to come up with ways to address the health crisis through transportation solutions. In that time, the group endorsed the following five Active Transportation campaign goals for the legislature to take up during the 2005 session, which ends on April 24.

1. Increase funding for Active Transportation by $20 million/year in the 2005–2007 biennium, increasing over time to address the large backlog of projects, and to meet rising demand. This investment would build safe routes to schools, safe routes to transit, bicycle and pedestrian connections and bicycle and pedestrian routes within transit-oriented development.
2. Engage public health professionals and advocacy groups (including bicycle, pedestrian, and transit advocates) early in the concept development phase when performing major investment and corridor studies, so that new transportation projects are designed to improve public health, among other goals.
3. Direct all distributors of state infrastructure funding to develop criteria giving extra points to projects that show the highest levels of increased walking, cycling and public transportation use, including Safe Routes to School & Transit.
4. In addition to improving on-corridor facilities, evaluate using gas tax dollars to fund “off-corridor” bike and pedestrian improvements that reduce traffic and/or improve safety on state highways, both during construction and beyond.
5. Establish a steering committee to develop criteria for a potential state pedestrian-oriented development/transit-oriented development (POD/TOD) incentive program that significantly increases bicycle & pedestrian use.

With this broad support from the community, we are optimistic that the legislature will do the right thing this session by putting Active Transportation policies in place and setting aside funding from the transportation budget for these important—and essential—Active Transportation projects.

May is Washington Trails Association's Families Go Hiking Month

Why put your hiking gear away when you have kids? Bring the kids along on the trail and introduce them to the wonders of nature.

To children, the natural world is a place of wonder and curiosity, waiting to be explored. Hiking is a fantastic way to combine quality family time with exercise and exploration of the natural world.

To help families get on the trail to explore, Washington Trails Association (WTA) declares the month of May Families Go Hiking month. WTA is hosting two great family-friendly activities to get you started, and featuring family hiking info on its website (www.wta.org) and Washington Trails magazine for the month of May.

With Families Go Hiking month, WTA hopes to take the mystery out of hiking with small children, and provide a supportive way to help families get started hiking together.

One big stumbling block for new parents that are experienced hikers is learning to adjust goals like distance and altitude, and expectations of what the hike will be like. With kids along, you probably won’t go as fast, or as far, or as high, but the experience has its own unique rewards.

WTA hosts a “Families Go Hiking” Clinic on Wednesday May 11th, 7pm at the Seattle REI store. The workshop covers the basics of hiking with kids of all ages, for both day hiking and overnight backpacking, and will include information on packs and gear, planning your trip, safety, food, and more. Find out the ten best trails for hiking with kids in Washington, plus how to choose your own hiking trail that is suited for small children. Also come to check out kid-friendly hiking gear from REI. The clinic is led by Joan Burton, author of Best Hikes with Children in the North Cascades.

The following Saturday, May 14th, WTA leads a Guided Hike for Families on the Lake Elizabeth Trail off Hwy 2 near Index. Bring the kids on this easy hike around a small mountain lake below high peaks. A scenic drive up Money Creek leads directly to the lake. The group will make frequent “energy stops” enjoy the plants and wildlife, and talk about what makes a great hike for kids. The hike is led by Joan Burton, author of Best Hikes with Children in the North Cascades, and Andrew Engelson, editor of Washington Trails magazine.

You can get more information on WTA’s Families go Hiking month and RSVP to either of these events at www.wta.org or by calling (206) 625-1367.

Bring the world to your home!

• Do you live in Seattle?
• Do you care about the environment and young people?
• Are you interested in learning more about other cultures?
• Do you have an extra room in your home?

Seattle residents are bringing the world to their home by hosting international environmental leaders with EarthCorps. Residents are making a major impact on our local environment and learning about new cultures without even having to leave their home.

EarthCorps is recruiting families to host environmental leaders from around the world. Becoming a homestay with EarthCorps is a great opportunity for anyone who is interested in sharing culture, meeting new faces, and making new friends.

EarthCorps is a Seattle based service, conservation and educational organization founded in 1993 with a mission to build global community through local environmental service. Annually, EarthCorps’ work engages 60 local and international youth leaders in environmental and community-building projects.

Seattle families have hosted young people from EarthCorps over the past 13 years. EarthCorps participants join us from countries including Costa Rica, Kenya, Guatemala, India, Tanzania, Nepal, Ecuador, Brazil, and more! If you would like to bring the world to your home by becoming a homestay or have questions about EarthCorps please contact Mark Howard, International Coordinator by phone: 206-322-9296 X 224 or email: mark@earthcorps.org.

To learn more about EarthCorps, visit www.earthcorps.org.

Earth Share's Day in the Park

Presented by IKEA

June 11, 2005 – Earth Share’s Day in the Park 2005 – At Golden Gardens Park in Seattle - Day in the Park invites volunteers to team up with leading non-profit conservation organizations and community groups for an honest day’s work enhancing a local park. Volunteers remove invasive plant species, plant trees & native vegetation, clean up beaches, and rebuild trails. Volunteer teams, under the guidance of Seattle Parks personnel and Earth Share of Washington crew leaders, learn the values of teamwork and stewardship while having fun. It’s an opportunity for everyone to feel good about helping the Earth and giving back to your community parks. To learn more about the event or to signup, please visit http://www.dayinthepark.org

Bring your friends, bring your coworkers, or recruit a volunteer team from your community! A celebration afterwards features fun activities for kids and families, live music, free food, prizes, and giveaways for every volunteer.

Signup today at dayinthepark.org
http://www.dayinthepark.org