Earth Share of Washington

Can Saving a River Make a Difference for Climate Change?

- By Michael Mayer of Earth Share organization Washington Environmental Council (WEC)

Water and Climate Change. Two of the most pressing environmental issues of our time. Readers of The Earth Page know how important each is if we are going to protect and maintain a livable Washington for future generations. You know, for instance, that if climate change continues unchecked, it will alter the crops we can grow, reduce our winter snowpack, and damage our temperate forestlands. You also know that water is a limited resource throughout the state and that water scarcity is increasingly a dominant issue for people concerned about fish habitat, irrigated agriculture, or population growth.

Climate change in Washington will also undoubtedly further impact rivers and streams if temperatures continue to rise over the next century. This concern adds a layer of urgency to WEC’s efforts on water issues. Our rivers - already suffering from excessive water withdrawals - will only suffer additional stresses if we don’t turn the corner on climate change. But there are other less obvious ways in which the two issues align, and more importantly there are solutions that will help us make progress on both.

As awareness about climate change grows, people are becoming more sophisticated about their energy use. By now, most people understand the need to insulate homes, use compact florescent bulbs when possible, and drive cars less. But water use plays an important role in energy consumption too. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that around 8% percent of the nation’s energy use is employed just to pump, treat, and heat water.

If you live in a city, think about the water that comes out of your faucet or garden hose. It has likely been pumped out of the ground or a river, treated to meet drinking water standards, and piped to your home. Once it runs down the drain or into a sewer, it is pumped to a wastewater treatment facility, purified again, and pumped into the ocean or nearest river. Energy is consumed at each stage.

In addition, all of us use up even more energy to heat, cool, and use that water in our homes and businesses. According to the EPA, in most cities this is the greatest water-related energy cost. And the agency provides a telling example: running a hot water faucet for five minutes is equivalent to a 60-watt bulb burning for 14 hours.

In Washington, Seattle has been a pioneer in water conservation efforts. Over the past quarter century, the city has grown from just under 1 million water users to approximately 1.3 million. Yet instead of a 30% increase in water use, total usage is lower today than it was in 1975. This result has not occurred by accident. Due to the city’s ongoing investments in conservation efforts - including rebates for efficient appliances, changes to the plumbing code, and pricing designed to discourage waste - both residential and commercial water use has steadily dropped.

The progress made in Seattle shows us, we can do more. Being efficient and conserving water keeps more in our rivers, streams, and aquifers, lowers energy use, and can save homeowners and businesses money. It’s the smart thing to do, and we know how to do it.

For water conservation tips and updates on our Water for Washington and Climate Change campaigns, check the WEC website and sign up for our email GreenTree Action Network at www.wecprotects.org.

Why MLK Day matters for environmental organizations

- Submitted by Earth Share organization EarthCorps

Everyone can be great, because everyone can volunteer for their community. – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

In January, EarthCorps kicked off its 2008 volunteer season with the MLK Weekend of Service. EarthCorps grew from hosting one event, as in previous years, to hosting an entire weekend of service projects aimed at restoring urban forests in the Seattle area. This increase came about as part of a nation-wide effort promoting MLK Day as a “day on, not a day off,” as authorized by the US Congress in the 1994 King Holiday and Service Act. Over 500,000 Americans honored Dr. King’s legacy by participating in service projects in their communities. Here in Washington State, employers are catching on to the idea of giving employees MLK Day, not as a holiday, but as a paid day to engage in community service – and this spells opportunity for organizations that can combine their volunteer events with the principles of non-violence and civil rights that Dr. King espoused.

Civil Rights and Parks

For EarthCorps, this meant focusing on projects and partnerships in ethnically diverse communities and especially parks near the route of the MLK Day March on MLK Way in Seattle. Volunteers began the weekend of service on Saturday at Dr. Jose Rizal Park on Beacon Hill. There, volunteers pulled ivy while enjoying a unique view of downtown Seattle, Puget Sound and the International District. Their work contributes to reducing crime, drug-dealing and illegal encampments in the park, by showing that the community cares for this public space. Volunteers that day included a Brazilian delegation of the World Affairs Council.

On Sunday, volunteers joined EarthCorps and King County Parks and Recreation to help complete Phase I of the restoration of White Center Heights Park. They planted 110 Red Alders and Big Leaf Maples and 250 bare root Slough Sedges. A wetland species, these sedges had to be planted one-by-one by hand in frigid waters. White Center Heights Park has in recent years received a lot of attention beginning with its Starbucks Ultimate Park Makeover. The volunteers’ work was important in continuing the momentum started by this makeover.

On Monday, hundreds of volunteers gathered at the Cheasty Greenspace in the Rainier Valley. Once neglected and overrun by invasive plants and rubbish, Cheasty Greenspace is seeing a rejuvenation as an urban greenspace. A new walking/running path winds beside the road, and as trees have been freed from their heavy capes of ivy, the area is taking on a less creepy, more welcoming appearance.

In total, EarthCorps worked with 268 volunteers in restoration projects totaling 1,079 volunteer hours. Volunteers pulled one acre of invasive species and maintained half an acre of previous work sites. These projects contributed to healthier forests and wetlands, and most importantly, they have concrete social value in allowing neighbors to improve the quality and safety of recreational areas close to their homes.

In 2007, EarthCorps worked with over 11,000 volunteers; based on the MLK Weekend of Service, the 2008 volunteer year looks to be just as successful.

40 Days of Nonviolence - Building the Beloved Community

In addition to the physical service, EarthCorps partnered with Service for Peace to host a fair to promote community service and Dr. King's legacy of community engagement. Sixteen community organizations hosted tables at the fair, promoting their cause and interacting with community members face-to-face. The 300 fair attendees learned about nonviolence and Dr. King's Beloved Community. (This is a vision of a socially just society that Dr. King described, for example, in his “I Have a Dream” speech.) Over 100 people signed a pledge to practice nonviolence for 40 days – boycotting violent speech, actions and entertainment - to honor the 40th anniversary of Dr. King's assassination. The pledge included a commitment to volunteer with a group or organization that helps build the Beloved Community. Anyone can pledge online at www.40daysofpeace.org.

EarthCorps is a non-profit organization founded in 1993 with a mission is to build global community through local environmental service. Visit www.earthcorps.org to learn more or volunteer.

New Seward Park Audubon Center Opening Soon!

The Seward Park Environmental & Audubon Center, a partnership between the City of Seattle and National Audubon Society to renovate the historic building at the entrance to Seward Park and create a nature education center, will soon be offering programs for the youth and families of Seattle. The Center successfully raised over $3 million to restore this landmark building and provide a community facility that includes classrooms, a library, a learning lab, exhibits, and a small nature store. Doors will open starting this spring and the Grand Opening is scheduled for April 10-13!

The Center’s flagship programs focus on middle and high school students, but will also have youth, family and community programming, including nature-themed walks, citizen science, summer camp, lecture series, nature art exhibits, workshops, performances, and annual celebrations. Many programs include a stewardship component or service learning component to help students understand their role in caring for our public park lands.

Two of the Center’s premier youth education programs that will begin this spring are Talking Tree and Eco Explorations. The Talking Tree program is a delightful introductory environmental presentation for young children that addresses how trees and people are dependent on each other and emphasizes the need to plant and help care for trees. A costumed Seward Park Audubon staff, naturalist, or volunteer will discuss trees, the importance of trees, and the comparison of trees to people. The Talking Tree is geared to students kindergarten and below in individual classes.

The Eco Explorations field trip program brings students deep into Seward Park for field study, investigation, and hands-on exploration of Seward Park ecology. Eco Explorations’ fun and educational programs teach the large scale concepts of chemistry, food chains, systems, ecology, habitats, and ethnobotany by exploring the ecosystems at the park: the old-growth forest, the oak savannah, and Lake Washington. All lessons are designed and assessed to meet 5th through 12th grade Washington State Grade Level Expectations (GLEs) and Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs).

Heading into summer, the Center will offer six one-week sessions of fun and exciting camp. Day camps for students entering 5th–8th grades will explore arts and the environment, outdoor adventures, and nature science. Camp sessions are July 7-11, 14-18, 21-25 and August 4-8, 11-15, 18-22. Sign up for summer camp at Seward Park starts March 5!

The Center, a project of Audubon Washington, is located at 5902 Lake Washington Blvd S, Seattle, WA 98118. Once open, hours of operation and store hours will be Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Program hours will vary. For more information, see http://sewardpark.audubon.org. To get on the Center’s distribution list, call (206) 652-2444.

Washington Wilderness Coalition helps Introduce Alpine Lakes Wilderness & Wild and Scenic River Bill

- Submitted by Earth Share organization Washington Wilderness Coalition

On November 8, 2007 Congressman Dave Reichert introduced legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives to add the first new additions to the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in more than 25 years. The announcement came after months of consultation with local stakeholders, the conservation community and local elected officials about the merits of protecting this incredible area.

The proposal includes areas of the Pratt, Middle Fork and South Fork Snoqualmie River Valleys as wilderness additions, and specifically protects the Pratt River with a wild and scenic river designation. This remarkable area, just 45 minutes from downtown Seattle, includes glacier-cut, u-shaped valleys, snow capped peaks, rare low elevation mature and old-growth forests, whitewater rivers, and healthy native trout runs. These low elevation areas include key fisheries habitat and multi-season recreational opportunities, which are under-represented in the existing Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Wild and Scenic designation for the Pratt River will ensure that recreational opportunities on the river, including unique backcountry kayaking and world-class hiking, can continue while safeguarding clean water resources for hundreds of thousands of local residents.

Washington Wilderness Coalition (WWC) played a leadership role in working with the Congressman and a coalition of conservationists, user groups, and local stakeholders to develop the proposal. Modeling the experience after the recent Wild Sky campaign, WWC assisted the Congressman with outreach early on to key stakeholders, including Alpental Ski Area, local businesses, private landowners and local mayors.

Get the latest at www.wawild.org.

Upcoming Events & Volunteer Opportunities - February 2008

• February 7 - Toxic-Free Toys Rally & Lobby Day – 10:00am – State House, Olympia, WA – Earth Share organization Washington Toxics Coalition urges you to join doctors, nurses, and concerned families from around the state as they rally at the Capitol for a new law that will eliminate toxic chemicals from children's products. Search www.healthytoys.org to see if your kids toys have toxic chemicals in them and to learn more about the problem of toxic toys at http://watoxics.org/safer-products/saferproducts/. For more information or to sign up, contact Jim Dawson, (206) 632-1545 or email jdawson@watoxics.org.
• February 9 - Glacial Heritage Prairie Restoration Work Party - 10:00 am - 3:00 pm - Don’t let the rainy weather get you down! Come on down to Glacial Heritage Prairie to get your hands dirty and your lungs filled with fresh air. The friendly smiles of volunteers await you while helping The Nature Conservancy restore our rare and beautiful prairies. New faces are always welcome. Volunteers will be focusing on the removal of scotch broom. In addition, inside work will be available. For more information, email Peder Engelstad, Volunteer Coordinator, at pengelstad@tnc.org.
• February 16 - Frink Park Volunteer Work Party - 10:00 am - 2:00 pm - Join EarthCorps, the World Affairs Council, the Green Seattle Partnership, Friends of Frink Park and the City of Seattle Department of Parks in an effort to protect open spaces from the threat of English ivy, an invasive plant that covers trees and results in a loss of native habitat. Volunteers will be installing "survival rings" around trees covered with ivy as well as performing restoration site maintenance and monitoring on sites in which we have previously worked. Some projects may include planting native trees and shrubs. For more information, contact Chris LaPointe, Volunteer Program Manager at (206) 322-9296, ext. 217 or email chris@earthcorps.org.
• February 20 - Featured Speaker - "Using photography to protect our public lands" - Join the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) and the Washington Trails Association (WTA) for a free evening program with local photographer Shellye Poster. Shellye will explain how photography can be used as an advocacy tool for protecting public lands for future generations and will share tips and techniques on photographing Northwest landscapes. Attendees will also have the opportunity to view the winning photographs of WTA’s annual photo contest, Northwest Exposure. These photographs are on display through February 29 at NPCA’s Parks Information Center and Gallery. For more information contact Shane Farnor at (206) 903-1444 ×24 or sfarnor@npca.org -- space is limited.
• February 23 - Restoration Work Party at Duwamish Riverbend Hill - Cascade Land Conservancy invites you to a volunteer restoration event on Duwamish Riverbend Hill. The volunteer work party will begin at 10am. Please join volunteers and Cascade Land Conservancy to help in the effort to restore and steward this important property. For more information and to register visit http://www.cascadeland.org/events/2-23-2008/.
• February 23 - Citizen Soundkeeper Training – 9:00am to Noon - Puget Soundkeeper Alliance offices in Ballard: 5309 Shilshole Ave NW - Suite 215 in Seattle - Join Puget Soundkeeper Sue Jorger and Captain Andy for an on-the-water and in-the-classroom training that will teach volunteers how to detect, document and report pollution incidents in our waters. Puget Soundkeeper Alliance can't be everywhere all the time. They need concerned and educated citizens to patrol our waters and shorelines and report pollution violations. To Register: Call Paul at (206) 297-7002 or email volunteer@pugetsoundkeeper.org.
• March 1 - Seward Park Volunteer Work Party - 10:00 am - 2:00 pm - Work with EarthCorps and the Green Seattle Partnership and the Friends of Seward Park as they continue to maintain their restoration sites, plant native tree and remove English ivy from this stand of old growth forest right in the city. Home to diverse wildlife and impressive trees, Seward Park is enjoyed by walkers, cyclists, and those who love the outdoors. For more information, contact Chris LaPointe, Volunteer Program Manager at (206) 322-9296, ext. 217 or email chris@earthcorps.org