Staff from the Mayor’s Office and Office of Sustainability & Environment with Buoy, the Seattle Kraken mascot. It’s April, which means it’s our busiest month of the year — Earth Month! We’re getting outside, connecting with community, and working toward our shared environmental goals.
We kicked off the monthlong celebration with the Seattle Kraken, One Roof Foundation, Duwamish River Community Coalition (DRCC), volunteers, and more partners at a community cleanup in South Park. Our neighbors in the Duwamish Valley are hit harder by harmful climate impacts, like flooding, pollution, and extreme heat.
Community Partnership in Action
We started the day with dozens of youth, community members, and partners at the newly renovated South Park Community Center and Playfield (stay tuned for a reopening celebration!) From there, volunteers broke out into teams to pick up litter, remove weeds around buildings and sidewalks, and build a new green wall.
We headed over to Glass Eye Studio, where the Dirt Corps team was installing a green wall around the building. These local plants and vines will grow up the cables and, in a few years, completely “green” the building, providing cooling effects and beautiful scenery!
Industrial areas have the poorest air quality, the highest temperatures, and the fewest trees. Surrounded by industry, South Park and Georgetown locals have suffered from pollution-related negative health outcomes and lower life expectancy for generations.
Relationships with partner organizations like Dirt Corps, DRCC, and ECOSS, as well as industrial landowners and businesses, make industrial greening possible. We are forming more partnerships and investments to advance this work, and we’re excited to have the Kraken and One Roof Foundation on board!
More to Come in the Duwamish Valley
Cleanups and upgrades in South Park aren’t the only way that Seattle’s Duwamish Valley Program is helping build healthier communities. The Duwamish Valley Program, led by our team at OSE, is a partnership between hardworking community organizations and City departments that are improving climate readiness and environmental health in the region. Check out our recently released Duwamish Valley Program Map showcasing 60 City-funded projects!
In a couple of weeks, youth interns with Cultivate South Park will help clean up the business district along 14th Avenue over two days. The teens will also add Earth Month-themed art and murals to the vibrant district, featuring small and locally owned businesses and nonprofits.
And with good weather comes outdoor markets! The Duwamish Valley Program will help fund more than 50 community events and markets this year to increase access to fresh, culturally relevant, and affordable foods for South Park and Georgetown community members.
The Georgetown Business Association, Georgetown Community Council, and Cultivate South Park will host youth-run farmers markets, the El Mercadito Indoor & Outdoor Farmer’s Market, South Park Shop Small, Georgetown Art Attack, and more pop-up events. Many events will utilize the new South Park Plaza and fresh bike lanes and sidewalks, encouraging visitors to check out the nearby local businesses.
In March, Cultivate South Park and the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods partnered to host a grocery pop-up event for the Chamber of Connection’s Best Day Ever event. Cultivate South Park gave away more than 2,000 pounds of food to community members — about eight full shopping carts! In one day alone, they served more than 50 local families.
Check out all the progress on April 24 at The Buildup, an annual live music, arts, and food show in South Park. Visit Seattle Parks and Recreation’s blog to help come up with a new name for a park in South Park (submissions due April 14).
Earth Month Doesn’t End Here
Thank you to all of our City and community partners who are leading creative environmental justice work and making Seattle more sustainable for all. We’re just getting started with Earth Month festivities!
Join us at an event near you: