(Other years: 2023, 2022, & 2020)
Fifty-one years ago, the first Earth Day inspired 10% of the US population to unify in a nationwide protest against the impacts of uncontrolled pollution. Today, as examples of creative and future-thinking leadership, our twelve honorees provide our region with attainable models of a more just and livable world. They have moved beyond protest to effective, strategic action. Their actions demonstrate that Earth Day is not just a 24-hour event on the annual calendar--it is how all of us must think and act all year long.
We salute these organizations for their important environmental and social justice accomplishments. We look forward to the growing impact their efforts will have on the quality of all forms of life in Island and Snohomish County.
Greening Congregations Collaborative of Whidbey Island
This impressive group currently has 7 members who work together to inspire environmentally responsible behavior and leadership. Since their inception in 2015, they have hosted documentary film viewings, advocated for environmental legislation, conducted noxious weed and beach clean-ups, and hosted Earth Day events. Their Taming Bigfoot challenge had 77 participants on 14 teams, all working to reduce their carbon footprint. Participants reported that not only was it fun and informative, but the awareness they gained resulted in concrete, long-term behavior changes. They also have a highly informative, user-friendly webpage of resources for shrinking our carbon footprint.
Snohomish County Lions Club
We applaud the Snohomish County Lions Club and the Trex Co for their collaborative effort to keep plastic bags and packaging film out of our landfills. The Lions Club spearheaded a community wide plastics collection program by writing articles in local media, setting up drop-off sites, and engaging the help of 9 local service clubs. For each 500 pounds of #2 and #4 plastic collected, Trex donates an attractive, weather resistant bench. To date, over a ton of plastic has been collected. Project Coordinators Renee Dearling and Mike Edwards report that the first benches will most likely be placed at the Bird Sanctuary adjacent to the wastewater treatment plant in Snohomish.
The Edmonds Waterfront Center
Following the Board’s unanimous vote –despite the additional $500,000 cost– the new 26,000 square foot Edmonds Waterfront Center was constructed to be LEED Gold, full solar, all-electric, and use no fossil fuels. The Board decision’s impact will be amplified by inspiring others to take actions to mitigate climate change. Solar panel sponsors were sought for $1,000 donations to pay for added costs; to date, $410,000 has been raised. A “Solar Champions” plaque will recognize donors in the new Waterfront Center. Additionally, the project’s goals include protecting, preserving, and enhancing the waterfront site for community use as a regional park.
The Tulalip Tribes
Their commitment to protecting natural resources and their connection to our air, land, water, and salmon, is evident by their accomplishments: restoring streams, improving salmon habitat and their in-depth Climate Change website. They work to protect forests from the increasing risk of fire, protect shorelines from sea level rise and increasing storm intensity. The tribes work with farmers to keep manure out of waterways, diverting it to a biogas plant to create clean energy. Staff have relocated nuisance beavers to build salmon-friendly, water-storing forest ponds. Last summer they helped remove a Pilchuck River diversion dam that had blocked salmon migration for 118 years.
They live their motto: “Looking Forward. Giving Back”- a motto we all should embrace.
Housing Hope and Hopeworks Station
HopeWorks Station includes 65 units of affordable housing administered by Housing Hope, for the homeless, including military veterans, youth, young adults, and parents working toward being reunited with their children, in partnership with the county’s family drug treatment court program. The complex’s rooftops are covered in solar panels, enough to provide all the energy needs of the three residential floors and possibly more to put back on the grid. Residents will participate in an energy efficiency pilot project with Snohomish County PUD to reduce the electrical demand of each unit to about half that of a typical apartment.
Snohomish County Public Utility District
SnoPUD serves electric and water customers in Snohomish County and Camano Island, delivering 98% carbon-free power from renewable energy resources such as hydropower, wind and solar. They partnered with the new Edmonds Waterfront Center, and with Housing Hope. They offer energy conservation initiatives, incentives for EV chargers, a website with guidance for purchasing electric vehicles, and will be building fast EV charging stations. Additionally, they protect 500 acres of old-growth forest and are a steward of over 4,500 acres of wildlife habitat. In the Sultan River they added water temperature conditioning to enhance more than 2 miles of salmonid rearing habitat, and opened access to 8 miles of spawning habitat.
The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency
The Agency works regionally for clean, healthy air and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They manage a wood stove recycling & replacement program, funded by the state Department of Ecology so residents can replace uncertified, polluting wood stoves with cleaner, more efficient heat sources. In 2019, they proposed a regional clean fuel standard that would lower the carbon intensity in transportation fossil fuels. Clean fuel standards, along with equity programs, ensure that opportunities for electrification occur in communities with the greatest disparities. Currently they support the statewide clean fuel standard that is being considered this legislative session.
Stillaguamish Tribe
The Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians engages in salmon habitat protection and repair and riparian projects that are exemplified by their Martha Creek restoration, the 4,122-acre Port Susan Bay preserve, and their purchase of 248 acres of farmland to restore to fish habitat near the mouth of the Stillaguamish River. Highlighting a specific project - the Tribe teamed up with the Nature Conservancy, a dairy and several other not usually aligned groups to collaborate on keeping dairy waste from fouling salmon streams. In our post-event email, check out the link to the video documenting this called: “Old Cows, New Tricks”.
Green Snohomish - Snohomish Tree Tour
If you’re attending this gathering, you already know more than most about the value of urban trees and forests - research clearly shows the benefits including carbon sequestration, shade and cooling, as well as psychological well-being. The city of Snohomish has an amazing variety of old, beautiful, healthy trees. Members of Green Snohomish developed the Snohomish Tree Tour because they love trees and want to emphasize the importance and benefits of urban trees, There’s a link to a self-guided tour map and information about guided tours on May 9th, Mothers’ Day in our post-event email. Many thanks to Lya Badgley and the Green Snohomish group.
The Northwest Stream Center
The Adopt A Stream Foundation’s Northwest Stream Center is a 20-acre environmental campus with small classroom events, large theater presentations and an outdoor wetlands boardwalk. It’s a place to teach…and a place to learn. A place to discover…and a place to return to. The Northwest Stream Center is a place for young and old, individuals and businesses, schools and governments to work together to protect our streams and wetlands…and to improve the quality of all of our lives. Their engaging staff and expert guides will pique your interest to learn more and adopt better fish friendly living habits.
Clearwater Commons
We are extremely impressed with the low-impact development housing community created near Bothell by Tom Campbell and colleagues. It is a much-needed example of responsible development. Clearwater Commons is a unique 16 unit development bordering North Creek and wetlands.
It combines three important features:
stream and wetland restoration on a quarter mile of important Chinook habitat.
model low impact development with zero stormwater discharge.
and 5 star Built-Green homes including 30kw of solar power, 3 electric car charging stations and shared garden and community amenities.
We are honored to have 3 Clearwater Commons founders with us tonight: Bob Freeman, Shawna Lee and Eric Dolven.
The Daily Herald and Journalist Julie Titone
We hope you have been seeing the Daily Herald’s environmental reporting series by journalist Julie Titone. In September, the Herald launched an Environmental and Climate Change Reporting Fund that to date has received more than 400 donations totaling $37,000. The Herald has invested part of that money to bring us in-depth stories by Julie, including the impact of sea-level rise on local communities, the growing influence of climate activists, and the leadership-role tribes are playing in combating climate change and protecting the environment. The long-term goal is to raise enough money to support a full-time environmental reporter in the newsroom.
