Nature Consortium supports Green Seattle Day and the Green Seattle Partnership
SEATTLE (October 31, 2011) – Imagine an Emerald City without trees. A dense thicket of blackberry bushes replaces what once was a grove of cedar trees in a local park. All across Seattle, invasive plants like Himalayan blackberry and English ivy are taking over our native forests. In 2004, Mayor Greg Nickels warned that Seattle was “at risk of becoming the city formerly known as emerald.”
On November 5, many hundreds of volunteers will roll up their sleeves at 16 parks across Seattle as part of a city-wide effort to restore and maintain our urban forests. Nonprofits, community members, and dedicated forest stewards will host restoration work parties as part of Green Seattle Day, an effort of the Green Seattle Partnership.
The Green Seattle Partnership (GSP) was born in response to Mayor Nickels’ call to action as a joint venture between the City of Seattle and Cascade Land Conservancy. Since its inception, the Partnership has served as a means to unite and expand the various individual restoration efforts across the city. Based in West Seattle, Nature Consortium is one of many organizations working to restore Seattle’s forests.
In support of the Green Seattle Partnership and Green Seattle Day, Nature Consortium is hosting a restoration work party in Seattle’s largest forest, the West Duwamish Greenbelt. “We are proud to be part of a network of people working toward the same goal of a healthy, green city,” says Lizzie Jackson, Nature Consortium’s Restoration & Education Coordinator.
Without a coordinated effort, Seattle is at risk of losing 70% of its forests in just 20 years, according to GSP. In restoring the West Duwamish Greenbelt, Nature Consortium helps contribute to GSP’s goal of restoring 2,500 acres of forested parkland in Seattle by 2025.
“We have a big task here in Seattle, and we can’t do it alone. It takes a partnership like this – between nonprofits, city government, businesses, and volunteers – to tackle such a big project.” Through active volunteer engagement, Nature Consortium aims to create a community of engaged and informed citizens working together to keep Seattle green. “And that’s what Green Seattle is all about,” says Jackson. “People all across the city are working to make this vision a reality.”
The West Duwamish Greenbelt is just one of many forests in Seattle that need help. Green Seattle Day offers an opportunity to connect to 16 city parks including Discovery Park, Kubota Gardens, Cheasty Greenspace, and Magnuson Park. Volunteers will help clean up trash, remove invasive species, and plant native trees and shrubs.
To register at your local park for Green Seattle Day or future volunteer opportunities, visit www.greenseattle.org.
About Nature Consortium:
West Seattle-based Nature Consortium is a nonprofit working to connect people, arts, and nature. They are committed to creating community by inspiring a love for the arts and a connection to the environment. Programs include free eco-themed art classes for youth, a volunteer forest restoration project, and the Arts in Nature Festival. For more information or to volunteer, donate, or attend an art class, visit www.naturec.org.
About Green Seattle Partnership
The Partnership was formed in 2004 by memorandum of agreement between the City of Seattle and the Cascade Land Conservancy. Seattle Parks and Recreation, Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment, and Seattle Public Utilities are the three key City departments serving in the Green Seattle Partnership. The partnership is governed by a 9-member Executive Council appointed by the Mayor.
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Contact:
Monica Thomas, Outreach & Media Coordinator
Nature Consortium
Monica@naturec.org
206-923-0853