The project is called Presto Garden and is possible through donations from community members and volunteer time from SWS members, from Westcrest P-Patch members, and from White Center Food Bank volunteers.

The community is pulling together to create a permanent vegetable garden to grow healthy, organic food for the White Center Food Bank.  Fresh local produce is of great benefit for the White Center Food Bank and is one of the food staples which is the most difficult to get and keep stocked.  An essential component of social justice is healthy food for everyone and that’s one of the goals for this project. Another goal is to create a new community of local, Westcrest P-Patch-based organic farmers who use the techniques which have been part of the Spring forum series held at the South Seattle Community College’s Horticulture Center.

The Presto Garden fulfills many of Sustainable West Seattle’s mission objectives, including:

• Social Justice – providing healthy food for everyone in the community goes a long way toward equity;
• Building Community – bringing together volunteers, non-profits and businesses to create a garden that produces organic vegetables, fruits and herbs for the White Center Food Bank;
• Sustainability – growing food locally for our community is a sustainable activity.

Come join the fun and learn how to do organic gardens for yourself.  There will be refreshments at the Saturday preparation and planting party.

The following donations are being made to help complete the garden in a single day:

• Perrennial vegetables – provided by Village Green Nursery;
• Compost – provided by Alki Bike and Board;
• Vegetable starts – provided by West Seattle Nursery;
• Seeds – provided by Community Orchard of West Seattle;
• Gardening tools and equipment – provided by the Mobile Tool Library, West Seattle Tool Library.

May is Bike to Work month

Most often, once a cyclist is properly exposed to the daily recreation of bicycle commuting they tend to stick with it. There are many great ways to get out of West Seattle during rush hour by bike that are far more efficient and fun than the West Seattle bridge by car.

• If you work downtown consider using the West Seattle Water Taxi and be a tourist.
• If you work to the south you can ride the Duwamish trail to Boeing as well as other work centers.
• It is also Bike to School Month.

For more information on commuter routes in all directions you can contact SWS’s own bicycle resource person, Stu Hennessey from noon to 7:00 pm weekdays for route selections, 206-938-3322, or visit Stu at Alki Bike & Board’s Admiral location – 2606 California Ave. SW.

Summer Fest is West Seattle’s three-day street festival and GreenLife is a special section of the festival focusing on sustainability and environmentally-friendly approaches with presentations, for-profit and non-profit booths and representatives, and live urban farm animals.  This year’s Summer Fest and GreenLIfe are Friday, Saturday and Sunday, July 12, 13 and 14.

The GreenLife application requires a $20 application fee. The fee for a non-profit is $75 for all three days.  The fee for a for-profit is $250 for all three days. The application deadline is May 15th, but we usually fill up prior to this date so get your application in early.

Click on the GreenLIfe logo to see a listing of last year’s presentations on the GreenLife stage.

If you are not able to table for all three days, but are interested in tabling for a day or a half-day, please let SWS know.  We have two tables available for groups that can only table for part of the festival.  The fee is $25 per day.

For more information contact Christina Hahs at christina@sustainablewestseattle.org. To download the application form go to https://oliverlittle.wufoo.com/forms/greenlife-registration-form/.

The draft plan is available online here: http://www.seattle.gov/parks/legacy/ and the schedule of meetings is below. If you can’t come to one of the meetings, Parks and Rec would very much like to hear from you by email at parkslegacy@seattle.gov.

Scheduled Parks Legacy Plan Meetings

Tuesday, May 7 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
GENERAL MEETING
Seattle Parks and Recreation Administration Building
100 Dexter Ave. N

Wednesday, May 8 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
SPORTS, RECREATION, AND AQUATICS
Green Lake Community Center
7201 E Green Lake Dr. N

Monday, May 13 from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
SENIORS, TEENS INCLUDING LGBT, COMMUNITY
CENTERS AND ASSOCIATED RECREATION COUNCIL (ARC)
Northgate Community Center
10510 5th Ave. NE

Thursday, May 16 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS, OPEN SPACE
AND MAINTENANCE
Jefferson Community Center
3801 Beacon Ave. S

Tuesday, May 21 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
GENERAL MEETING
Dakota Place Park Building
4304 SW Dakota St.

Wednesday, May 22 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE COMMUNITIES
South Shore K-8 School
4800 S Henderson St.

What is the Parks Legacy Plan?

Seattle Parks and Recreation is embarking on a planning process to develop a strategic direction for the future. Questions to be addressed include:

• Are our resources deployed in the most effective manner?
• What is the public view of our park system?
• What are the basic services Parks provides?

The first phase of the plan is the development of shared Vision, Mission and Values statements.

The second phase of the plan is a programmatic review, telling the story of Parks and Recreation:

• What we do
• Who we serve
• How we are funded

An analysis on national, regional and local recreation trends has been completed, along with a citywide survey which gathered information on how our park system is used, frequency of use and park users’ concerns.

Phase three will be a look to the future that provides a framework for a sustainable parks and recreation system.

Background

In 2009, Parks and Recreation concluded a strategic planning process with the publication of the Strategic Action Plan, a five-year ‘to do’ list which provided direction for stewardship of the park system. Many of the Strategic Action Plan tasks have been accomplished, while others have been delayed due to the economic recession. Five working teams continue to work on implementation. The Parks Legacy Plan will be an update of the 2009 Plan, with a focus on data collection and analysis. The 2009 plan is available here.

Next Steps 2013 – 2014

Where do we go from here? A series of public meetings and meetings with park maintenance, planning and recreation staff will provide a forum for discussing the questions posed in this report. That discussion will provide the basis for the next phase, which will include recommendations for steps that need to be taken to preserve the Parks Legacy. Those recommendations will include more efficiencies, identify additional partnerships, suggest funding priorities, and other steps forward.

• April 8, Draft Parks Legacy Plan released for public comment and posted on Parks website
• April 8 – May 22, Parks Staff input and discussion
• May 7 – May 22, Public Outreach Meetings – Public comment taken via e-mail, snail mail, at public meetings, and through Facebook posts
• June, Draft 2 Parks Legacy Plan released with proposed recommendations
• June – November, Prepare Final Parks Legacy Plan
• December, Presentations to City Council

Become a part of Jane’s Walk Seattle May 4th and 5th!

Jane’s Walk is a series of conversational walking tours inspired by urban thinker Jane Jacobs, that helps put people in touch with where they live and with each other. It bridges social and geographic gaps, creating a space for cities to discover themselves. Last year 17 countries and 85 cities participated.

Anyone can lead a walk. Do you have a story to tell? Do you know your neighborhood like the back of your hand? Perhaps you’re a newcomer and can share your experience of learning about your new city? Do you have an idea for a fun, informative, unusual way of looking at cities and neighborhoods? You could lead a Jane’s Walk! 

There are only two rules:

• Walks should be taken and given for free, and
• They should be walking conversations.

The rest is entirely up to the walkers, and the conversation topics are as varied as the people taking part, from art and architecture to potholes and shortcuts and from video surveillance to the urban forest: anything that helps you and others better understand our cities and neighborhoods as places and spaces.

Want to lead a walk? Feet First will help promote your walk locally. Contact Jillian Witt at jillian.witt@gmail.com.

About Feet First 

Since 2001, Feet First has worked to ensure that all communities in Washington are walkable. Feet First helps people take steps that create better places to live, learn, shop, work and play—a world that cares about health, community and design. One of the many ways Feet First engages with residents in walkable communities is through events that promote informative and engaging conversations about walkability in our communities. For more information about Feet First, visit their website www.feetfirst.org. For more information on Jane’s Walk International visit www.janeswalk.net.

Flying Skater photo courtesy West Seattle Herald - Patrick Robinson photographer.

Alki Avenue SW will be closed to traffic for the festival from 63rd Avenue SW to 56th Avenue SW from 11:00 am through 5:00 pm.  Alki Avenue SW will be closed from Armeni Boat Launch through 63rd Avenue SW between 9:00 am through 11:00 am.

Get Involved. Sign up to participate on the Summer Streets web site by April 18 to ensure a spot and get on our activity map. The neighborhood is looking forward to the event. Host an activity, promote a special sale and expose your organization to thousands of neighbors!

Summer Streets fosters civic pride and represent investments in Seattle’s vitality, livability and diversity. Show you care about your neighborhood and engage thousands of fellow Seattleites during this fantastic Sunday party. If you have participated before, you know how fun and rewarding Summer Streets is, and you’re invited back to come and play.

Follow Summer Streets on Facebook to get the latest scoop and see videos and pictures of past events. Email questions to Summer.Streets@Seattle.gov.

Thanks from all of us at Summer Streets. We look forward to seeing you in Alki! 

They are interested in supporting efforts that will help people reduce the climate impacts of personal and household choices in one of the categories listed below. Proposals accepted for projects with a budget of $10,000 or less.

• In Your Home -There are plenty of ways beyond lightbulbs to save energy in your home.
• Getting There – The trip can be half the fun if you opt out of a car for short trips!
• Eating – A climate-friendly diet is actually a healthier diet for you and your family!
• Buying Stuff – Most people agree that more stuff doesn’t mean more happiness. What makes you happy?

The Proposal Deadline is Monday, April 22, (Earth Day!), at 5:00 pm.

Successful proposals will meet the following criteria:

• Project fosters climate-friendly purchasing, transportation or home energy choices;
• Project identifies a clear target audience, objective, and outcomes;
• Project decreases greenhouse gas emissions for an individual or a household;
• Project incorporates a means to measure success.

Keys to a successful grant application are available by clicking here. Additional consideration given to projects that engage a historically under-represented population.

The Proposal Application Form is available at as a Word Document by clicking here.

A Printable Description of the Community Climate Grant Program is available by clicking here.

For questions contact Sara Wysocki, by phone at 206-233-7014 or by email at sara.wysocki@seattle.gov.

Before you start planting, start planning, it’s as simple as that. Successful food gardens are well planned to take advantage of natural features such as sun and shade as well as structural features like walls, concrete and fences. From pathways to the kitchen a good plan benefits plant to plant interaction, pest control, aesthetics, and ease of gardening.

• Where:
  • West Seattle Community Orchard, South Seattle Community College;
• When:
  • 6:00 pm Meet and Greet, SWS announcements;
  • 6:15 to 6:55 pm, Tour the Orchard with Q & A regarding the orchard plan;
  • 7:00 to 8:00 pm,  Food from local gardens and drink will be served, followed by a power point presentation with local gardens being shown as well as permaculture design principles being described. The 3 dimensional garden will be described.

Come and enjoy the company of fellow gardeners and learn perhaps some new tricks.

Want to help restore Seattle’s tree cover? the Washington Native Plant Society is partnering to provide free Native Plant Stewardship Training this Spring.

Become a WNPS Native Plant Steward and help restore Seattle’s forested parks! the Washington Native Plant Society, King Conservation District, and the Green Seattle Partnership are offering free stewardshiptraining this spring.  The series is at Pritchard Beach Park in Rainier Beach and the Parks shop on Beacon Hill.

Sign up now online at the WNPS site. Applications are due April 8. Or, contact Joy Wood, WNPS Stewardship Coordinator at  npsp@wnps.org.  For more information contact Joy via email or leave a message at 206-527-3210.

The goal of the 2013 program is to provide advanced training in forest restoration that will prepare current and new WNPS/GSP Forest Stewards to contribute a major role in helping Seattle Parks restore 2,500 acres of park urban forests by 2025.

More information and details including a class schedule atwww.wnps.org

Stormwater, or polluted runoff, is the leading contributor to reduced water quality in Puget Sound.  Sustainable West Seattle and Tox-ick are already working to bring knowledge about stormwater to our members.

Learn more about polluted runoff, its impacts on the environment, how King County is addressing the issue, and how you can help.

To assist, King County has assembled a series of videos on the many elements associated with stormwater runoff. Watch these short videos to learn more about the subject cited:

• What is stormwater and why is it important?
• Stormwater regulations – local and national
• King County’s Stormwater Management Plan – Ten steps to success
• How you can improve stormwater to help Puget Sound

You can view even more in the Stormwater Video Library.

Test your environmental knowledge, take the stormwater quiz.

You can participate by taking the King County online stormwater survey, or sending the Department of Water and Land Resources a comment at stormwater@kingcounty.gov, or by mail to the Stormwater Management Team, King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, 201 S. Jackson St., Suite 600, Seattle, WA 98104.

Everyone can take action:

• In Your Yard: Use fertilizers and pesticides sparingly, or just use compost;
• With Your Car: Take your car to a commercial car wash and have the oil leaks fixed;
• Around Your Dog: Pick up dog poop, bag it and place it in the trash (not in the yard waste bin);
• At Home and More: From cleaning products to septic maintenance, be aware of how you care for your home.

To learn more about what you can do, visit the Puget Sound Starts Here website.

As part of an ongoing commitment to protect public health and improve environmental conditions in our streams, rivers, lakes and Puget Sound, King County annually reviews and updates its overall stormwater management plan. A detailed description of the plan can be found online.

For more information about stormwater, please visit:

• Overview of the King County Stormwater Management Program
• Answers to frequently asked questions about stormwater
• King County stormwater services website
• 2013 Draft King County Stormwater Management Program
• King County’s Municipal NPDES Stormwater Permit (Washington State Department of Ecology website)
• Puget Sound Starts Here website