In celebration of Earth Day, ECOSS partnered with Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust to host a Duwamish Alive! event on April 20th, one of over a dozen sites restoring habitat in the Green-Duwamish River watershed. Last October, ECOSS and the Greenway led volunteers in planting 60 native shrubs in the wetland area of the Duwamish Hill Preserve. For Earth Day, many of these volunteers returned to add mulch to the site, further promoting the health of the budding understory.
The Green-Duwamish River is home to five salmon species, coho, pink, chum, steelhead and Chinook. The last of these species is a critical food source for Puget Sound’s iconic Southern Orcas. By volunteering with Duwamish Alive, community members are protecting the health of the Duwamish River from stormwater pollution by building up the shrubs that are nature’s water filters.
It was not easy work, but 25 cubic yards of mulch were no match for the abundant enthusiasm and stewardship pride felt throughout the day. Check out more pictures from the event below, courtesy of Sam Le.
Events like Duwamish Alive are the product of collaborative community ideation and involvement. ECOSS worked with the Bhutanese Community Resource Center and the Environmental Professionals of Color to engage volunteers and provide environmental education that is relevant and fun.
Learn more about how ECOSS lifts up communities of color via outdoors experiences.
ECOSS’ leadership in Duwamish Alive is supported by the Duwamish Alive Coalition, which brings together organizations working within the Green-Duwamish watershed to discuss shared challenges and cooperate on sustainable solutions.
Thank you to the Rotary Club of Seattle for providing the funding that makes work like this possible.