Mark your calendar for the ECOSS Community Happy Hour! ECOSS is hosting its annual fundraiser at Jellyfish Brewing Co. on September 15. Come learn about plans for the organization’s future in promoting environmental equity, meet our new Executive Director, Chiyo Crawford, and connect with community members.
A second-generation immigrant herself, Chiyo understands not only the inequities that immigrants and refugees face, but also the potential for ECOSS to empower immigrant and Black, Indigenous, and Communities of Color in self-actualizing sustainable solutions.
ECOSS brought community voices to outdoors initiatives through outreach around King County’s Trailhead Direct service and leading inclusive hiking trips for immigrant and refugee communities. In 2021, King County Parks, The Wilderness Society and ECOSS took that collaboration to new heights.
May 3-4 is GiveBIG and this year, we are excited to share the opportunity to double your impact. Thanks to the Washington Hydrological Society, your donation through May 4 will be matched, up to $3,000!
2021 was a year of growth for ECOSS, with greater female representation in management and promotions of people of color into senior leadership positions. And as public health restrictions loosened, ECOSS’ trusted approach of in-person outreach returned. ECOSS programming served 429 community members and 422 businesses in 2021! Check out the summary of the year in this printable summary sheet.
We wanted to take a moment to highlight the amazing women at ECOSS in honor of Women’s History Month. Since the start of 2021, the number of women on staff has doubled from six to the 12 women you see here today!
Hawa is part of the East African community in the greater Seattle area and came to ECOSS after graduating from the University of Washington. She speaks four languages (Oromo, Amharic, Kiswahili, English) and does outreach with the East African and Muslim communities. Here are some of her thoughts on starting at ECOSS.
For small businesses, especially when the owner or staff don’t speak English as a first language, it can be challenging to stay up to date with changes to the way Seattle collects solid waste. ECOSS helps residents and small businesses adapt to these changes, and advocates for racial equity, such as language access and culturally-relevant education.
Fundamental changes to how we approach habitat restoration events are needed to make these outdoors activities more equitable. Over the years, ECOSS has advocated for and implemented compensation models, training and community outreach to make environmental stewardship more inclusive.
It seems like the word “transition” has become the default word for describing yet another year under a global pandemic and developing new ways of working together. ECOSS is no exception as the organization has encountered all kinds of transitions during 2021.
