NWETC Offers Low Impact Development Course

The Northwest Educational Training Center is offering a course on

Low Impact Development:

Storm Water Management for Sustainable Design and Water Efficiency

NWETC Course ID: GBS-301, Wednesday, Sept 8, 9:oo am to 5:oo pm at 650 South Orcas Street, Suite 220, Georgetown. Registration:  $250/*$200. Register online.

The instructor is Teresa Burrelsman, Eco Via Consulting.  This course provides an overview of low-impact development approaches and resources for building industry professionals. Low Impact Development (LID) is an alternative, systems-level approach to conventional stormwater management. Critical for the Pacific Northwest where water quality and salmon habitat protection are key issues, LID offers opportunities for sustainable site design and water efficiency.

Course Topics:

  • What is LID?
  • Benefits of LID
  • Northwest Storm Water Issues
  • Salmon Habitat Effects
  • Bio-Retention and Rain Gardens
  • Tree Box Filters
  • Green Streets
  • Rainwater Capture
  • Green Roofs
  • Permeable Pavers
  • Soil Amendments
  • Green Infrastructure
  • EPA LID Guidelines
  • LID Case Studies
  • Cost Reduction through LID
  • LID Tools and Resources

The intended audience includes:

  • Environmental Professionals
  • Landscape Architects
  • Architects
  • Facility ManagersThose who are interested in incorporating LID into existing site

About the Instructor: Teresa Burrelsman, principal of Eco Via Consulting, delivers sustainable design strategies, facilitation and education. She has over 12 years of experience in building science, project management, and building simulation. As the Director of Sustainable Programs for Callison, one of the largest architecture and planning firms in the world, she developed a comprehensive sustainable education program and design toolkit to address the firm’s multiple markets. Her technical specialties include sustainable concept design, energy efficient building systems integration, low-impact site and storm water management, green roofs, and integrated project delivery. She led the King County Green Building Program for four years, conducted post-occupancy research for the City of Seattle Performance Evaluation Program and was the lead consultant on the original development of the USGBC LEED Retail Application Guide.

[mappress]

Parks & Rec Invites Everyone to ‘Big Day Of Play’ @ Magnuson Park

Free family friendly event features fun run, live music, play

On Saturday, August 28, Seattle Parks and Recreation will host Big Day of Play at Magnuson Park, from 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

The day will begin with a 5K Fun Run/Walk, followed by a Free Kids’ 1K Run for children 10 and under. To register for the Fun Run/Walk, visit the registration website.

The Main Stage schedule for the day is as follows:

  • 10:45 – 11:30 a.m.: Recess Monkey
  • 11:30 a.m. – 12 noon: Speakers Tracy Taylor from KING TV, former NBA player James Donaldson and City Councilmember Richard Conlin
  • 12 noon – 12:30 p.m.: ADEFUA African Dance and Drumming
  • 12:30 – 12:50 p.m.: Hawaiian Dance
  • 12:50 – 1:10 p.m.: Inspired Child (Step/tap Dance)
  • 1:10 – 1:30 p.m.: Capoeira (Brazilian Martial arts)
  • 1:30 – 1:50 p.m.: Hip Hop (exhibition) (Zulu nation and elements of Hip Hop)
  • 1:50 – 2:20 p.m.:  Yata Eritrean Group (exhibition)
  • 2:20 – 2:30 p.m.: Tae Kwon Do
  • 2:30 – 2:50 p.m.: Pacific North West Drumline
  • 2:50 – 3 p.m.:  Taekgyeon
  • 3 – 3:15 p.m.: Life Long Recreation Line Dancing Group
  • 3:15 – 3:40 p.m.: Sterling the International Yo Yo Champion
  • 3:40 – 4 p.m.: Zumba (demo)
  • 4 – 4:40 p.m. Rainier Beach Orchestra

There will be fun activity booths throughout the day, free food samples from PCC Natural Markets, food and vendor booths, paddling and sailing activities, free raffle prizes and a 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament. To register for the basketball tournament, click here.

To learn more about the event go to http://www.seattle.gov/parks/healthyparks/big_day.htm.

Metro Route 75 goes to Magnuson Park – you can catch the 75 in Ballard by taking either the 21 or the 22 from West Seattle.  Metro’s Trip Planner is here http://tripplanner.kingcounty.gov/cgi-bin/itin_page.pl?resptype=U

There will be free shuttle buses to the event and back again from the following community centers:

  • Rainier Beach, 8825 Rainier Ave S
  • Rainier, 4600 38th Ave S
  • Yelser, 917 E Yesler Way
  • Garfield, 2323 East Cherry St
  • South Park, 8319 8th Ave S
  • Southwest, 2801 SW Thistle St
  • Delridge, 4501 Delridge Way SW

A complete schedule is below:

FREE SHUTTLE BUS SCHEDULE FOR BIG DAY OF PLAY

August 28, 9:30-5:00 at Magnuson Park

Registration Procedures:

  • Call registration line (206-684-3406) with what site and time you need to be picked up at
  • The number of adults and children and any large items (strollers, etc.) that need transported
  • Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult
  • Children ages 13-17 must bring a completed E-13 form with them (staff monitoring pick up sites will confirm form is filled out and signed) and they must have it on them at all times until they arrive back at their original pick up site.
  • Leave a phone number so you can be reached if we have any questions

For registration, info, and questions for the shuttle bus – call 206-684-3406 (Martha Winther)

Southeast/Central:

  • Rainier Beach Pick up time: 9:05 am – Registered riders told to be at RBCC no later than 8:55 am
  • Rainier Pick up time: 9:20 am – Registered riders told to be at Rainier no later than 9:10 am
  • Yesler Pick up time: 9:40 am – Registered riders told to be at Yesler no later than 9:30 am
  • Garfield Pick up time: 9:55 am – Registered riders told to be at Garfield no later than 9:45 am

Arrive at Magnuson approximately 10:30 am

Bus returns for 2nd pick up: (if necessary)

  • Rainier Beach Pick up time: 11:30 am – Registered riders told to be at RBCC no later than 11:20 am
  • Rainier Pick up time: 11:45 am – Registered riders will told to be at Rainier no later than 11:35 am
  • Yesler Pick up time: 12:05 pm – Registered riders told to be at Yesler no later than 11:55 am
  • Garfield Pick up time: 12:20 pm – Registered riders told to be at Garfield no later than 12:10 pm

Arrive at Magnuson approximately 1:00 pm

(If driver needs a lunch break – 30 minutes available now)

Return Trip – Depart Magnuson – 1st trip – 1:45 pm

  • Garfield Approximate arrival time: 2:15 pm
  • Yesler Approximate arrival time: 2:30 pm
  • Rainier Approximate arrival time: 2:50 pm
  • Rainier Beach Approximate arrival time: 3:05 pm

2nd Return Trip Bus arrives back at Magnuson around 4:00 pm

Depart Magnuson – 2nd final trip – 4:45 pm

  • Garfield Approximate arrival time: 5:15 pm
  • Yesler Approximate arrival time: 5:30 pm
  • Rainier Approximate arrival time: 5:50 pm
  • Rainier Beach Approximate arrival time: 6:00 pm

Southwest:

  • South Park Pick up time: 9:05 am – Registered riders told to be at South Park no later than 8:55 am
  • Southwest Pick up time: 9:25 am – Registered riders told to be at Southwest no later than 9:15 am
  • Delridge Pick up time: 9:40 am – Registered riders told to be at Delridge no later than 9:30 am

Arrive at Magnuson approximately 10:15 am

Bus Returns for 2nd pick up: (if necessary)

  • South Park Pick up time: 11:15 am – Registered riders told to be at South Park no later than 11:05
  • Southwest Pick up time: 11:35 am – Registered riders told to be at Southwest no later than 11:25
  • Delridge Pick up time: 11:50 am – Registered riders told to be at Delridge no later than 11:40 am

Arrive at Magnuson approximately 12:45 pm

(If driver needs a lunch break – 1 hour available now)

Return Trip Departs Magnuson – 1st trip – 1:45 pm

  • Delridge Approximate arrival time: 2:25 pm
  • Southwest Approximate arrival time: 2:40 pm
  • South Park Approximate arrival time: 2:55 pm

2nd Return Trip Bus arrives back at Magnuson around 4:00 pm

Depart Magnuson – 2nd final trip – 4:45 pm

  • Delridge Approximate arrival time: 5:25 pm
  • Southwest Approximate arrival time: 5:40 pm
  • South Park Approximate arrival time: 5:55 pm
  • [mappress]

Murray Basin (Lowman Beach Park) Overflow Meeting Tonight

King County Wastewater Division has established a stakeholder group for discussing the options for the Combined Sewer Overflow project for the Murray Basin – located presently at Lowman Beach Park.  The proposals include some options which would necessarily have a huge and negative impact on Lowman Beach Park.  The stakeholder group, the Murray Basin Community Advisory Group, has been addressing these issues and concerns and is expected to work with the County to produce recommendations by the end of September.

All  Murray Basin Community Advisory Group meetings are open to the public to observe discussions. Info to date can be found at http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/wtd/construction/seattle/beachcso/basins/murray/cag.aspx

The mission of the group is to:

  • Provide a forum for dialog and information sharing;
  • Consult with representatives of the community on the selection of a community acceptablealternative or suite of alternatives to reduce Combined Sewer Overflow episodes;
  • Provide advice, as community representatives, on potential solutions and ways to address community concerns and to advise King County on CSO solutions in the Murray basin;
  • Help King County make a stronger connection with the community;
  • Help King County provide information to the community so community memberscan provide meaningful input, help the County solve the serious problems of combined sewer overflows, and help the County reach a reasonable andtechnically feasible solution.

12th Annual Arts in Nature Festival @ Camp Long

Mark your calendars for the 12th annual Arts in Nature Festival, scheduled for Saturday Aug. 21st & Sunday Aug. 22nd at Camp Long!

It will be a weekend packed with arts and outdoor experiences for people of all ages and from all walks of life.

Festival goers will have access to a wide-range of performing arts including:

  • Music
  • Dance
  • Aerial & fire performances
  • Puppetry
  • Marching bands;

And, visitors will also get to experience sound & visual art installations in the

  • Museum of Sound
  • Interactive arts activities such as Haiku
  • Printmaking
  • EcoRhythm Instrument Building
  • Fabric Animals & Birds
  • Participatory Chime Clusters and
  • Naturalist activities.

Music will range from jazz and classical to bluegrass, indie and experimental. Some of the festival highlights include performances by Hey MarseillesEarth, Lelavision, and Pearl Django.

As a benefit show during the festival, Chris Ballew will be performing songs of the Presidents of the United States of America (tickets $25) on Sunday evening.

[mappress]

Annual Potluck with Longboards and Electric Bikes!

Join SWS for our Annual Summer Potluck – at Lincoln Park This Coming Monday….

We’ll set up the grill and provide condiments.  Please bring your favorite summertime dish and your own cup, utensils & plates.

We will be set up in Shelter 3/4 which is very close to the principal restroom facilities on the beach at the south end of Lincoln Park.  See map below for details… Continue reading

Kayak the Duwamish & Learn About the River

The Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition is again holding their summer community kayak tours on July 14 and again on July 28 from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm.

Join guides from DRCC, Alki Kayak Tours, Camp Long, National Wildlife Federation, and the Seattle Aquarium, to learn all about the natural and built environments of the Duwamish River.

Kayaking experience is not necessary. Explore the river to learn about Superfund sites, river history, and community activism. You’ll also see amazing habitat restoration sites and wildlife, including summer nesting ospreys, seals and sea lions, and shore birds.

Tours will also provide basic information about how to make a water quality violation report, and how to take simple water quality tests. Please see the DRCC Superfund web page for details about the cleanup documents.

Youth 18 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. Meet at Duwamish Waterway Park, 7900 10th Ave. S. All gear is included. All tours cost $40 per person and are payable to Alki Kayak Tours.

Some scholarship funding is available for community members, please contact DRCC for more information.

[mappress]

King County Combined Sewer Overflow Hearings

King County Wastewater Division is hosting two information sessions which focus on projects to control combined sewer overflows.  The meetings are designed to answer questions to date, explain the project science and engineering.

Community members interested in learning more about King County’s proposals to control combined sewer overflows (CSOs) near recreational beaches on Puget Sound are invited to attend these upcoming technical information sessions.

The information sessions will focus on the science and engineering behind the county’s proposed alternatives to build CSO control facilities in West Seattle and North Beach neighborhoods.

Project managers and technical staff will answer questions the county has received to date from community members, including how flows were calculated, why parks are among the sites being considered for location of the new facilities, the feasibility of “green” infrastructure, how much storage capacity is needed to effectively control CSOs, and how a project might impact a neighborhood during and after construction.

People are welcome to come for the entire day, or attend individual sessions based on interest level. A detailed schedule will be posted on the project website at http://www.kingcounty.govCSOBeachProjects.

While the sessions will present a high level of technical detail, the presentations will be geared toward anyone with an interest in science and engineering. Online feedback forms will continue to be available on the project website for people unable to attend the sessions.

People are also invited to provide feedback by calling Monica Van der Vieren at 206-263-7301 or by e-mailing CSOBeachProjects@kingcounty.gov.

A portal to information about the Wastewater Treatment Division, King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks is at http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/wtd/Newsroom.aspx.

Local Whale Expert To Speak at Duwamish Longhouse

The Whale Trail is hosting an exciting event featuring John Calambokidis, with an introduction by Kathy Fletcher at the Duwamish Longhouse on June 17, beginning at 7:00 pm.

The Whale Trail presents John Calambokidis speaking on gray whales and other large whales of the Pacific Northwest. Kathy Fletcher, People for Puget Sound, will give remarks on Saving the Sound: What We Can Do.

Advance tickets are available at BrownPaper Tickets with a $5 suggested donation

John Calambokidis is a renowned marine mammal biologist and founder of Cascadia Research. John recently conducted the necropsy on the gray whale that stranded on Arroyo Beach in West Seattle.

John’s talk will focus on the recovery and recent studies of the larger whales in the region, including the recent gray whale strandings in Puget Sound. He’ll also talk about the resurgence of humpbacks along the coast, and recent sightings and studies of blue and fin whales.

Kathy Fletcher, Executive Director of People for Puget Sound, will update us on the health of Puget Sound and efforts towards its recovery.

Come learn more about the great whales that pass through our waters, and what we can do to help them.

The event is presented by The Whale Trail, whose mission is to inspire appreciation and stewardship of whales and our marine environment by establishing a network of viewing sites along the whales’ trails through Puget Sound and the coastal waters of the Pacific Northwest. The Whale Trail is a project of Coast Watch Society, a 501(c)3 organization.

John Calambokidis is a Research Biologist and one of the founders of Cascadia Research, a non-profit research organization formed in 1979 based in Olympia, Washington. He periodically (1991-2010) serves as an Adjunct Faculty at the Evergreen State College teaching a course on marine mammals. His primary interests are the biology of marine mammals and the impacts of humans. As a Senior Research Biologist at Cascadia Research he has served as Project Director of over 100 projects. He has authored two books on marine mammals ( the award-winning Guide to Marine Mammals of Greater Puget Sound from Island Publishers, with R. Osborne and E.M. Dorsey and Blue Whales from Voyageur Press, with G.H. Steiger) as well as more than 150 publications in scientific journals and technical reports. He has conducted studies on a variety of marine mammals in the North Pacific from Central America to Alaska. He has directed long-term research on the status, movements, and underwater behavior of blue, humpback, and gray whales. His work has been covered on shows by Discovery Channel and others and is featured in a National Geographic TV special and magazine article released in March 2009.

Kathy Fletcher is founder and executive director of People For Puget Sound, a citizens’ organization formed in 1991 to protect and restore Puget Sound and the Northwest Straits. She also sits on the Northwest Straits Commission and the Puget Sound Partnership’s Ecosystem Coordination Board.

For more information or questions contact Donna Sandstrom at info@thewhaletrail.org

[mappress]

Lowman Beach CSO on Next Parks Board Agenda

The Seattle Parks Board June 10 meeting will be at the  Activity Resource Center at Woodland Park Zoo, – located near the West Entry. Commissioners will tour the new West Entry at 5:00 pm. Members of the public are welcome.

The meeting begins at 7:00 pm and includes the annual briefing on the Woodland Park Zoo and a briefing on the Lowman Beach ParkKing County Combined Sewer Overflow Project.

For more information, contact Sandy Brooks, Park Board Coordinator at 206-684-5066 or check out their website  www.seattle.gov/parks/parkboard.

Current Park Board Commissioners are:

  • Neal Adams, Vice Chair
  • John Barber
  • Terry Holme
  • Jourdan Keith
  • Diana Kincaid
  • Donna Kostka
  • Jackie Ramels, Chair

The Agenda for this meeting is:

  • I. Call to Order 7:00 p.m.
    • Consent Items:
    • Approve June 10 Agenda; May 13 and 27 minutes; Acknowledgment of Correspondence
  • II. Superintendent’s Report 7:05
  • III. Oral Requests and Communication from the Audience 7:20 (for subjects that have not had or are not scheduled for a public hearing) NOTE: Speakers will be limited to 2 or 3 minutes each, to be determined by the chair and based upon # of people testifying. A maximum of 10 minutes testimony will be heard during Oral Requests portion of the agenda. Testimony in excess of 10 minutes will be heard prior to “Old/New Business”
  • IV. Briefing: Woodland Park Zoo Annual Report 7:30 Presented by Zoo Director Deborah Jensen and Deputy Director Bruce Bohmke
  • V. Briefing: Lowman Beach Park-King County’s Combined Sewer 7:55  Overflow Project, Presented by Kevin Stoops, Seattle Parks Director of Planning and Development
  • VI. Old/New Business 8:20
    • Committee Reports
  • VII. Adjourn 9:00

*Times listed for all agenda items are approximate & agenda items may not be taken in the order listed. Please address all correspondence to: voice mail: 206 684-5066 or Sandy Brooks, Coordinator e-mail: sandy.brooks@seattle.gov

[mappress]

Walk the Waterfront with Sally Bagshaw & Feet First

Join the quarterly Feet First Walk & Talk on the waterfront with Seattle City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw. Come find out about public space plans for the waterfront.

We’ll finish the walk at Feet First with refreshments and the unveiling of the new Feet First website.

RSVP for the walk by emailing yoyo@feetfirst.info by Monday, May 10th. For more information about this event, contact Yoyo Hsieh, Event Organizer or call 206-652-2310

Walk & Talk Schedule

  • 5:15pm  Assemble/Check-in @ Pier 70 near the fountain
  • 5:30pm Departure Time
  • 6:00pm-6:10 pm  Short stop and talk at Mithun by Principal, Mark Shapiro
  • 6:30pm-7:30pm  Reception @ Feet First – Nord Building, 314 First Avenue South in the heart of the Pioneer Square District

If you are not able to participate in the walk, join the reception beginning at 6:30pm at the Feet First office.  Join the Feet First Facebook Group!

For more information call 206-652-2310 or go to the Feet First website www.feetfirst.info