We’re famous!

I’m working on our event recap so I can accurately portray how incredible our 16th Annual Benefit really was. I don’t want to give anything away quite yet, but I would like nothing more than to share this little part of it with as many people as possible. Our sincerest thanks to our friends at More Dust than Digital for capturing just what exactly we do in our little South Park office…

This is why there have been fewer blog posts lately…

This is it, folks. It is almost here! In just two days, the ECOSS board and staff will be joined by hundreds of our members and supporters for an evening of fun and networking, all in support of ECOSS . We are less than 20 tickets away from selling out, and if you don’t buy ‘em now we can’t guarantee you can get in at the door. If you’re interested in supporting ECOSS, we’re telling you- this is the most fun way you can do it! If you haven’t heard, included in the ticket price ($65 for ECOSS members and South Park residents and $75 for the general public) is an amazing offering of the best local food from Herban Feast, local beer and wine, live entertainment, and a few other surprises… Buy your tickets TODAY!

The details of the event are as follows:
Date/Time: October 29th from 5:30-9:30pm
Location: Herban Feast, located at 3200 1st Avenue South in Seattle’s SoDo district
Click here for a map to the venue
Attire: Business Casual
For a list of auction items please click here
More details and the low-down on how to buy tickets are on our Special Events page

If you have any questions or concerns, or if you would like to buy tickets over the phone please contact me at elise@ecoss.org or call 206.767.0432.

See you on Thursday!

– Elise and the staff at ECOSS

South Park’s own “River City Skate Park” is about to ROLL!

(Taken from the Georgetown listserv)

Hey there South Park, Georgetown and all,

Please come out for the Cleanup event at River City Skate Park on November 1 from 10am to 2:00 pm. The Skate Park is the one we’ve all been waiting for on Cloverdale adjacent to the 99 underpass. The project stewards have been working behind the scenes for many moons to get a skate park in South Park, now they need us to help break ground for construction. We are going to cut the brush, clean up the edges, and clear the weeds from around the trees. We need to whip the site into shape before the big machines show up in earnest.

Dress warmly, bring water and snacks, gloves, and tools for cutting brush (weed eaters, clippers, etc.) We will have the tools and gloves from the Neighborhood Center, coffee from All City and snacks provided by ECOSS. Please RSVP if you can bring weed eaters, brush cutting tools, or wheelbarrows so we know in advance if we need to find more of these tools. Send responses to: signalradio@…

Many, many thanks!

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Hey there South Park, Georgetown y todos,

Por favor acudan al evento de limpieza de la “River City Skate Park” de noviembre 1 de 10 am a 2:00 pm. El Skate Park es lo que todos hemos estado esperando. Situado en Cloverdale y 99. Los gestores del proyecto han estado trabajando durante muchas lunas para conseguir un parque de patinaje en South Park, ahora tenemos que ayudar a romper terreno para la construcción. Vamos a cortar la maleza, limpiar los bordes, y claro las malas hierbas de alrededor de los árboles. Es necesario que el látigo del lugar en forma antes de las grandes máquinas por venir.

Use ropa abrigada, llevar agua para beber, guantes y herramientas para la eliminación. Tenemos algunas herramientas y guantes, café y aperitivos. Por favor, confirme si puede llevar comedores de hierba extra, desbrozadoras, o carritos.
Enviar respuestas a: signalradio@…

Muchas, muchas gracias!

-Lora Suggs

Note: ECOSS proudly supported River City Skate Park by donating all the proceeds of our Spring Member and Donor Appreciation party to the cause. Go South Park!

Moving beyond sustainability: The Interface story

This morning on my way to work I was, as per usual, listening to KUOW. The guest was Ray Anderson, author of Confessions of a Radical Industrialist and retired CEO and founder of Interface, a commercial carpet company.

In 1995, he described his vision to his company: to be both sustainable and profitable. He asserted that the path to sustainability lies in rethinking the entire industrial system. Under a new system, ecological awareness would be a requirement, based on the belief “to take nothing from the Earth that can’t be replaced by the earth.”

In order to do this, Anderson set measurable goals (like cutting greenhouse gas emissions, fossil fuel consumption, waste, and water use) and led his business by the mission “doing well by doing good.” He has reduced his businesses waste by over a third over the last fifteen years. In fact, since 2003, Interface has “manufactured and sold over 83 million square yards of carpet with no net global-warming effect.” Through the company’s Mission Zero project, they are striving for a zero environmental footprint by 2020.

Many Seattle business owners called in, bemoaning the effects of the tanking economy on their green business efforts, begging the question: are sustainability and capitalism mutually exclusive?

ECOSS thinks not! With our no-closed-door policy, our free and confidential services are available to business owners and individuals who aim to incorporate sustainable practices in their business models or in their homes. We can help you reduce waste and consumption with the bottom line in mind.

-Elise

South Park Farmer’s Market needs your feedback

Taken from the South Park listserv:

Hello South Parkians! The Folks who put on the South Park Market on Wheels this year are looking for community feedback. We would like your input so we can make it even bigger and better next year. Please let us know what you liked, what you wished you would have seen, how you felt about the 10-3 time ect. and in general how we can better serve the community. You can email the listserv if you want to stir the discussion or just email me personally at silentlydreaming@hotmail.com. I will record all comments and bring them to our next meeting. Also we will need volunteers in the not too distant future to help us with the planning for next year, so if you interested in helping us out send me your contact info. Thanks so much, and thank you to all of you who came and supported us!

Brownfields Redevelopment Conference – October 14th

October 14, Tacoma, WA (with a pre-conference Project Funding Workshop on Oct. 13)
Brownfields Redevelopment Conference. Presented by Northwest Environmental Business Council, U.S. EPA Region 10 Brownfields Team, and Washington Department of Ecology, this conference brings together the diverse parties that need to work in concert to transform contaminated properties into economic success stories – with an agenda that emphasizes the manner in which multiple disciplines need to be integrated into a project from start to finish. The theme of “Building Sustainable Communities” responds to the growing interest by communities to rethink development models in ways that reflect sustainability principles and reduce their carbon footprints. This creates a new context for developers and increases the importance of public/private partnerships. At the same time, the conference explores how these goals must align with the economic realities of the property development marketplace. For more information visit www.nebc.org. Sponsor and Exhibit opportunities are also available.

I can’t believe it’s almost October!

Port of Seattle’s Duwamish River 101 – Wednesday, September 23rd

The Port’s educational series kicks off this month, and ECOSS and partner organizations will be on board to help answer questions. It’s a great way to learn more about the Superfund site in our backyard and what’s being done to clean it up. And who doesn’t love a free, almost-three-hour tour?

• Wednesday, September 23
• Check-in: 3:45 p.m.
• Program: 4:00 – 6:30 p.m
• Location: Bell Harbor Marina, Pier 66
• Partners: Environmental Protection Agency, Duwamish River Clean Up Coalition, Environmental Coalition of South Seattle, Muckleshoot Tribe
• Capacity: 200

Come see the Duwamish industrial area where more than 80,000 people work for an annual payroll of $2.5 billion. This waterway is not just essential for jobs, but provides critical habitat for fish and wildlife. Government, community and business efforts have combined to make the waterway flow cleaner into Elliott Bay. You’ll board a floating classroom to learn about marine industrial commerce, the legacy of past industrial activities, fish and wildlife habitat restoration, and Superfund cleanup plans.

Register for the series or download the flyer here.

ECOSS PSA

Our gratitude to the kids and volunteers at the South Park Community Center for making this possible.

-Elise and the Staff at ECOSS

WILD connections

Last week I had the privilege of joining a “green jobs” panel at Seattle’s International District Housing Alliance (IDHA). The panel was convened as part of the IDHA’s Wilderness Inner-City Leadership Development (WILD) program, which connects high school aged youth to important community and environmental issues. These kids often act as translators and disseminators of information for the elder members of their communities.

I brought Jordon along to serve as an ECOSS witness of the event. Christina Twu, IDHA’s WILD coordinator, facilitated the event and welcomed us to the group. When it was my turn to speak, I talked about ECOSS’ role as a mediator between businesses, governments and communities, and how we work with local businesses to help them with their “green” efforts.

The kids were sharp and had a number of prepared questions for the panel members. It was interesting to learn that the idea of “green jobs” was a fairly ambiguous concept for them. I agreed with their sentiment and noted that terms like “green” and “sustainability” often mean different things to different people, but that the important thing is to figure out what you’re excited about first. Once you do that, you can always incorporate sustainability into your work in meaningful ways.

After the Q and A session with the panel, there was a mock job interview session. Jordon and I each interviewed a WILD participant and tried to prepare them for real interviews by helping them know what to expect, how to prepare, which questions to count on, etc. My interviewee, a kid named Raphael, was great. His qualifications always went back to his interpersonal skills. It was fantastic.

I had a great time as a panel member and am excited to see how these young leaders impact our community in the future.

-Aldan