Stewarding Landscapes Together: Community Partnerships Spotlight
Community partnerships are essential to our mission to lead and inspire action that conserves and enhances the Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area. The Greenway Trust works together with a variety of partners to steward public lands, restore habitats, maintain trails, engage students with environmental education programs, and connect people to nature. As a convener, the Greenway Trust brings together groups and individuals from across the region to carry out this mission, while also preserving a balance between the needs of people and nature.
Here’s a look at some examples of how community partnerships are coming to life and helping steward landscapes across the Greenway NHA.
Building Community and Connection to Nature
In June, the Greenway Trust hosted a weekend campout with Outdoor Asian in the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Valley. Participants maintained sections of trail by removing non-native blackberry, learned about the surrounding native plants, experimented with cyanotyping, and experienced the beautiful views of the river and nearby trails. This weekend offered hands-on opportunities for everyone to learn something new about the wildlife, habitats, and transformation of this area, while also strengthening participants’ connection to the Greenway NHA. For some, this was also their first time camping!
Since 2018, the Greenway Trust has organized volunteer events, trips, and outings in partnership with Outdoor Asian, an organization whose mission is to create a diverse and inclusive community of Asian and Pacific Islanders in the outdoors. Partnerships like this create memorable outdoor experiences, invite people to explore the Greenway NHA, and inspire action to conserve and protect natural lands and habitats.
Exploring the History and Wildlife of the Greenway NHA
In June, local historians and naturalists partnered with the Greenway Trust to host Explore the Greenway events that offered unique ways to experience and learn about the history, culture, ecology, and wildlife of the Greenway NHA.
On June 4, historian and author Paul de Barros led a history walk in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District and Central District. Starting at the Klondike National Historic Park, he took participants to sites along the Jackson Street Jazz Trail to share how jazz brought communities together during times of redlining and racial segregation. The history and stories shared during this walk were highlighted as part of the Greenway NHA, as this rich jazz history has contributed to the city’s thriving arts community.
On June 13, Alycia Scheidel from Conservation Northwest led a wildlife hike in the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Valley. While walking along the Oxbow Loop Trail, participants learned about the area’s natural history and the variety of wildlife that call the Middle Fork home.
Further down the Middle Fork Road, historian Monty Vanderbilt and Greenway Trust staff Mike Stenger led a history walk at the Garfield Ledges Trail. Participants explored the dramatic transformation of the river valley over the past century —from the impacts of logging and mining to a decade of misuse and neglect, and finally to the restoration efforts that led to a new model of sustainable access and ecological care of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Valley.
During these guided walks, participants savored the beauty of the flowing river and nearby mountains, while learning about the importance of community-powered stewardship and present-day efforts to protect the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Valley. Check out this link to see upcoming Explore the Greenway events!
Inspiring Future Environmental Changemakers
The Greenway Trust, alongside local schools and organizations, offers summer internship opportunities for high school students to gain experience in habitat restoration, explore green careers, and learn about topics such as restoration, clean water, and environmental issues in this region.
This summer, students interning with the Youth Engaged in Sustainable Systems (YESS) Program have been busy building their restoration ecology skills, learning about plant identification, and participating in professional development activities. This program is run in partnership with the Riverview School District, Washington Network for Innovative Careers, and Pacific Education Institute. Most YESS program activities are focused on restoration and land management at partner sites throughout King County.
This year, partners also included staff from:
- Snoqualmie Tribe Environmental and Natural Resources Department
- Washington State Department of Natural Resources
- King County
- City of Duvall
- U.S. Forest Service
- Lake Sammamish Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership
- Snoqualmie Valley Preservation Alliance
- Oxbow Farm & Conservation Center
- City of Issaquah
Support from these partners provides students with hands-on learning opportunities, allowing them to gain real-world experience, explore their interests, and learn more about green careers. The Greenway Trust is grateful for the community partnerships that support our internship programs and the next generation of environmental changemakers!
Are you looking to partner with the Greenway Trust? Connect with us and learn more about how you can get involved and make a difference on the Greenway landscape.
