Green Footprints Action Works
Green Footprints Action Works (GFAW) is a non-profit 501 (c) 3 corporation that promotes a vision of sustainable, safe and connected neighborhoods in Seattle. GFAW encourages all Seattle residents to consider our collective role as stewards of private and public land within the city of Seattle.
Green Footprints cleans the neighborhood
On Saturday, April 12, Green Footprints teamed up with Seattle Public Utilities for a Spring Clean event.
67 neighborhood volunteers contributed 158.75 hours of work, which equals $2381.25 in credit toward our grant match; plus we received $230.00 worth of “in kind” donations including:
- $85 in plants from City Peoples
- $20 in coffee from Starbucks
- $40 in gas for trucks from neighbors
- $86 in donated baked goods from neighbors
What did we do?
- Folks at the 24th Ave E Alley Cleanup between Valley and Aloha opened up a neighborhood corridor that had been overrun with invasive plants, mired in toxics and garnished with garbage. It is now a neighborhood open space, ready for the next step toward beautification.
- Volunteers at the Harrison Right of Way, a Class III wetland at 25th Ave E and E Harrison, removed invasives and laid down cardboard and wood chips to inhibit invasive re-growth. Native plants were installed along the edge of a small rill, and we’re dreaming of tadpoles and frogs. Contact Eileen Maloney for more info about upcoming work parties.
- Folks at the “Woody Lane” site planted two serviceberry trees in the planting strip at 28th Ave E and E Ward and installed a wood stump buffer to ward off errant vehicles.
- The “Woody Lane” work party crew christened the Alder grove that lies between E Helen and E Prospect, east of the creek in the 26th Ave E Right-of-Way, “Alder Creek Park”. Volunteers clipped and sawed English ivy at the base of trees in the park, and a group called “Friends of Alder Creek Park” was born. For more info about Friends of Alder Creek Park and upcoming work parties, send email to Wallis Bolz or call her at 206/329-3672.
Thanks to the many hands that made light work!
Dept of Neighborhood funds GFAW mapping project
In October 2007, we received a $28,893 grant from the city of Seattle's Department of Neighborhoods to construct an ecology map of our neighborhood and identify opportunities throughout the neighborhood to improve our green infrastructure. Our partners in this effort include the Seattle Audubon Society and Seattle Urban Nature.
Public meeting Thursday, May 29, from 7 - 9 p.m.
Location: The Valley School, 309 31st Ave E.
Landscape architect Peggy Gaynor will facilitate the meeting. Gaynor and environmental artist Buster Simpson will present project ideas based on GFAW objectives, the neighborhood data collection effort and our February public meeting.
Seattle Urban Nature will present maps of our neighborhood; these maps come from the data neighbors collected about public and private property between October 2007 and April 2008. The maps will present information about the extent of
- our neighborhood tree canopy;
- impervious surface coverage;
- invasive species coverage;
- the location of water;
- and more.
Our next work party is Saturday, June 7, from 9 a.m. to noon
Join your neighbors at the Harrison Right of Way Wet Spot, 25th & E Harrison, or Alder Creek Park, 26th & E Helen/26th & E Prospect, to remove invasives, clip ivy from trees and spread wood chips. For more info about the Harrison Right of Way work party, email Eileen Maloney. For more info about the Alder Creek Park work party, email Wallis Bolz.
We need volunteers to help organize community meetings to present our neighborhood resource maps and identify potential projects.
Join us in our effort to build a safe, sustainable and connected neighborhood. If you can't spare the time, then consider a cash donation to our effort.
And keep talking to us: join the Green Footprints Yahoo group.