An annual tradition, the Greenway Trust is hosting a series of native tree and shrub plantings starting with the October 13th Kick-Off. Sponsored in part by REI, Carter Subaru & Carter Volkswagen, and KMTT- The Mountain the celebration will feature food (including free pizza from Papa John’s), music and vendors for the whole family to enjoy, plus plenty of trees to plant.
Planting events are excellent for individuals, families, groups, and work teams. No experience is required. The Kick-Off will be at Sammamish Cove in Issaquah. Sammamish Cove is a former dairy farm adjacent to Lake Sammamish State Park. It borders Tibbetts Creek, a salmon-bearing stream, to the Northeast. Boasting sweeping views of the Issaquah Alps, the area has been extremely degraded over time by invasive weeds. During the Kick-Off, we will be planting 2,012 native trees and shrubs along the banks of Tibbetts Creek to increase vital tree cover and improve salmon and wildlife habitat.
Join the Burke Museum at the Neptune Theatre for an evening of fast-paced talks on the enduring relationship between the human imagination and the natural world. Inspired by the International Conservation Photography Awards exhibit, Short Takes features a stellar lineup of artists, scientists, students, and scholars. Speakers include internationally-renowned photographer Art Wolfe, curators from the Burke and the Seattle Art Museum, and explorers of the seas and the stars. Ten short talks, each illustrated with 20 slides, will take us on a journey from humanities’ first artistic impulses to our latest glimpse into the far reaches of space.
>>CLICK HERE for Short Takes topics and more information.
• Art Wolfe, internationally renowned photographer, host of “Travels to the Edge with Art Wolfe”, and founder of the International Conservation Photography Awards
• Katie Bunn-Marcuse, Assistant Director of the Bill Holm Center, and a Curatorial Associate of Native American Art at the Burke Museum
• Allison Fundis, Education and Public Engagement Liaison, Ocean Observatories Initiative/Regional Scale Nodes, University of Washington
• Shaun Peterson, a pivotal figure in the revival of Coast Salish arts
• Ellen Dissanayake interdisciplinary scholar and writer, Affiliate Professor in the University of Washington, School of Music
• Wendy Call, 2012 Writer in Residence for the North Cascades and Joshua Tree National Parks
• Dan Ritzman, Northwest and Alaska Regional Director of the Sierra Club
• Brad Rutherford, Executive Director of the Snow Leopard Trust
• Phil Rosenfield, Graduate Student, Astronomy, University of Washington
• Patricia Junker, the Ann M. Barwick Curator of American Art at the Seattle Art Museum
Celebrate and give back to your parks with the National Parks Conservation Association and the National Park Service for National Public Lands Day on Saturday, September 29. National Public Lands Day provides us the chance to give back to special places in our own backyard like Mount Rainier National Park. Join hundreds of other park supporters and help repair park trails, clean up campgrounds and picnic areas, and plant native vegetation.
National Public Lands Day is a great opportunity to help Mount Rainier and spend the rest of the day recreating or relaxing in the park. With free admission, feel free to bring a friend or make it a family outing, and enjoy the experience together.
RSVP: Please RSVP to Sean Smith so we can plan projects accordingly.
OTHER INFO: There will be free admission at the park that day. Parking will be available at the White River Campground. Please bring warm clothes and be prepared for weather changes as this work day will take place rain or shine! Sturdy work shoes are also needed, as well as gloves, lunch, and water. Sunscreen and a hat are also recommended. Please note that pets are not permitted on park trails.
Please join us!
Sincerely, Sean Smith
Policy Director
Northwest Region
On August 8, join Art Wolfe and Green Builder Media President Ron Jones as Ron interviews the fascinating photographer about his observations of changing conditions within natural and built environments around the globe, the adaptations that the inhabitants of these environments have been forced to make, and how Wolfe has been able to win support for conservation issues by focusing his camera on the Earth’s beauty and bounty.
Good friend and veteran adventure journalist Peter Potterfield has traversed an entire continent to compile an essential guide to twenty-five of the most magnificent trails across the United States and Canada. Beautifully photographed and eminently practical, CLASSIC HIKES OF NORTH AMERICA [W. W. Norton & Company; August 6, 2012; $39.95 hardcover] analyzes spectacular vistas with both beginners and avid hikers in mind.
Three decades have passed since Potterfield “succumbed to the irresistible appeal of the wilderness,” and in that time, he’s mastered a critical skill: identifying where to go. There are an infinite number of breathtaking patches of wilderness and, understanding that it would take lifetimes to see them all, Potterfield undertook the task of prioritizing the routes that brought the greatest return on time, effort, and expense.
Illustrated with more than 200 full color photographs and hiking directions, this volume awakens our wanderlust and demands a journey into the wilderness. The dazzling images and Potterfield’s lush prose offer provocative glimpses at the “sublime experience” of roaming through iconic landscapes and storied peaks. The routes included in this guide cover the Northern Loop in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington, the Sawtooth Traverse in Idaho, the Coyote Gulch in the Canyons of the Escalante in Utah, the Hermit-Bright Angel Loop in Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona the Slate Range in the Canadian Rockies, and many more.
In addition to providing inspiration, THE CLASSIC HIKES OF NORTH AMERICA is an indispensable source of practical knowledge for those who are ready to venture into the backcountry. Potterfield provides detailed information on each trail and the result is a uniform, accessible guide to the American wilderness. Each chapter contains wisdom such as: level of difficulty, trail conditions, recommended seasons, potential hazards and difficulties, resource information, and detailed maps of hiking routes.
Potterfield, who first journeyed into the backcountry in the 1970s, has hiked and photographed hundreds of trails, learning invaluable lessons along the way. He shares his remarkable wealth of knowledge in CLASSIC HIKES OF NORTH AMERICA, offering his expertise to future generations of hikers and adventurers. This beautiful and informative book truly shows the North American wilderness at its best.
Catch Peter for an engaging slide show & discussion of Classic Hikes of North America at the following locations:
August 3 @ 3:30: Debut booksigning in the Magellan booth at the Outdoor Retailer show, Salt Lake City, Utah
Sept 23: Bend Oregon Great Outdoors Store
Oct 9: Boston Reading REI
Oct 10: Boston downtown REI
Oct 11: DC—Rockville REI
Oct 12: DC—Fairfax REI
Oct 16 Redmond (Seattle) REI
Oct 17 Seattle Flagship REI
Oct 25 New York SoHo REI
Oct 30 Saratoga REI
Oct 31 Corte Madera REI
Nov 1 Berkeley REI
Nov 2 San Carols REI
Nov 7 San Diego REI
Nov 8 Los Angeles Santa Monica REI
Nov 14 Chicago Downtown REI (Lincoln Park)
Nov 28 Minneapolis Flagship REI (Bloomington)
Dec 5: Portland Downtown REI (Oregon)
Dec 6: South Puget Sound REI (Olympia, WA)
June 30 – November 25, 2012
The Burke Museum will once again exhibit the winners of the International Conservation Photography Awards, a biennial juried competition initiated in 1997 by acclaimed local nature photographer, Art Wolfe.
Over 75 photos were chosen from more than 1500 images submitted by amateur and professional photographers from across the globe. The photographs are conservation-focused, chosen in categories such as Wildlife, Landscape, Underwater, and Community at Risk, which focuses on environmental threats to urban areas. Capturing beautiful moments in the natural world, the photos connect us to the tiniest of creatures and enormous environmental changes. The competition and its award-winning photos inspire, educate, and encourage us all to consider our impacts on the world’s natural resources.
A panel of five judges selected winning photographs in each of the nine categories. The winning photographs will be announced on Opening Day, June 30. Four of the honored photographers will speak about their work, photographic techniques, and passion for conservation on the hour between 11 am and 2 pm on June 30. Judges from the panel will offer visitors guided tours of the exhibit. Check the Burke Museum’s website for a full schedule and details.
For the first time, the Burke and the International Conservation Photography Awards will also collaborate to create a traveling exhibit, which will include the top 25 first- and second-place winners.
The 2012 International Conservation Photography Awards exhibit is organized by the Burke Museum in partnership with the ICP Awards. The exhibit is sponsored by 4Culture and the Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, with support from Kym Aughtry, Hugh and Jane Ferguson Foundation, The Mountaineers Foundation, Carl Skoog Memorial Fund, U.S. Bancorp Foundation, and the Peg & Ric Young Foundation.
ICP Awards sponsors: Art 4 Vision Foundation, Art Wolfe, The Bullitt Foundation, Canon, Epson, Getty Images, Museum Quality Framing, Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, Robert P. Rotella Foundation, and the Washington Environmental Council.
High resolution images available, contact burkepr@uw.edu.
Photo: Caribou Crossing. Photo by Peter Mather. Dalton Highway, Prudhoe Bay Alaska, June 29, 2010.
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is one of the world’s great natural wonders & now it is going to be part of the largest marine park encompassing 1.2 million sq miles of ocean surrounding the continent. In this age of economic peril, it is such good news to hear of a preservation of our planet of this proportion.
There are a ton of articles out there on it. Here are a few links to follow:
I was asked to be part of the judging of the King County Parks container camping structure competition.
Architecture firm, HyBrid, was recently named the winner of a competition sponsored by the King County Parks department to create a camping structure from re-purposed cargo containers. The 8’x24′ structure incorporates recycled glazing and mess kitchen and can accommodate up to 6 overnight guest. Funding is secured for the prototype unit and should be camp ready by Summer 2012.
Visitors to King County’s Tolt-MacDonald Park will be able to spend the night in a comfortable and ecologically sound camping structure – thanks to the creative vein tapped by King County Parks’ Little Footprint/Big Forest contest.
The challenge given to designers was to create an overnight camping structure from a used cargo shipping container that could be placed in select areas of King County Parks’ 26,000 acres of open space.
The winning design – selected from 12 entries by a panel of judges that included King County Executive Dow Constantine, plus architectural and sustainability experts.
“Re-Tain” features an adaptable floor plan complete with queen-sized bunk beds, a table that can be moved outside for more floor space inside, and a multi-purpose mess cabinet made from recycled and reclaimed materials that allows for use from inside and outside the structure.
See the winning design and other entries at: http://www.kingcounty.gov/recreation/parks/partners/littlefootprint.aspx
“The contest provided us with an exciting and replicable design, and we hope to install these camping structures at appropriate sites within our open space areas,” said King County Parks Division Director Kevin Brown. “I want to thank the judges for their thoughtful analysis of all the entries.”
Design competition judges said they were impressed with the overall design concepts and the creative approach to the second use of storage containers.
“King County is home to wonderful parks and outdoor experiences, and the Little Footprint, Big Forest contest shows that we have the creativity to meet the challenge of preserving our environment and adopting sustainable practices,” said judge Andy Wappler.
