 On Tuesday, October 18th, the City of Tacoma is pleased to join local organizations and individuals passionate about creating a more just and
healthy food system for a reading of the National Food Day Proclamation by Mayor Marilyn Strickland and the Tacoma City Council. For those that wish to attend or show support, the proclamation will be read during the City Council meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 18th. The meeting starts at 5:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers, located on the first floor of the Tacoma Municipal Building - 747 Market Street.
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The National Food Day Proclamation was supported and initiated as a part of the City of Tacoma's Preventing Wasted Food campaign, which focuses on keeping food out of the garbage. Food is the number one contributor to Tacoma's waste stream while 1 in 7 Tacomans struggle with food insecurity. Learn more at our website or join us for the reading of the proclamation.
 On October 1st, Tacoma celebrated its 22nd year as a Tree City USA community, and 12th year as a Tree Line USA community, with Green Tacoma Day. With the help of its partners and over a hundred volunteers, the day included a number of restoration activities. These ranged from planting native plants and removing invasive species in our City’s open spaces, to a major tree planting at Titlow Park.
As a part of Green Tacoma Day, the “Yakima and
Thompson ‘Y’ Depave” project kicked off with community volunteers removing
5,000 square feet of unused asphalt medians in the middle of the arterial road. The soils in these roadway medians will be
amended and planted with beautiful and environmentally friendly landscaping at
the next community event during Make a Difference day, October 22nd. Find out more on the Pierce Conservation District's Depave webpage. This community led effort, and all of the Green Tacoma Day's activities, will increase the neighborhoods tree canopy and provide a beautiful asset for all to enjoy.
On September 16th, 45 parking spots were rented
out to Downtown on the Go for an internationally recognized event called
Park(ing) Day. Different governmental entities, nonprofits, and individuals
from around the city helped facilitate a conversation about urban green space
by transforming parking spots into miniature parks, places to relax, play
games, and so much more! To open up a conversation about the Bring Your Own Bag
initiative, Tacoma’s Office of Sustainability hosted a brightly-decorated spot
for folks to make reusable bags out of old t-shirts. There were a total of
three staff at the spot, the most popular being the Environmental Services
octopus, with whom many pictures were taken. Overall, the day was a great
success!
On Sunday, September 11th, Downtown to Defiance participants
walked and rolled along the Tacoma waterfront between the Esplanade, Dock
Street, Schuster Parkway, Ruston Way and the Waterwalk, enjoying nearly 7 miles
of open streets, activities, and more.
In its 4th year, this free event brought
together nearly 2,000 residents for a celebration of active transportation and
our shared street space. Waterside parks were activated and food trucks and
musicians were in attendance, adding to the festivities. This City of Tacoma
event was sponsored by the Puyallup Watershed Initiative’s Active
Transportation COI, US Bank, and MultiCare.
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This fall the EnviroHouse is celebrating its 10 year anniversary. Originally a mobile exhibit for the state fair, the EnviroHouse was purchased by the City of Tacoma in 2006, retrofitted, and made into a permanent exhibit at the Tacoma Recovery and Transfer Center. Since then, sustainable landscaping was installed, an alternative building materials exhibit was built, and many other house updates and programs have helped create a strong following in the City. Come join the EnviroHouse staff and friends on Saturday, October 22 any time between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. for the celebratory Open House. The day will include hourly tours, the Photovoice art display, a chance to meet Scoopy Doo and some healthy harvest snacks.
For directions, open hours, or to register for a free workshop, please visit the EnviroHouse website. You can find all EnviroHouse events and planned for the rest of 2016 below:
October
10/15, 10:30 am Ductless Heating/Cooling: Does it Make
Sense for You?
10/22, 12:00 pm 10 Year Anniversary Open House
10/23, 1:30 pm Rain Barrels: How to Make & Maintain
10/29, 10:30 am Rain Gardens & Trees to add
Beauty
to Your Landscape
November
11/05, 10:30 am Plan for Feb.: Fruit Trees & Mason Bees
Awesome opportunities have opened up with the Sustainable
Tacoma Commission and the Bicycle Pedestrian Technical Advisory Group (BPTAG) –
both are looking for youth members (ages 16-18) to join them! Youth
applicants would bring a fresh perspective to their groups and even help advise
on local environmental issues. These are both great opportunities to affect
positive change in the community, and gain hands-on professional experience.
Interested applicants can find more information on the STC and BPTAG websites.
 In late August, our team started
its second round of knock-and-talk conversations with the first of 1,240
households. Interns from Lincoln High School will join staff members in October
as we revisit each home a second time through March, 2017, updating residents
about Revitalization
Project plans as well as our green
resources that offer cost-savings and other benefits. Our program
coordinator will help new and familiar households alike take steps to be more
eco-friendly, all while improving their home’s bottom line.
A desert native, Emmery was born and raised in a suburb west
of Phoenix, Arizona. She lives with her awesome husband, Jerry, and their two
cats, Bauer and Allie. It is because of her husband’s military career that she
ended up in Washington (happily!).
Emmery attended Arizona State University,
and studied at their Global Institute of Sustainability. She loves learning,
and truly enjoyed the time she spent attaining her Bachelor’s degree in
Sustainability. Most of her career has reflected her passion for the
environment; the majority of her work has been in community outreach and water
resource initiatives, including her last AmeriCorps term with the City of
Lacey. In her spare time, Emmery enjoys photography, painting, biking,
gardening, baking and hanging out with her husband. She is looking forward to
planning the 2017 Sustainability Expo, and learning more about the beautiful
state of Washington!
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