Storming the Sound

Another flashback to last week...

First I should mention Salmon-Safe. I am proud to say that we recently earned Salmon-Safe certification at the Olympic Sculpture Park. In fact, we are the only site where the certification team saw adult salmon during an inspection. I was asked to join a panel for Seattle University's Working Cooperatively for Sustainability Conference, focusing on Salmon-Safe certification in the Seattle area. The sustainability managers for both PCC and REI joined me on the panel, along with Dan Kent of Salmon-Safe and Mary Rose of the Network for Business Innovation and Sustainability (NBIS). Unfortunately our panel had a low attendance (end of the day, things running long), but we still enjoyed a lively discussion about the merits of cerification for businesses - including green marketing, PR, expert advice, and partnerships.

Now on to my main topic: Storming the Sound. Rounding out a busy week full of speakers and meetings, I attended this conference at Chief Sealth High School in West Seattle. The focus was education about the Puget Sound ecosystem. First I attended a session about the new environmental and sustainability standards being produced by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). I was pleased to learn that they are moving along with these standards, and writing suggested integrations with the Grade Level Expectations (GLEs) to assist teachers. An environmental and sustainability overview course has also been approved for Occupational Education credit. If only that had counted when I was a student! I convinced my counselor that acting as a Peer Tutor to the AP Chemistry class WAS occupationally relevant for me (I still maintain that it was the best option).

Professor Julia Parrish spoke before lunch. I have the pleasure of knowing Julia through my work as an alumni with Program on the Environment. Julia also runs the COASST program, which has recently gained recognition as a model in the field of citizen science. While I am very familiar with Julia's work, I always appreciate discussion of citizen science. I think it is a fantastic way to increase public interest in environmental issues and build an informed citizen base.

After lunch I attended a session by People for Puget Sound discussing toxins. As an Environmental Studies student, I became accustomed to hearing frightening facts about pollution and environmental degredation. Still, it's always affecting (particularly when focused on health!). I was interested to learn that thyroid disease can have environmental causes, as I have taken daily medication for hypothyroidism since the age of 18. Most people are now familiar with the dangers of BPA, but I continue to be frustrated that no one has come up with a good option for recycling old Nalgene bottles and other BPA-ridden products. Is the landfill really our only option?

I always love the chance to reconnect with partners and colleagues, learn new things, and take a step back to remember why we do what we do!