The SCA’s Seattle Urban Green crew working at Wetmore Community Garden. (Photo credit: McKenzie Allen Charmley)
Just a few miles from downtown Seattle, a group of young people arrives by light rail first thing in the morning at their pickup site.
Together, the crew of high schoolers, alongside their college-aged supervisors, heads to the Wetmore Community Garden to remove invasive species, including knotweed, English Ivy, and Himalayan blackberries, clear trails, and build Hugelkultur raised garden beds.
The team is part of the Student Conservation Association’s Seattle Urban Green Program. Since 2007, crew members have protected Seattle’s parks, restored habitats, built trails, and learned about the region’s unique environmental challenges and opportunities.
“It’s great to be able to do this work and give back to these communities that we live in and are from,” said Ian Shiach, the SCA’s Pacific Northwest Program Manager. “Some of the things that we try to do with our Seattle Urban Green programs is support our green spaces, the environment, but also really make sure that we’re supporting and being part of our communities here.”
With generous support from several public agencies, including the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department, environmental organizations, schools, youth development organizations, and community groups, the SCA can continue to provide conservation opportunities to young people in the Seattle area each year.
Wetmore Community Garden in Seattle where SCA crew members are helping remove invasive species, clear trails and build raised garden beds. (Photo credit: McKenzie Allen-Charmley)
The Wetmore Community Garden in the Mount Baker Beacon Hill neighborhood provides the public a space to walk, gather and grow food. It is one of several sites throughout Seattle where the crew worked as part of its mission to maintain and restore green spaces.
“There’s like a whole row of gardens that residents of the neighborhood have been able to plant and use for their personal story almost,” said Sydney Katz, the SCA’s Seattle Urban Green Field Leader, adding the garden provides local families the ability to plant things that are important in their cultures. “It really brings me joy to see young folks want to get involved and, you know, make spaces in their home community better.”
For crew members, their summer of service went beyond pulling weeds and clearing trails. It offered a chance to explore a career in conservation, build teamwork skills, and have an unforgettable experience.
“My ‘why’ is I really didn’t know a lot about being outside, but I always love to be outside, and I was interested in learning more,” said SCA crew member Mikiya Clayton. “Once I joined, I noticed it became something that was interesting to me. I got to learn about all the plants and their purpose.”
SCA crew members listen to a guide before starting their day at Westmore Community Garden in Seattle. (Photo credit: McKenzie Allen-Charmley)
Crew member William Ramos frequently volunteers at local parks and joined the SCA to build his hands-on field experience.
“I think it’s so cool that it allows people like me to get outside and see what conservation is really about,” said Ramos, who is an environmental studies student. “We watered a bunch of trees that didn’t look like they’ve been watered for a while. And then we cleared out a trail for people to use. It helps people enjoy the outdoors more.”
Every trail cleared, every acre restored, and every community engaged represents a brick in the foundation of a more sustainable future.
Across generations, SCA crew members like those in Seattle have served as the vital frontline workforce for our public lands by restoring ecosystems, maintaining public access, protecting waterways, and educating the public.
“Our entire team brings people together. The community on our team helps give that joy to other communities and other people and other people’s places,” said SCA crew member Claire Leah, an incoming high school sophomore. “It’s really, really, really rewarding the work.”
Support the SCA’s mission with a tax-deductible donation today. Your support empowers young people to serve our environment while protecting the public lands, waters and wildlife that make experiences like these possible for future generations of conservationists.
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