On March 29th, 2017, about one hundred participants spanning academia, nonprofits, government, health, funders, business, and community-based organizations gathered for a day-long convening to explore how a more robust and strategic regional collaboration among public and private partners c
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Regional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY
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On May 2nd the American Farmland Trust speaker series on farms and food will continue with "Re-Imagining Local Grains." The talk will be given by Dr. Steve Jones, a professor, wheat breeder, and Director of the WSU Bread Lab.
When: Monday, May 2nd from 6 to 8pm.
Where: Stone Way Cafe (3510 Stone Way N, Seattle, WA)
Regional Challenges: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY -
(Example of a "high-complexity" street with greenery and a variety of facades. Photo Source: Tony Webster from San Francisco, CA.)
Regional Challenges: HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY -
There are two new grant opportunities for those working within or around the health industry. The first is sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and focuses on their Cultural Health Leaders Program.
Filed under: HEALTHRegional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH -
Regional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY
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By Sarah Titcomb
Regional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY -
The City Project is a nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles, California that works on equal access to parks and green space, transportation, and related issues at the intersection of social justice, sustainable regional planning, and smart growth. The State of California requires county and city general plans as well as proposed new development projects to address environmental justice matters.
Regional Challenges: HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY -
By Matt Chadsey
Anyone who lives in the Central Puget Sound Region can recognize that the open space around us has value. The mountains -- even just the views of them -- rivers, parks, and working lands provide benefits. However, quantifying those benefits is hard. What is the value of a rushing river, or the shade provided by a street tree on a sunny day, or a salt marsh, or wetland during a storm?
Filed under: AIR, DISASTER MITIGATION, HEALTH, WATERRegional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH -
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Matt Chadsey, Project Leader, Earth Economics
Regional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH -
The term biophilia, coined by Edward O. Wilson, describes what he thinks is our innate connection to the natural world. Wilson and other like-minded scholars have taken this concept further to suggest that, in fact, humans cannot thrive in the absence of this connection to nature (mentally, physically or spiritually). Given this vital connection, it’s no surprise that social scientists and economist, in particular, have been developing credible techniques for estimating the monetary value of the benefits humans receive from nature or other compelling metrics.
Regional Challenges: HUMAN HEALTH -
Are you or the other members of your organization looking to connect with others passionate about the Green-Duwamish watershed? Consider volunteering at the Duwamish Alive! restoration event on April 18th to join the hundreds of volunteers cleaning up over a dozen sites throughout the area.
Filed under: COMMUNITY, DISASTER MITIGATIONRegional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, HUMAN HEALTH -
Not only is our team joining the 2015 National APA Conference, we are excited to share that several of our partners and friends will be in attendance! Sunday morning will kick off with the opening keynote speech from Ron Sims, the Chair of the ROSS Executive Committee. We look forward to hearing his current perspective on sustainability and health - and we plan to arrive early to ensure we get a seat! The day begins at 8am on April 19th at the Washington State Convention Center.
Continue reading for the list of our other committee and task force members presenting or participating on panels during conference sessions.
Filed under: EDUCATIONRegional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY -
The American Planning Association's Annual National Conference is coming to Seattle this weekend and the ROSS team is excited to participate! Several of us will be in attendance and our very own Nancy Rottle from the University of Washington’s Green Futures Research and Design Lab will present the ROSS project to the planning community. Steve Whitney from the Bullitt Foundation, who provides leadership for the ROSS, organized and will moderate this session. Read more to learn about the session and our co-presenters from the Intertwine Alliance and the Georgia Strait Alliance.
We look forward to seeing other the conference attendees there!
Filed under: EDUCATIONRegional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY -
The Kitsap Forest & Bay Project is a landscape-level effort to conserve up to 6,700 acres of forest, wetlands and shoreline surrounding Port Gamble Bay in north Kitsap County. The Project is a once-in-history opportunity to help sustain our region's quality of life, environmental health, and economic vitality. It has the potential to shape the future of the entire Kitsap Peninsula and has been championed by a broad coalition of partners including Kitsap County, Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, Suquamish Tribe, Great Peninsula Conservancy, Forterra, Pope Resources and the community at large.
Regional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY -
Did you know the 8th Annual South Sound Sustainability Expo is happening this weekend? This event is a great opportunity to connect with private and public organizations whose work support environmentally sustainable practices. Learn more about the event here.
Regional Challenges: CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH -
The Washington State Legislature is considering a $50 million budget proposal to fund projects following the Floodplains by Design approach. If approved, we could see more of our local river communities taking this ecosystems approach to floodplain management. We recommend you read two local sucess stories for projects completed in Pierce and King County.
Regional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, HUMAN HEALTH -
We are delighted to share with you a new study that looks at the contribution of outdoor recreation to Washington’s economy. Here are some of the results:
Regional Challenges: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH -
At our recent ROSS Project Leadership Team meeting we asked our participating partners what the most important developments in open space have been for their organizations in 2014 and what they are looking forward to in 2015. We were excited and inspired by the great strides that have been made to protect and enhance open space in the Central Puget Sound and beyond over the last year. We know that the efforts mentioned are just the tip of the iceberg for these organizations and the region. While there is much more work to do to ensure and protect open space, we are delighted to celebrate these great achievements and look towards the future. Join us!
Regional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY -
Have you seen this inspiring video from Green Duwamish/Central Puget Sound's Salmon Conservation and Restoration efforts? Watch "Green the Green" and be prepared to tap some deep local pride in this incredible green landscape we call home. A celebration of our open space benefits and a beautiful, compelling call to action, this 3 minute video reminds us of the important efforts we must invest in to clean and protect our watershed to maintain our rich cultural and natural heritage.
Regional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY -
The ROSS team is growing! With our great partnership with King County on the Green-Duwamish Watershed Strategy and upcoming launch of a Snohomish Watershed Open Space Strategy, we seek talented staff to lead and support this visionary, collaborative effort.
Filed under: WORKRegional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY -
We are delighted to share the great efforts of the Mountains to Sound Greenway, Stewardship Partners and their Snoqualmie Valley partners for their visionary planning in the watershed. This beautiful "report card" reflects the thoughtful work they are doing to create a robust watershed plan to protect and enhance their forests, farms and rural lands that make up 96% of their land and provide essential ecosystem services for the entire Puget Sound region.
Filed under: AESTHETIC, AIR, COMMUNITY, CULTURAL, DISASTER MITIGATION, EDUCATION, FOOD, MATERIALS, PLAY, SHELTER, TRANSPORT, WATER, WORKRegional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY -
Did you fly Alaska Airlines recently? If you did, you might have seen the great article on the University of Washington’s Green Futures Research and Design Lab, where the ROSS project is housed. The GFL’s innovative Green Wall project is prototyping and monitoring growing food vertically as well as providing habitat for native birds, reducing heat island effect and reducing heating and cooling costs for adjacent buildings.
Regional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, HUMAN HEALTH -
Our friends at the Wilderness Society just shared the findings of an important study published in October that demonstrates that kids who spend time in nature, away from multi-tasking computers, express improved emotional intelligence compared to their peers. See the summary article here or read the study published in Computers in Human Behavior here.
Regional Challenges: HUMAN HEALTH -
It has been a busy summer for us here at the ROSS. Not only have we been hard at work on our open space services work and entering into an agreement with King County and the City of Seattle for the Green-Duwamish WOSS you may have read about earlier this month, we’ve also been developing a new website.
Filed under: AESTHETIC, AIR, COMMUNITY, CULTURAL, DISASTER MITIGATION, EDUCATION, ENERGY, FOOD, HEALTH, MATERIALS, PLAY, SHELTER, TRANSPORT, WASTE, WATER, WORKRegional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY -
Monday, September 9, marked a seminal moment in open space planning, as King County and the City of Seattle, in the presence of community groups, natural resource agencies and local news media, announced plans to develop a Green/Duwamish Watershed Strategy.
Filed under: AESTHETIC, AIR, COMMUNITY, CULTURAL, DISASTER MITIGATION, EDUCATION, ENERGY, FOOD, HEALTH, MATERIALS, PLAY, SHELTER, TRANSPORT, WASTE, WATER, WORKRegional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY -
We’re excited to share news of a new partnership with The Trust for Public Land. Our Ecosystem Services Committee and ROSS staff will be working with their award-winning GIS team and Climate Conservation Program to explore how to map our region-wide open space system as well as identify and assess areas where open space can address key regional challenges.
Filed under: EDUCATIONRegional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY -
The Bullitt Foundation and The Russell Family Foundation have once again stepped up to support the ROSS Initiative. The work focuses on two primary tracks:
Filed under: EDUCATIONRegional Challenges: BIODIVERSITY, CLIMATE CHANGE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, SOCIAL EQUITY