OK downtown workers and condo dwellers - get your grow on

Seattle Tilth has announced a series of classes aimed at downtown condo dwellers (or those gardening in limited space anywhere, really). These classes will be held in downtown parks!

Whether you are a beginner or expert organic gardener, Seattle Tilth has classes that will help you learn new skills and apply them in your own backyard garden, patio or deck garden, or P-Patch.

To Register
All Tilth workshops with a fee require registration. Space is limited and workshops fill up quickly, so register soon. To see the entire schedule and obtain a registration form, click here.

Container Veggie Gardening
Freeway Park
Wednesday July 11, 2007 5:30 PM
Learn how to grow food on your balcony or windowsill.

Composting for Condo/Apartment Dwellers
Freeway Park
Wednesday July 18, 2007 5:30 PM
Learn how to compost those banana peels rather than throwing them in the trash.

Culinary Herb Gardening
Freeway Park
Wednesday July 25, 2007 5:30 PM
Learn how easy it is to grow your favorite herbs in a container.

Salad Gardening
Freeway Park
Wednesday August 01, 2007 5:30 PM
Salad gardens are the easiest thing around and what a payoff! All you need is a little advanced planning, a container or two, and you’ll be grazing for months.

Container Veggie Gardening
Victor Steinbrueck Park
Wednesday August 08, 2007 5:30 PM
Learn how to grow food on your balcony or windowsill.

Composting for Condo / Apartment Dwellers
Victor Steinbrueck Park
Wednesday Aug 15, 2007 5:30 PM
Learn how to compost those banana peels rather than throwing them in the trash.

Smell it, Feel it...? How to Know When Fruit is Ripe
Victor Steinbrueck Park
Wednesday August 22, 2007 5:30 PM
Shopping at the market for fruit and vegetables this summer? We'll show you how to pick the very best produce.

Culinary Herb Gardening
Victor Steinbrueck Park
Wednesday August 29, 2007 5:30 PM
Learn how easy it is to grow your favorite herbs in a container.

Container Veggie Gardening
Cascade Park
Saturday September 15, 2007 10:00 AM
Learn how to grow food on your balcony or windowsill.

Composting for Condo / Apartment Dwellers
Cascade Park
Saturday September 22, 2007 10:00 AM
Learn how to compost those banana peels rather than throwing them in the trash.

Culinary Herb Gardening
Cascade Park
Saturday September 29, 2007 10:00 AM
Learn how easy it is to grow your favorite herbs in a container.

Get your summer camp fire fix at Camp Long

Camp Long is one of Seattle's best kept secrets. Located in West Seattle, this 68 acre park offers visitors an opportunity to enjoy nature, hike in the forest, camp overnight in rustic cabins, rock climb, and learn about natural history. (Read A History of Camp Long.)

Rental facilities include a lodge with one meeting room, kitchen space, 10 cabins, two covered picnic areas, group fire ring, and climbing rock. A talented staff of naturalists lead group environmental education and rock climbing classes. Programs at Camp Long are fun, interactive experiences for all ages.

Following is a current list of Camp Long Sponsored Programs which I just received via email from Director Sheila Brown.

To register, call 684-7434 or register online using the event code at SPARC (Seattle Parks and Recreation Connection).

Camp Long Owls
Ages 1 and older
Will there be juvenile Barred Owls begging for food by hissing? or will they be missing? Bring a flashlight. Pre-register by 7/6/07 by calling (206)684-7434. Instructor: Stewart Wechsler
#19216 7/7/2007 Sat 9 - 10:30 p.m.
Activity Fee $7.00

Evening Nature Tour Hayride - Seward Park
Ages 1 and older
Cruise around the peninsula on our hay wagon while eagles, osprey and others get their evening snacks - all ages - Pre-register by 6-30-07. Instructor: Stewart Wechsler *Meet in front of restrooms at park entry
#19310 7/6/2007 Fri 7:30 - 9 p.m.
Activity Fee $8.00

Mee Kwa Mooks Beach Safari - 3.1 tide
Ages 3 and older
Rejuvenate your week and enjoy some of the best low tides of the year. Find amazing marine creatures, intertidal plants and learn beach ecology. Dress for the windy weather and wear shoes that can get wet and handle slippery surfaces. Pre-register by 7/13/07 Call (206)684-7434 to register. Instructor: Jeanie Murphy-Ouellette
#19236 7/14/2007 Sat 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Activity Fee $8.00

Netting in the Pond and Beyond
Ages 1 and older
With dip nets weâ€Tll catch and examine swimming salamanders, Dragons and Damsels, in the pond and with air nets catch their flying forms beyond the pond. Please Pre-register by calling 684-7434, by 7/06/07. Instructor: Stewart Wechsler
#19237 7/7/2007 Sat 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Activity Fee $8.00

Reptile Man Returns to Camp Long!
Ages 1 and older
Meet Scott Peterson, the Reptile Man and his 15 scaly friends -- up close and personal. Hold a python, pet an alligator, watch a cobra stand up and hood! Sickened by snakes? Gutless about gators? Revolted by reptiles? You won't be after this! Check in and pay at 2:45 p.m. at the Camp Long Lodge. Call (206) 684-7434 for directions.
#19243 7/21/2007 Sat 2:45 - 4 p.m.
Activity Fee $5.00

Salamanders, Swallowtails and Slugs
Ages 1 and older
Come explore in and around the forest - Weâ€Tll look under logs and catch bugs in the air with nets from sunnier edges and openings to the deeper darker woods. Please pre-register by calling 684-7434 by 7/6/07. Instructor: Stewart Wechsler
#19238 7/7/2007 Sat 2 - 4 p.m.
Activity Fee $8.00

Seward Park "Eagle Watch"
Ages 4 and older
Explore the world of raptors, including eagles, hawks and owls. View eagle nesting sites and search Seward Park for birds of prey. Please dress for the weather and bring binoculars and spotting scopes if you have them. Please call Camp Long at (206) 684-7434 for directions and meeting place. Instructor: Brian Heerdt
#19240 7/7/2007 Sat 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Activity Fee $8.00

Spring Night Flight Campfire
Ages 3 and older
Start your summer out right and find out what flies at night. Explore the forest of Camp Long in search of nocturnal fliers and then enjoy each others company around the campfire. Dress for the weather and bring flashlights. Call (206) 684-7434 by 6/29/07 to register
#19242 6/30/2007 Sat 7 - 9 p.m.
Activity Fee $7.00

Crazy Campfires ~~ Camp Long Pond
Ages 3 and older
Evening explorations at Pollywog Pond! Join Camp Long naturalists for family oriented evening of nature walks, campfire songs, stories and mysterious characters. Food treats and corny jokes included. Wanna know more? Gotta sign up! Dress for the weather. Call (206)684-7434 by 7/13/07 to register. Instructor: Brian Heerdt
#19218 7/14/2007 Sat 7 - 9 p.m.
Activity Fee $7.00

Chef in the Garden

Few organizations can pull off an authentic "chef in the garden" dinner like P-Patch Trust. I just completed three years of service on the Board of Directors of this Seattle nonprofit, a land conservancy that works to acquire, build, preserve and protect community gardens in Seattle's neighborhoods. Through, advocacy, leadership and partnerships, The Trust expands access to community gardening across economic, racial, ethnic, ability and gender lines; promotes organic gardening and builds community through gardening.

Their primary focus is to break urban isolation by providing opportunities for people to garden together, learn from each other, develop a sense of neighborhood, and create a more livable urban environment. There's probably a p-patch garden in your neighborhood.

So save the date on your calendar for their fifth "Chef in the Garden" dinner. On Sunday, September 23rd, guest chef and a 2007 James Beard Foundation Award Winner (Best Chef: Northwest), John Sundstrom - chef/owner of the renowned restaurant, Lark on Capitol Hill - will be preparing a feast. (Read the Chef Q&A)

The Trust promises you a magnificent dining event at South Seattle Community College's Brockey Center in West Seattle. You will also have an opportunity to enjoy Washington wines while touring the college's lovely arboretum with an expert guide as a pre-dinner treat.

Following the late-afternoon stroll through the arboretum, diners will gather in the Brockey Center for an incredible meal with a European sensibility using the best products of regional American farmers, cheese-makers, ranchers and vintners.

Tickets will go on sale soon, and I'll keep you posted on the purchase options. Please consider inviting your family, friends, and associates to join you for this outstanding event. It will be a deliciously memorable evening.

An ugly battle over clean power

An interesting conflict is developing in Ellensburg (Kittitas County) regarding wind farms. The number of wind farms built so far means that future wind farms may be closer to where people have homes. Land owners living in the area are starting to worry about property values (in addition to the esthetics and noise from the turbines). And it's not just in the Ellensburg area, but in other areas of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Read An ugly battle over clean power

High Point selected as one of Top 10 Cottage Communites for 2007

I must tip my hat to Cottage Living Magazine for selecting High Point as one of its Top 10 Cottage Communities of 2007. Each year they look for neighborhoods they'd "like to call home." Criteria for their 2007 favorites are charming cottages, a sense of community, and an eye on the future. They acknowledge "The new High Point shines as a sustainable, safe, and high-quality residential environment with a range of housing types, each built to strict green standards."

Read High Point / Seattle, Washington
A once-sad West Seattle housing project undergoes an amazing rebirth.

I will soon be your resident High Point expert. Our townhome nears completion and we expect to close before the end of July. I can hardly wait to be a part of this fabulous community! I've lived within 1/2 mile of High Point for nearly ten years and feel pretty confident in saying I am an expert in this area. If you know of anyone considering new construction but wants to stay in the city limits, have them call me!

Paper or plastic? How about neither.

Today's Tip from Ideal Bite is about using an alternative to paper or plastic when needing to bring things home from a store. A lot of resources are wasted in the making of paper or plastic bags, and the after-effects of plastic bags floating about our world are pretty awful. Click here to read about BYOB (bring your own bag) from Ideal Bite.

What I love about Ideal Bite is that they always provide resources for where you can get things to meet the ideal. Okay, maybe that just falls under the category of "shopping!", but really, sometimes it is hard to find ways/places to change our ways for the better. They always provide several links to resources.

If you would like to receive daily tips (weekdays) from Ideal Bite, you can sign up on their web site.

Land value disagreement + garden conservation group = Heronswood open for a day!

The Seattle Times today has news of Heronswood Nursery. Evidently there's been a hitch in the sale of the property and in the interim the garden will be open FOR ONE DAY as part of the Garden Conservancy's Open Days Program - a day in which distinctive private gardens across the country allow occasional public visits.

The creator of Heronswood, Dan Hinkley, is an accomplished author and public speaker. I met him at a Washington Native Plant Society meeting a few years ago, and have a couple of his books.

According to local news reports, Martha Stewart recently loaded up her private jet with ferns purchased ferns at the Hardy Fern Sale. She also toured Heronswood Nursery (she has been here before), visited with Dan, and enjoyed a Northwest feast prepared by Herbfarm chef Jerry Traunfeld. Ferns are a great addition to any garden. I love ferns and have a rescued many from Eastside developments and planted them around my home in West Seattle. You can find out more information about the ferns that Martha purchased (dwarf maidenhair fern Adiantum aleuticum 'Subpumilum' and a large-leaved holly fern Cyrtomium falcatum by visiting Great Plant Picks and using the search tool on the left side of the page. Click here to visit the Hardy Fern Foundation web site.

So July 21st is the day to visit Heronswood Nursery if you've always wanted to go and never have made it - or are a big fan and can't wait to visit those wonderful plants again.

Be a part of Live Earth!

Be part of LIVE EARTH, a 7-continent, 24 hour live concert event taking place on July 7th, bringing together over 2 billion people to combat the current climate crisis. The United States concert will be held at Giants Stadium in New Jersey and headlines the following artists:AFI, Akon, Alicia Keys, Bon Jovi, Dave Matthews Band, Fall Out Boy, John Mayer, Kanye West, Kelly Clarkson, KT Tunstall, Ludacris, Melissa Etheridge, The Police, Roger Waters, Smashing Pumpkins and many more artists.

SIRIUS is giving you the chance to enter to win a trip for two to NYC to attend Live Earth 2007! This grand prize includes roundtrip coach airfare for two, a hotel for two nights, and tickets for the show along with $250 spending cash.

I am a huge SIRIUS fan and thought everyone should have the opportunity to win a trip to see this show! Click here to enter to win a trip to New York to see Live Earth in person.

Seattle's Trees: We need the green

Good editorial in the Seattle PI today, regarding the loss of tree coverage in the city of Seattle due primarily to development. There also are several interesting comments (click on SoundOff), about the Mayor's "greenwashing" pr machine, the effects of land use restrictions on property values, and the two opposing environemtnal goals of "more density" vs. "more trees" and not being able to have both.

Read Seattle's Trees: We need the green

Dogbert the Green Consultant

My husband thought today's Dilbert was funny and that I should post it. Click here to see it at the Dilbert Comic Strip Archive web site.

For those of us who actually experience environmental guilt, it's not as funny. But I can appreciate the viewpoint. Sometimes it feels as if that's exactly what you have to do to not harm the Earth any further!

Spotlight on Seward Park - one of Seattle's beautiful waterfront green spaces

As my husband and I and our Italian greyhound, Sophia, walked the trails of Seward Park on Sunday as participants in the Furry 5k fundraiser for Seattle Animal Shelter Help the Animals Fund, my mind turned to real estate (as usual) and wonder of the prices in that particular, especially expensive, area. I've not spent much time in the southeast portion of the city, living in the southwest portion of the city and getting from one to the other area not particularly easy (altho it can be done without getting on a highway or freeway). There is even a Wikipedia entry for Seward Park, which will tell you way more than you ever thought you could know about this part of our fine city.

I continue to be boggled by housing costs and the decreasing availability of homes for the first time home buyer. I was a first time home buyer in 2001 - at the age of 31 - and all I can say is I am glad I got into the ownership market then and wasn't trying to do it now! The market is particularly challenging these days - and downright depressing for many making anything less than an above-average income for our area. Even singles, making a decent salary, can't afford to buy into anything less than a dinky studio condo inside the city limits. It's so sad! I feel your pain.

Just for curiosity sake, when I've explored a certain part of the city, I like to come back to the office and check out what's selling and for how much. I couldn't find anything within a half-mile of Seward park's entrance (5902 Lake Washington Blvd, South) for under half a million, and only one under $600k. Check out this 3 bedroom two and a half bath split-entry on Wilson Avenue South. When I enlarged my search to within one mile, I found 13 listings under $500k, some new townhomes as well as older single family residences in Hillman City, Columbia City, and in surrounding areas, starting in the mid 300s. Still not a lot, and probably a lot of people competing for these "starter" homes.

If you're looking to live near one of Seattle's great green spaces, such as beautiful Seward Park, do your homework. Talk with your lender and be real clear on what you can bid up to. Because if you fall in love with this area and one of the classic charmers in the surrounding neighborhood, you'll want to have your agent move quickly when you find the perfect home for you and your family!

See you at the Furry 5K!

The Seattle Animal Shelter's eighth annual Furry 5-kilometer Fun Run & Walk will take place at 10 a.m. Sunday in Seward Park, 5902 Lake Washington Blvd. S. I'll be there leading Team IGGY Ambassadors-Emerald City (Italian Greyhounds of the NW).

I began as a volunteer at the Seattle Animal Shelter in 2005, shortly after adopting my Italian greyhound, Sophia. I did it in part as personal therapy to get over my fear of dogs. I wanted to be a dog walker, but the scheduling didn't work for me, so I became a MatchMaker instead - someone who works with the public introducing them to the adoptable dogs and cats and other furry and feathered friends residing at the shelter. After 6 months of feeling guilty for leaving my dog at home on the weekends, and also living with a 16 year old ailing cat I was afraid to pack home something contagious to, I instead joined the Pet Therapy Team, and got to take Sophia to visit residents at a local convalescent home. They loved her since she was small enough to get up on their beds. She did really well, I was proud of her.

Anyway - the Seattle Animal Shelter counts on the Furry 5K to make money to be able to cover veterinary expenses for incoming orphaned pets (among other things). Many animals are brought to the shelter due to medical problems, or perhaps a broken leg, and the family doesn't have money to pay for the animal's care. Because of the shelter's Help the Animals Fund, the shelter is able to take the pet, send it to the vet for care, foster it during its recovery, and then help it find a new home.

It's important to know that all money raised at the Furry 5K will benefit the Help the Animals Fund, which supports the shelter in providing veterinary care to sick, injured and abused animals, and finding them new homes.

Pre-registration for the race is available until midnight Saturday at http://www.furry5k.com/ or during operating hours at the following stores: Seattle Running Company (Capitol Hill), Sound Sports (downtown Seattle), Super Jock and Jill (Green Lake) and Footzone (Bellevue, Issaquah, Redmond). Registration will also be available the day of the race from 8:45 to 9:45 a.m.

For more information, call 206-386-4286 or visit http://www.seattleanimalshelter.org/

See you at the Furry 5K!

Affordable Housing Goes Green

Finally! State officials released a green-building standard for state-funded affordable housing projects. Read Affordable housing gets green standards (SeattlePI.com)

Free training is available regarding the new standards. Plan on attending Green Building 101. CTED, Enterprise Community Partners and Common Ground will present Green Building 101, the first in a series of trainings on the new standard. More training will be available in the future. This training will cover the new Evergreen Sustainable Development Standard and will provide attendees with information on how to meet the new requirements.

There is no charge. The specific agenda and more details will be distributed shortly. Seating is limited, so please reserve a spot now. Contact Reta Chamberlain, retac@commongroundwa.org, 509-326-3678 to reserve your place.

June 13 (Spokane): Oxarc Training Center at E. 4003 Broadway.
10 am to 3 pm, with lunch provided.

June 14 (Seattle) ALREADY FULL - WAITING LIST
Downtown Seattle, Location to be determined. 10 am to 3 pm, with lunch provided.

Related: Click here to read the Evergreen Sustainable Development Criteria, which effects projects that apply to the Housing Trust Fund after July 1, 2008.

Straw Bale Plaster Workshop

STRAW BALE PLASTER WORKSHOP
At Shorelines' first straw bale Studio
July 7 and 8 (Saturday and Sunday)

Host: David Vollen
Instructors: Catherine Burke and Chariti Li Montez
Cost: $75 includes lunch

This workshop is designed for people who want to learn how to plaster straw bales from scratch. It will be an "informative work party" which means....they'll be mixin and muddin up a storm!

If you are interested and need instructions or have questions please email Catherine at bootita@hotmail.com

You can read more about straw bale at greenhomebuilding.com

Seattle Dog Park Guide for Summer

Seattle Weekly has done a round-up of the low-down on Seattle area dog parks in this week's issue. Read the blurb here.


They neglected to mention Westcrest Dog Park in West Seattle (located north of SW Roxbury on 8th Avenue SW). Westcrest is of particular interest to ME because it has only the 2nd "small and shy dog area" designated for small - and/or shy - dogs, like my little Italian greyhound, Sophia. At only 16 pounds - and adopted from a formerly very sheltered and lonely life - the "small and shy" area is all she can handle without freaking out. And that is after 6 months of intensive socializing thru Ahimsa Dog Training's trainer-supervised Small Dog Playtime and my organizing a Meetup playgroup for this breed for over a year now.

If you have a small, or shy dog regardless of size, be sure to check out the SAS dog areas at Magnuson Park or Westcrest. The SAS area at Magnuson gets kind of crazy so if you would like to try something with a little slower place (and less crowding), Westcrest might be more your speed.

See you at the dog park!

Eco-jammies

Today's Tip from Ideal Bite ~ eco-jammies made from bamboo or organic cotton. I have a set of bamboo sheets for my bed - and boy are they soft! I can't wait to try the jammies! Read Ready to jam the night away...at home?

Looking for other eco-friendly ready-to-wear clothing? I recently found socks made from flax seed, and also great scrunch socks made from organic cotton (in black or white), at PCC (West Seattle). I am still using the organic sheets and towels purchased at Whole Foods Market three years ago. The sheets are not as soft as the bamboo but I suspect a bit more durable.

One of these days I will try to afford an organic mattress.

Parade of Homes in Pierce County

If you're trying to find something to do next weekend (if you missed it this weekend, that is) the Parade of New Homes in Pierce County is under way the first two weekends of June.

There are 14 builders' showcase of 17 new homes in Pierce County. Click here for the map, driving directions and web site. Last chance weekend is June 9-10th from 11am to 6pm...and it's FREE!

Pierce County, with its "close" proximity to Seattle (it's all relative) - is one of the last places to find an affordable home on a larger lot within what is considered commuting distance to Seattle.

Looking for something a little more affordably priced than these dream homes? Click here for *MY* list of 100 Pierce County homes for sale within commuting distance of Seattle. This selection includes homes in Puyallup, Brown's Point, Sumner, Buckley, Lake Tapps, Bonney Lake, and North Tacoma. I used to work with people who commuted from these areas to an office on lower Queen Anne, so I know it can be done. I thought they were crazy, of course, but they loved living in the country and didn't mind driving to the city for a good-paying job.

Welcome to Seattle!

Welcome to Seattle! Discover what makes Seattle such a great place to live, work and play at “Discover Seattle: Newcomers Fair” 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday, June 9 at Fisher Pavilion in Seattle Center.

The following information is from the Newcomers Fair pamphlet (which I picked up while at NW Folklife Festival last weekend) and the Newcomers Fair web site. Be sure to visit the web site for the complete list of entertainment and participating departments and organizations.

With regional businesses, local organizations and City of Seattle departments participating, this FREE festival is a one-stop introduction to Seattle’s resources, neighborhoods and culture. Three stages of live entertainment, children’s activities and prize drawings make the event informative and fun for all ages.

Residents can learn insider tips and unique features about the largest city in the Pacific Northwest at a variety of demonstrations, discussions and workshops.

The event was created and is hosted by the City of Seattle and Seattle Center to welcome new residents, and to help longtime Seattleites discover the ever-changing opportunities in this growing city.

“Discover Seattle” brings together City of Seattle departments, non-profit organizations, cultural groups and regional businesses to help new residents become a part of the community in the Pacific Northwest’s largest city.

Learn how to get involved, volunteer and access a broad range of resources that are available to all residents. Throughout the event, music, martial arts, dance and other entertainment present the richness and diversity of various communities and cultures throughout Seattle.

Language interpreters are available. Call (206) 684-7200 by June 4 for requests.

Consumption vs. Conservation

Great Special to Seattle Times today, regarding plastics and recycling! Read Where can we put all those plastics?

I think I will be switching to a Klean Kanteen. I've been using Nalgene bottles for years, then recently got lazy - and a Costco membership - so have been carrying around a case of water in my car to ensure I actually drink it. But I feel kinda guilty being lazy about it and will probably buy at least two of them so I have enough water for the day. Some days I am in my car all day long, looking at property.