By Heather Cole, Puget Sound Community Relations Manager
There is growing recognition that in order to solve our toughest environmental challenges, we must connect people and nature together.
The Social Science for the Salish Sea (S4) research agenda fills this important gap, bringing together an interdisciplinary approach between researchers and practioners on priority actions.
As Puget Sound Community Relations Manager for The Nature Conservancy, I was proud to join as one of the co-authors in creating a new social science research agenda.
In order to solve our most wicked environmental challenges we must become aware of our interconnection to the natural world. For the first time this social science research agenda presents a pathway forward that intertwines nature and local community needs together.
Dig more deeply into this project at the Puget Sound Partnership’s “Medium” site.
Banner Photo: Students at Conway Middle School plant native plants at the Fisher Slough restoration site. © TNC/Don Macanlalay
The Stormwater Heatmap imperviousness data layer now represents the most detailed rendering ever made of impervious surfaces in the Puget Sound region.
Leaders from across the region came together at the Nisqually Cultural Center for Puget Sound Day on the Sound.
It has been 50 years since the Clean Water Act was passed and while substantial progress has been made for the health of waterways, people, and the planet there is still more work to do. Green infrastructure such as bioswales and rain gardens are one tool that can help the Puget Sound region support people and Salmon.
The Stormwater Heatmap harnesses the power of big data to model where stormwater pollution is generated across the landscape — helping public municipalities plan for the future. As a living tool continually updated with the latest data, it’ll be exciting to see how communities, academics, and policymakers can use this to create lasting impact.
This year, the Washington state Legislature has the opportunity to pass funding to build green stormwater infrastructure under the I-5 Ship Canal Bridge in downtown Seattle, the busiest freeway corridor in the state.
A neglected parking lot has transformed into vibrant urban agricultural land and a leading example of how green stormwater infrastructure can be implemented at the community level.
Seven years later, and over $200 million dollars spent in Floodplains by Design alone, we are seeing a new level of resilience, creativity and impact in our floodplains across the state.
Thanks to a trio of papers, scientists and managers now have better tools for tackling the stormwater problem at the right scales.