From Climate Pledge Arena to the East Duwamish Greenbelt: A Day of Planting with the Seattle Kraken, One Roof Foundation, Amazon, and Tree Equity Network
By Yordanos Tesfazion
Climate Pledge Arena: home to the Seattle Kraken, Seattle Torrent, Seattle Storm, and…the Living Wall!
Designed by Habitat Horticulture and funded and maintained by Amazon, the Living Wall stands 200 feet long and 14 feet tall, is comprised of over 25 plant species, and features western hemlock trees native to the Pacific Northwest—the largest species ever incorporated into a living wall. This anomaly, 100 percent powered by renewable energy, is located at the northwest main concourse entrance of the arena. While the wall is a popular spot for photo ops, it also offers visitors the chance to engage with nature and pay closer attention to a diverse variety of plants in a unique environment.
The Living Wall showcases Climate Pledge’s commitment to sustainability. As the first arena in the entire world to receive an International Living Future Institute (ILFI) Zero Carbon Certificate, Climate Pledge is an internationally recognized venue. Recently, One Roof Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Seattle Kraken and Climate Pledge Arena, reached out to our team at Seattle Parks Foundation to identify collaboration opportunities around environmental equity, climate resilience, and community partnerships, including an idea to donate five western hemlocks that began to outgrow the Living Wall and coordinate a tree-planting event in the community.
One Roof Foundation’s core pillars include Environmental Justice: helping ensure every person has clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and safe spaces to live and play, with a focus on Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and low-income communities that are disproportionately impacted by pollution, industrial hazards, and climate change.
Shared values brought One Roof Foundation and Seattle Parks Foundation’s Tree Equity Network together, and on November 3, we coordinated a tree-planting event at the East Duwamish Greenbelt (S Chicago St. Site) in South Beacon Hill, a predominately BIPOC and lower-income community. The greenbelt’s location and surrounding neighborhoods’ challenges with air pollution and the impacts of climate change made it an ideal site for a planting event with the Living Wall’s western hemlocks, in addition to other native plants and trees.
The Tree Equity Network exists to bring together community stakeholders of all types to address gaps in funding and coordination around tree canopy projects. As a growing coalition, they strive to look at climate injustice and tree canopy loss holistically and to identify and drive sustainable solutions that ensure continued investment in the areas most impacted by climate injustice.
One of Seattle Parks Foundation’s fiscally sponsored projects and an engaged member organization of the Tree Equity Network, Green Seattle Partnership, works in sites across the city to protect and restore greenspaces and forests. Volunteers, known as Forest Stewards, dedicate their time regularly, to continuing this work. Forest Stewards Chris Hoffer, Gerry Chambers, and Alex Truong volunteer at the East Duwamish Greenbelt to keep it healthy, safe, and accessible. Chris and Gerry have shown up every month for 15 years and 10 years respectively, and Alex joined the greenbelt officially as a Forest Steward this year, though he was a dedicated volunteer prior to his officiation.
On November 3, the three directed a group of 20 volunteers from One Roof Foundation, Seattle Kraken, Amazon, and Seattle Parks Foundation to plant dozens of ferns, shrubs, trees, and more. A few special guests also joined us on the ground, including Seattle Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer and their beloved mascot, Buoy! In a portion of the greenbelt that was once overcome with invasive Himalayan blackberry and English ivy, you can now find young, healthy western red cedars, western hemlocks, and understory plants rooted in the soil by our city’s favorite sea troll and goaltender.
Thanks to the guidance of our Green Seattle Partnership Forest Stewards, volunteers from One Roof Foundation, the Seattle Kraken, and Amazon, we left the East Duwamish Greenbelt a little bit greener than we found it. We’re grateful to Amazon for providing us with the western hemlocks that were planted at the greenbelt, proud of the partnership between One Roof Foundation and Tree Equity Network, and greatly appreciative of Philipp and Buoy for making the time to volunteer on-site and help plant trees!
Green Seattle Partnership regularly hosts restoration parties at the East Duwamish Greenbelt every third Saturday of the month from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. Dedicate a morning to volunteering with Chris, Gerry, and Alex and register for an upcoming event here.
Scroll to view more moments captured during our successful day of service and partnership with One Roof Foundation, the Seattle Kraken, and Amazon!
All photos courtesy of Eric Hiller.
