Green Infrastructure Partnership (GrIP)
Who is GrIP?
The Green Infrastructure Partnership is a group of nonprofits, government agencies, community-based organizations, and businesses that deliver green solutions to stormwater pollution via education, technical assistance, and incentive programs.
What is our goal?
Our goal is to offer networking, education, and collaboration opportunities that bolster voluntary green infrastructure implementation in the Seattle area as an affordable and effective solution for preventing polluted stormwater runoff in Puget Sound.
When do we meet?
The Green Infrastructure Partnership meets on the third Thursday afternoon of each month to offer expert presentations on GSI topics of interest to our participants. We also provide time at each meeting for participants to share news about their project work as well as an opportunity for networking with those present. Meetings are currently being help virtually.
The GrIP Steering Committee Includes:
- John Coghlan, Homegrown Organics
- Jessica Farmer, Seattle Public Utilities
- Jake Harris, Stone Soup Gardens
- Laura Matter, Tilth Alliance
- Alison Schweitzer, King County WLRD
- Katrina Sukola, ICF
Co-Coordinators:
- Amelia Bahr, King County WTD
- Johnson Nguyễn, King County WTD
Upcoming Meeting:
Lake Whatcom Homeowner Incentive Program
May 20th, 2021 from 12-1:30PM
Location: Zoom | Registration required: http://bit.ly/May21GrIP
Lake Whatcom serves as the drinking water reservoir for about 100,000 people living in western Whatcom County. Increased urbanization and other land use practices in and around the lake have caused water quality degradation and has led to a multi-agency management approach to better manage the watershed and restore water quality.
One tool in the toolkit is the Homeowner Incentive Program (HIP). Homeowners that live in the watershed that qualify for HIP can get reimbursed for projects that improve their property and protect the lake. Projects typically include landscape improvement such as replacing lawns with native vegetation, installing stormwater sand filters, infiltration trenches and so on. Since HIP was begun in 2011, more than 200 projects have been completed.
Past Meetings:
GSI for Healthier Public Open Spaces
February 20th, 2020 from 2-4 PM
Location: Gould Hall | 3950 University Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105
Learn about “GSI for Healthier Public Open Spaces”. Hear from students involved in the UW Landscape Architecture Scan | Design Master Studio and their work developing design ideas and typologies to inspire retrofits of streets and urban spaces that employ natural processes to create a more livable district, while solving the area’s stormwater issues and future City water and wastewater demands. Take a look at their designs that are inspired by their experiences traveling abroad to Copenhagen and Malmo. We will also hear from the Capitol Hill EcoDistrict and their ongoing project to improve public space and the experience of all who visit the Capitol Hill neighborhood. Finally, hear from capstone students at the Evan’s School who are working with King County’s DNRP on a GSI master plan for White Center, and exploring GSI messaging to find out what is working and what is falling flat in the public eye.
January 16, 2020 2-4pm
The Blue Side of GSI – Ocean Acidification
Come kick off the new decade of GrIP at EarthLab on the University of Washington’s campus, from 2-4 PM on January 16th. This month’s topic will be “Ocean Acidification and Its Impact on Puget Sound” and we will learn about the connection to polluted stormwater runoff. Attendees will get an overview on the current state of ocean acidification and the challenges we face in combating this issue locally, as well as the impacts on marine life and water quality in the Sound. We will also learn about actions being taken by local stakeholders to quantify mitigation impacts and how we can further engage our local leaders to take action. It is our hope that this topic will help us think holistically about the ecosystems in Puget Sound and the interconnectedness of stormwater management, polluted runoff, and the overall quality of our water bodies.
Our sincere thanks to EarthLab for leading efforts on this topic by hosting the Washington Ocean Acidification Center and providing space for this meeting )
Location: Earth Labs | 909 NE Boat Street, 2nd Floor Conference Room, Seattle, WA
2019
December 19, 2019 2-4pm
Telling your GSI Story
Location – Resource Media, 925 4th Ave., 20th floor (Room 20K)
Come join the last GrIP meeting of the decade! This month’s topic is “telling your GSI story” and we invite all of you to show up ready to share a story of your own. To help, we will enlist Communications expert and managing director at Resource Media, Sian Wu, who will provide a short presentation on messaging around GSI and research-based guidance on what works and what doesn’t. Then we will open the floor for attendees to share their own stories of GSI. Extra accolades for stories with a clear arc (beginning, middle and end), a strong hook within the first 20 seconds of your story, and a clear call to action to close on. Bonus points for stories that follow Sian’s tips. At the end we will take a confidential vote or text poll and award the top storyteller with the first ever GrIP gift bag.
The December GrIP meeting is also our annual social, so no one goes home empty bellied. The GrIP holiday social is a potluck style sharing of refreshments, desserts and snacks while we re-connect with friends and colleagues old and new. All in the name of supporting the voluntary adoption of green infrastructure. We hope you can join us!
May 30, 2019 2-4pm
Cracking the Code: Maintaing Green Stormwater Infrastructure
One of the most commonly cited barriers to installing green infrastructure like rain gardens and bioswales is how to maintain them over time. We’ll take a trip to the model City of Shoreline, the first city in the region to apply for Salmon-Safe certification. Shoreline has a decade of experience successfully maintaining roadside rain gardens and other innovative structures like the gorgeous 1.3-acre stormwater wetland in Cromwell Park. Wear comfortable shoes and pack some snacks. We will stroll to project sites to soak up secrets from the experts in this forward-thinking city.
Location: Cromwell Park, Shoreline WA (Rain location: Shoreline Library)
June 20, 2019 2-4pm
Diversity in Seattle GSI: Challenges and Opportunities
Jo Sullivan of King County and Joycelyn Chui and her colleagues at ECOSS will present case studies and information about how RainWise and GSI efforts in general can extend beyond their usual boundaries and provide a positive impact for all our communities and neighborhoods.
Location: The Co Lam Temple, 3503 S Graham St
(Snacks will be vegetarian only)
Donations accepted for the Temple for hosting the event.
September 19th, 2019 2-4pm
Planting Rain Gardens for Success!
Join City People’s Garden Store and the Green Infrastructure Partnership for in depth exploration of Rain Garden plants. Laura Matter of the Garden Hotline at Tilth Alliance and Jake Harris of Stone Soup Gardens will lead an in depth class on optimal plants for rain gardens. This discussion will highlight the dos and don’ts of planting rain gardens for stormwater management, wildlife habitat, food production and beauty. Light snacks will be provided, and all attendees will receive a 20 % off coupon to City Peoples garden store.
Thursday, November 21st, 2019, 2:00 – 4:00pm
Research on Green Infrastructure at WSU’s Puyallup Research and Extension Center
WSU Center – Puyallup Room
Hear an update on the latest research being done at WSU’s Research Center relating to Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI). The Center is home to the Washington Stormwater Center and associated Low Impact Development (LID) research installations and houses multiple world class research and extension programs as well as much of the leadership for their many statewide Extension and outreach programs
2017 Meeting Topics and Speakers
January – City Habitats: Why Puget Sound Needs Our Help – with Christin Hilton of the Nature Conservancy
February – no monthly meeting due to the Green Infrastructure Summit
March – GSI Progress Report for City of Seattle – with Pam Emerson, Office of Sustainability & Environment
April – GSI & Community Development: a Tool for Environmental Justice – In this presentation, you will hear: A panel discussion with Community organizers using Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) as a tool for Environmental Justice. Panelists will share their experience working in Georgetown, South Park, Yesler Terrace, and Kent, presenting on projects that include rain gardens, cisterns, green screens, and depaving. Participants are welcome to come with questions about methods for involving community in GSI projects and strategies for meeting community needs and interests while developing a green infrastructure project.
May – Thinking “Inside the box”: A look at innovative, modular bioretention solutions: In this presentation, you will hear: A handful of case studies featuring lined, boxed, and/or enclosed bioretention technologies that have been implemented in our region. Presenters will provide an overview of the systems they have worked with, share current concerns, and discuss how to select the best option for different types of sites. We think this presentation will be of interest to participants with specific, technical questions, and those looking to add some versatile and effective green infrastructure options to their tool box!
June – Turning a Mall Parking Lot into a Walkable Green Infrastructure Community: Before Northgate Mall was built in the 1950s, it was the headwaters of Thornton Creek, a salmon-spawning stream. The I-5 highway cut off the headwaters, putting the stream into a pipe. In 2013, a new development turned 6 acres of asphalt parking lot into Seattle’s first LEED Silver neighborhood, with 387 apartments, senior housing, a medical center, stores and restaurants, as well as a lush green bioswale that filters runoff pollution before it can reach the creek.
September – Rain Drops & Roof Crops!: Tour the UpGarden with Designer Nicole Kistler. The UpGarden is the nation’s first community rooftop garden and Seattle’s Premier rooftop P-Patch! This is a great chance to hear about its design, implementation and benefits to rain water management. Attendees are invited to come with questions and ideas to share about expanding the adoption of roof cropping as a tool for green infrastructure development.
October – Woodland Park Zoo: The Woodland Park Zoo (WPZ) is known for pushing the envelope on low impact development, and GrIP is excited to partner with them for our October meeting! Come learn about how WPZ has creatively and innovatively introduced stormwater management into the design of their exhibits and facilities. We’ll start with a short presentation, followed by a tour of a selection of green infrastructure projects, including the Zoomazium green roof and the Humbolt Penguin Exhibit
November – Joint meeting with Green Tools / Sustainable Cities Roundtable: Please join Island Press author Rebecca Wodder and the Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development’s Executive Director Arthur Johnson for a conversation about how to build community resilience to climate-driven water challenges – and build natural and social capital in the process.
December – Little Brook Open Space / GSI Nexus – Join us for a conversation on the nexus of open space and green infrastructure! This month we will be joined by Sean M. Watts, Director of Community Partnerships at the Seattle Parks Foundation, as well as some guest panelists. Sean will be sharing more about his work in Little Brook, and discussing opportunities he sees to provide communities with benefits, amenities, and services that they identify and desire by leveraging stormwater and water quality as a funding lever. Let’s talk about how to make green infrastructure into an engine for community green space, without losing sight of the community’s own vision and needs!