The hike is full, but there’s still drop-in availability for the 3pm panel discussion at the Duwamish Longhouse.
Join Southwest Seattle Historical Society and West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails Group for a guided hike followed by an oral history panel program highlighting the tribal, residential, industrial, political and ecological history of Seattle’s largest contiguous forest.
Saturday, April 22
1 pm – Hike to Pigeon Point Park (moderate to strenuous)
1:30 pm – Hike to heʔapus Village Park (easiest)
3 pm – Panel at Longhouse
Both hikes depart from the Duwamish Longhouse. The panel includes Kersti Muul, conservationist, Tom Rasmussesn, former City Council Member, Ken Workman, Duwamish Tribe Councilmember and longtime residents. We invite YOU to bring your own stories and artifacts associated with the Greenbelt to share!
Duwamish Tribe Longhouse and Cultural Center
4705 W Marginal Way SW, Seattle, WA 98106
Kersti Muul is an urban conservation specialist, wildlife first-responder, science educator and frequent contributor to local and national media. She concentrates on the intersectionality of wildlife and urban spaces, in particular the human-induced impacts on remaining natural spaces and the structural and political challenges that arise for both people and remaining biodiversity. Kersti participates in collaborative and independent research projects focusing on how adverse climate events, urban heat islands, tree-canopy loss, rodenticides, avian flu and urban development impact birds and people. She is a former Consulting Utility Specialist and arborist and continues her involvement in urban arboriculture. She was recently appointed to Seattle’s Urban Forestry Commission; Position One – Wildlife Biologist. The UFC advises CIty Council and the Mayor on issues regarding our urban forests. Kersti empowers, educates and builds the community through independent outreach and monitoring using her evocative photography, leading community science projects for local non-profits, running two advocacy listservs, and publishing both reported and opinion stories in various media.
Kersti has a deep and unique connection to the West Duwamish Greenbelt. She was born and raised in a natural area within the greenbelt. Her father worked in an underground research lab located there, in exchange for housing for their family. Her experiences as a child profoundly impacted her, and in great part made her who she is today. Inspired by the urban wild spaces and animals that surrounded her as a child, she is now a fierce advocate for them.
Tom Rasmussen has worked for preservation and acquisition of greenbelts, parks and open spaces in Seattle for decades. He was a member of the of the Queen Anne Community Council from 1985-1989 where he led tree planting, greenbelt acquisition and park development efforts.
At the same time he was Legislative Assistant to Seattle City Councilmember Jeanette Williams. Williams was a strong advocate for parks and open spaces and protection of the hillside greenbelts in West Seattle, Queen Anne and other neighborhoods.
Williams work to protect greenbelts is chronicled on page 156 in the 1987 publication West Side Story. Tom and Williams were photographed with Betty Leary an owner of greenbelt property in West Seattle who was not supportive of the land use legislation which would have significantly limited her ability to develop her property.
In 2003 Tom was elected to the Seattle City Council. As the Chair of the Parks and Seattle Center Committee he led the development of the voter approved levy which raised $145,000,000 for the Parks Department. The funding included $36,000,000 for neighborhood park and green space acquisitions.
After twelve years and three terms on the City Council Tom happily retired at the end of 2015. He is deeply grateful and honored for being elected three times and views serving the people of Seattle his time on the City Council as a privilege. He has lived in West Seattle for over twenty years with his husband Clayton.
Ken Workman Ken is a Native American from the Duwamish Tribe and 5th generation Grandson of Chief Seattle. He retired from The Boeing Company’s Flight Operations Engineering Group in 2015 where he worked as a Systems and Data Analyst. He is a Council member of the Duwamish tribe and Board President of Duwamish Tribal Services, the non-profit arm of the Duwamish Tribe. Ken can be found throughout the city from Town Halls to Universities speaking his indigenous language. Ken lives in Seattle with his wife professor emeriti BJ Bullert PhD.A
Registration for this event includes either hike and the panel program. Light refreshments will be provided before the panel begins. Space is limited.
This project is funded in part by a Food Equity Fund award from Seattle Department of Neighborhoods.
This program is generously supported by Seattle Department of Neighborhoods.
