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Amidst all the talk about commercial zoning, street resurfacing and development codes, Mike Stone and his colleagues in the Spokane Valley Parks and Recreation Department are thinking green.
The prioritization of parks, trails and other greenspace is at or near the top of the agenda for Stone, who took over as the city’s parks director last year. Last Saturday, at Spokane Valley’s inaugural “Spring Into Action” event, an educational festival centered around themes like recycling, saving energy and planting trees, Stone talked about the importance of the city devoting land for the preservation and development of open space.
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| Spokane Valley Parks Director Mike Stone (left) joined City Council Member Rose Dempsey and Wattson the Energy Dog at last Saturday’s “Spring into Action” environmental education day at Mirabeau Point Park. |
“From my perspective, this city is woefully short of parks,” Stone said. “I want to do everything I an to keep that in the forefront of what the city of Spokane Valley is doing. It’s vital that we educate the public about the value that parks and recreation can bring to our quality of life.”
Scheduled during the environmentally conscious month of April when events like Arbor Day and Earth Day are observed, Spokane Valley’s city-sponsored green day at Mirabeau Point Park included the ceremonial planting of a tree, informational booths featuring nonprofit groups such as the Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency and companies like Earthworks Recycling Inc. The agenda also included educational activities and distribution of free tree seedlings.
“It’s important that the city provide an example of what we can do for the environment,” said Spokane Valley City Council Member Rose Dempsey, who helped plant a tree at the beginning of the day. “It’s going to take more effort on the part of all of us.”
Both Stone and Dempsey pointed to cases of natural parcels in the Spokane area – such as Dishman Hills and Manito Park – that were set aside years ago and are now being utilized by current generations. In the case of Dishman Hills, a group of concerned citizens first met at University High School to discuss the possibility of preserving the property. Later, some 5,000 signatures were gathered and presented to the Spokane County commissioners, leading the initial purchase of 80 acres.
“Dishman Hills would have been lost without that effort,” Dempsey said. “We have people who have taken up the cause in the past – now we need others to step forward. The City Council can’t do it all.”
Stone, who worked as the parks director for the city of Spokane before being hired by Spokane Valley, said the foresight of Spokane developers in the early 20th century helped secure land that was later developed into parks.
“They thought it was important,” he said.
At the Spokane Clean Air booth, Simone Ramel, a spokeswoman for the agency, talked about ways average citizens can improve the air quality where they live. From respecting restrictions against outdoor burning to turning vehicles off in no-idle zones, Ramel said community awareness continues to be a key in safeguarding the atmosphere.
“We tend to take good air for granted,” Ramel said. “A lot of it is education. Most people aren’t aware of how they can improve air quality.”
The organization, celebrating its 40th anniversary in the Inland Northwest this year, provides a free tipline at 477-4727 for residents to report violations. A Web site – www.spokanecleanair.org – features insight on a variety of topics including the dangers of asbestos, advice about composting and an overview of green cleaning products that improve indoor air quality.
Attendees who dropped by the Earthworks Recycling booth learned about the wide range of items – from vehicle batteries to refrigerators – that can be recycled along with traditional products like newspapers and aluminum cans.
The paradigm shift from disposable to reusable not only reduces the level of a local landfill, it lessens the impact on the environment, said Savana Schrock of Earthworks.
“Before you go to throw something away, recycle or reuse it or buy another product that doesn’t require it to be thrown away,” said Schrock.
While the crowd at the April 18 festival didn’t break any attendance records, Stone said he is hopeful that the event will become a staple on the area ecological calendar.
“It takes a while to build up a tradition,” he said. “We would like to expand the concept of Arbor Day and environmental awareness. A lot of it is about how the city conducts operations, making sure we’re good stewards of parks and the environment.”
Want to find out more?
To learn more about Earthworks Recycling Inc., visit www.EarthworksRecycling.com or call 534-1638. This Saturday, April 25, a Spring Composting Fair will be held at the Finch Arboretum, just west of downtown Spokane, off Interstate 90 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Spokane County residents who complete a green educational program receive a free compost bin. To learn more, call the Recycling Hotline at 625-6800.
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By
Craig Howard
