By Gary Olson, DEI Committee Chair and Treasurer

Recently Thornton Creek Alliance (TCA) has formed a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee. 

The Thornton Creek Watershed, whose northern fork originates in Shoreline, is the largest watershed in Seattle. It includes a very diverse population covering age, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, income, etc. 

TCA is dedicated to improving and protecting our creek and watershed. We also know that Environmental Justice (EJ) is an important part of any project in our watershed and especially in underserved communities. EJ is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.

We realize that to accomplish our goals we must connect with all members of our community. We also realize that there are populations in our community that are not represented in our organization and on our board. We believe that we must make every effort to reach out to those not represented and learn how best to welcome them into our organization. 

With this in mind we have formed the DEI committee to develop plans and take action to engage those under-represented. We are soliciting help from within and outside of our organization. As a committee we are dedicated to exploring and implementing ways to encourage and support the underserved community as part of the effort to improve and protect our watershed for all of us. We especially are reaching out to the youth in this community to build their awareness of the creek and offer programs where they can learn and participate in improving the watershed environment. 

If you are interested in supporting or learning more about this program, please contact Gary Olson at Judyandgaryolson@gmail.com. Also if you are aware of resources that could help in this effort, please let us know.