I don’t have to go far to see that the world is changing. In fact, I barely need to take a step.
Right outside the window in downtown Snoqualmie, as I speak, there’s an electric vehicle charging station, stall and all. It didn’t exist a few months ago, but now, the electronics are switched on and, for a price, it’s ready to charge your car.
All it needs are customers. The Volkswagen parked there now isn’t plugged in. When the “No Parking: Reserved for Customers” sign went up, it drew a few angry looks from drivers hoping to park in front of our building. But there’s plenty of parking in downtown Snoqualmie, most days, if you know where to look, so I won’t begrudge the little station its due. This, after all, is the wave of the future.
With the 42nd Earth Day upon us, it’s worth taking a moment to consider the Valley and its environment. You don’t have to go far off the beaten path around here to discover some unsubtle signs of the times. Drive up to Lake Alice, and see 40 years worth of abandoned cars and litter, dumped off a cliff to be someone else’s problem. Drive over to the vanished mill town of Riverside, on Reinig Road, and you’ll see how the lots are being reclaimed by nature—but also how much of that ‘nature’ is a noxious, human-caused invader, English ivy. Plants like Japanese knotweed, Himalayan blackberry and ivy are amazingly pervasive, unnatural to this area, but are almost unstoppable.
And yet, for every mistake we make—every dumped car, planted weed, every wasteful act—we all have the power to correct it. Today, I’m amazed at all the positive things we can do for the health of our Valley and environment, not just on Earth Day, but all the time.
Get involved
This coming weekend, there are three local events in which people are gathering to plant trees and generally ‘go green.’ First, on Friday, April 20, the Snoqualmie Tribe hosts an Earth Day party at Sandy Cove Park with interpretive walks and plenty of booths. At 11:45 a.m. Saturday, April 21, Arbor Day plantings are happening in several neighborhoods in Snoqualmie. At 10 a.m., Carnation’s Stillwater Wildlife Area also hosts a tree planting event.
Do your part
It’s getting increasingly easy to lighten your impact on the world. Recycling options for materials like yard waste, metal cans or paper are growing ever-easier in Valley cities. If you don’t have a blue bin, King County has committed to keeping open the Cedar Falls recycling station just outside of North Bend, which is free to use. There’s also a special recycling event, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 28, at Snoqualmie Middle School. I’ve taken my old junk to this event in the past, and it’s a quick, cheap way to clean out the garage. There are also plenty of charities in the Valley, such as Re-In-Carnation and the Mount Si Senior Center thrift store, that can give your older stuff a new life.
Teach the next generation
It’s never too soon to start showing young people the importance of a healthy city and healthy world. Those Earth Day events I mention above are specifically designed to bring children, teens and parents together to help our environment. While hiking, planting trees, exploring your surroundings, your family will bond, and you’ll all get a satisfying, healthy work-out in the bargain.
