Now an independent nonprofit, Puyallup Watershed Initiative to bring more environmental programs, activities to area

In November, a pair of Lakeridge Middle School students ventured to Swan Creek Park in Tacoma as part of their science class.

There, the students got up close and personal with nature and worked closely with University of Washington researchers for hands-on environmental education.

The trip was possible, thanks to the Science Education through Authentic Research Collaboration with Higher-Education program (SEARCH). The SEARCH program is supported by the Puyallup Watershed Initiative, which aims to “improve social and environmental conditions throughout the region, which comprises more than 1,000 square miles from Mount Rainier to Commencement Bay.”

“The SEARCH program works to engage students (in hands-on research)...I think what’s really great about this is it brings all the environmental education players together,” said Jennifer Chang, Puyallup Watershed Initiative acting director.

And now, local school districts and communities will be seeing more of these programs. As of January, the Puyallup Watershed Initiative became an independent nonprofit organization.

The Puyallup Watershed Initiative was first launched in 2012 by the Russell Family Foundation, which funds “local, regional, and global change through community investment in causes including resources for grassroots leaders, environmental sustainability, and global peace.” After five years of development, the initiative was ready to move off on its own and become a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. The foundation issued $1,885,400 in grants to support PWI’s mission of connecting local communities to their environment.

“It’s not about how many experts you can get in the room, it’s about how people connect to their environment,” said Henry Izumizaki, strategy director at The Russell Family Foundation. “We’re really trying to change the way people look at where they live and how they can actually get into a new learning environment — how they can actually be a part of change.”

But the Puyallup Watershed Initiative is about more than just environmental education. The initiative identifies problems and solutions at the community level first. This is done through “Communities of Interest.” In the initiative, there are six of them:

• Active Transportation
• Agriculture
• Environmental Education
• Forests
• Industrial Stormwater
• Just and Healthy Food System

“We really hope that our new independent structure will allow us to grow and do more projects across the Communities of Interest,” Chang said.

The hope is the nonprofit status will give PWI more freedom to engage in new partnerships with other organizations as well as individual community members, Chang added. PWI also wants to strengthen its partnerships with Green Cities, which aim to maintain natural open spaces and healthy ecosystems in the community. The city of Puyallup is a Green City.

For those interested in getting involved, PWI supports activities such as tree planting and has more information at pwi.org.

“We have a really good opportunity to grow the initiative and create something that’s really community-based and community-driven and that’s reflective of people who live and play here in the watershed,” Chang said.

This story was originally published January 30, 2018 at 12:00 PM with the headline "Now an independent nonprofit, Puyallup Watershed Initiative to bring more environmental programs, activities to area."