The Stewardship Mapping Project (STEW-MAP): Seattle

Many efforts are underway to map and catalog stewardship efforts. These projects seek to understand the aggregate impacts of disparate positive actions people are taking all over the Seattle metropolitan area: what we call the ‘stewardship footprint’. In 2012 a STEW-MAP project was undertaken in Seattle and surrounding King County to catalog efforts and better understand their impacts. A directory of the over 700 organizations conducting stewardship was compiled. Organizations were then invited to take part in the STEW-MAP survey reporting information about their stewardship activities, partners, and organizations. Nearly 200 organizations responded. Their data was synthesized and mapped to produce geographic representations of stewardship in the region. This work provided a general view of networks amongst environmental stewardship actors in the region.

While this initial Seattle STEW-MAP project looked at civic stewardship aiding the environment in the public realm, other efforts are underway looking at stewardship activities on private property in rural, residential, undeveloped, and agricultural lands. A potential gap in understanding is the yet unexplored corresponding impact of stewardship and greening in highly urban and rapidly developing landscapes. Stewardship efforts to include nature and greening in urban development can assist in  improving human health and well-being, improving water quality and fish habitat, benefiting local sound and visual aesthetics, and addressing environmental justice inequities. However current greening policies are highly variable, and stewardship motives and effectiveness are poorly understood. We are considering these topics as the next focus of exploration. Questions or interest in these topics in the Seattle area – contact us!