A search committee has been formed for the person who will ultimately manage
Seattle's urban bird and other wild plant and animal habitats along with the
city's environmental education facilities and programming i.e. the new
superintendent of Parks. The committee will accept input as to what
qualities the citizens would want in the new superintendent. See below my
comments for tonight's meeting and Monday's meeting details and internet
input options. I urge everyone that cares about maintaining oases of nature
in Seattle and quality environmental education programs and facilities to
attend a meeting or give the committee input.


There are meetings tonight (Tuesday) and the following Monday to hear input.
Sorry for the last minute post for tonight's meeting. The times and places
are below and my comments follow and the note on the subject from the mayors
office follows that:

Tuesday, May 15, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center, 6535 Ravenna Ave. N.E.

Monday, May 21, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Van Asselt Community Center, 2820 S. Myrtle St.

An online questionaire can be filled in at
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=445043769500,
See details below my comments.


The Seattle Parks Department has essentially 2 halves: - natural areas,
environmnetal ed facilities and programming on one half; and recreation
(especially sports) facilities and programming on the other half. Until we
split it into 2 separate departments we need a department head that not only
appreciates sports and sports facilities, but also has a love of nature and
a background in protecting habitat in one way or another. If Seattle is to
fulfill its potential for environmental stewardship and its potential for
fostering environmental stewardship in its population we will need the next
superintendent to be someone that understands and values the wealth of our
natural heritage in the parks with its diversity of native plant and animal
species. He / She should value the wildness of the parks and understand
that the plants and animals that are among the less common and more precious
need wilder, less manicured spaces. He / She should understand the
importance to all citizens, especially those that don't often get out into
the wilder areas of having some wildness and richer natural habitats in the
city. He / she should understand that for the citizens to maintain mental
and physical health oases of nature that citizens can be renewed be seeing
and being in are critical. He / She should also understand the value of the
quality of educational facilities and environmental programming that the
department does and its importance to fostering environmental stewardship in
the population. This environmental stewardship ethic will effect the birds,
other organisms and all of the people throughout the state and beyond.

While to some the word "environment" means all of those things, to others it
means clean water and air and using less water and energy and planting more
trees and may have nothing to do with native biodiversity and wilder spaces
and wilder habitat in the city.

Here is a the specific quote from the mayors office of what he is looking
for a new member of the Parks Board. Though it may reflect what the mayor's
office thinks Board is missing, I'm afraid that it may be more how they see
the Parks Department and may be what they are also looking for in a
superintendent:
"Candidates should have a strong interest in youth programs, aquatics, or
community recreation centers. ..."

While I support youth programs, aquatics and community recreation centers, I
was dismayed that nature has been completely left out of this. Urban youth
especially need exposure to nature. Aquatics need to specifically include
frogs, fishes, salamanders and Yellow Pond Lilies. Swimming with these is
a much richer and healthier experience than swimming in a chlorine filled
pool in a chlorine filled room.

Stewart Wechsler
Ecological Consulting
West Seattle
206 932-7225
ecostewart at quidnunc.net

-Advice on the most site-appropriate native plants
and how to enhance habitat for the maximum diversity
of plants and animals
-Educational programs, nature walks and field trips
-Botanical Surveys



-----Original Message-----

City of Seattle NEWS RELEASE
Gregory J. Nickels, Mayor


For immediate release May 8, 2007

Contact: Marty McOmber, 206.684.8358 or 206.423.4541 (cell)
martin.mcomber at seattle.gov

Mayor seeks community input on new Parks Superintendent
Search committee to hold community meetings

SEATTLE ? Mayor Greg Nickels is inviting the public to weigh in on the
qualities and experience needed for a new Seattle Parks and Recreation
Superintendent as the official search to replace former superintendent Ken
Bounds gets under way.

?Ken had a remarkable career and left a big hole to fill,? Nickels said. ?I
look forward to the next superintendent building on Ken?s legacy and
dedication to public service.?

This month the mayor?s 12-member superintendent search committee will hold
two meetings to hear from community members:

Tuesday, May 15, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center, 6535 Ravenna Ave. N.E.

Monday, May 21, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Van Asselt Community Center, 2820 S. Myrtle St.

Those who wish to comment, but who can?t attend one of the meetings, are
encouraged to fill out a brief questionnaire, either online at
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=445043769500, or in person at any Parks
Recreation Center.

The committee will consider the community input from the meetings and
questionnaires to help formulate its recommendations to the mayor on a new
Parks and Recreation Superintendent.

-more-

Mayor seeks community input on new Parks Superintendent
May 8, 2007
Pg. 2 of 2

Seattle Parks and Recreation Superintendent
Search Committee Members

Bill Arntz, former chair of the Board of Park Commissioners and former
Seattle Aquarium director
Bruce Bentley, former Park Board chair, West Seattle recreation supporter
David Brewster, founder of Seattle Weekly and Town Hall
Margaret Ceis, former Park Board chair and member of the Arboretum Botanical
Garden Committee
Gene Duvernoy, president of Cascade Land Conservancy
James Fearn, former Park Board member and general counsel for the Seattle
Housing Authority
Andrea John-Smith, fund development and communications officer for Impact
Capital and consultant to the Columbia City Revitalization Committee
John Masterjohn, business manager for Local 1239, Public Service and
Industrial Employees
Kate Pflaumer, immediate past Park Board chair and former U.S. attorney
Joyce Pisnanont, program director for Wilderness Inter-City Leadership
Development at the International District Housing Alliance
Ron Sher, owner of Third Place Books and a member of the board of directors
of Project for Public Spaces
Chris Towne, member of the board of directors of the Seattle Parks
Foundation.

For more information on the search process, please call Adams Consulting at
(425) 485-9405.

Visit the mayor?s web site at www.seattle.gov/mayor. Get the mayor?s inside
view on initiatives to promote transportation, public safety, economic
opportunity and healthy communities by signing up for The Nickels Newsletter
at www.seattle.gov/mayor/newsletter_signup.htm

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