Grad student field trip to La Conner

Seattle-area graduate students took a field trip to La Conner and the Swinomish Reservation last Wednesday and afterward gave the Swinomish Tribe high marks for its focus on environmental protection.

Dubbed the Climate Impacts Group and led by University of Washington research scientist Rishi Sugla, the students met here with tribal leaders for a daylong tour that included a stop at the Swinomish Clam Garden, the first modern version in the country of an ancient form of aquaculture.

The clam garden, located on Kiket Island in Skagit Bay, is designed to provide food for the Swinomish community and promote environmental diversity to fight climate change. Kukutali Preserve, which includes Kiket Island, is co-managed by Swinomish and the state of Washington

The student group was greeted last Wednesday at Kukutali Preserve by tribal senate vice-chair Alana Quintasket and Todd Mitchell, the tribe's environmental protection director.

"This is a very welcoming community," one of the students told the Weekly News. "It's great to be some place where you can see how environmental issues are addressed in real time and in such a beautiful setting."

The group first convened at La Conner Swinomish Library for a morning presentation by Shelly Vendiola, co-founder of and consultant with the Community Engagement & Peacemaking Project.

The students were welcomed by Library Director Jean Markert and Swinomish Tribal Senate chair Steve Edwards.

Markert noted that the library, whose construction was completed two years ago, is solarized.

"About half the roof is solar panels," said Markert. "It makes a big difference this time of year. Our power bill is down from $300 to $70. This is a very efficient building."

Edwards touted the natural beauty here.

"We live on an island," he said of Swinomish Reservation. "The environment is very precious to us. It's our survival."

Edwards said that Swinomish, which in 2007 adopted a formal climate change initiative, has taken the long view when it comes to environmental planning.

"These are plans that we've been working on for many years," he said. "We recognize the importance of planning and thank you for being willing to learn about the Swinomish people and history here. There's lots of history here."

Edwards said the group's visit to Kukutali would speak volumes to them about the priority placed by Swinomish upon environmental preservation.

The clam garden, for instance, is protected by a rock wall that runs parallel to the shoreline, creating a terrace providing clam habitat with the right conditions for intertidal species to thrive even as sea conditions change.

As a result, biodiversity is increased as crabs, sea cucumbers, sea urchins and kelp are protected.

Swinomish Shellfish Community liaison Joe Williams has described the tribe's two-year-old clam garden project as a way of "looking to our ancestors' playbook on how to adapt to climate change."

Edwards told the grad students that seeing is believing.

"Once you get out there," he said, "you'll understand why it's so important to us – why we protect it. It's home to us."

Vendiola outlined the indigenous environmental movement in the Puget Sound region, one that was led in its early stages by the late Billy Frank, Jr., whose image is carved on a statue in the National Statuary Hall in the nation's capital.

Vendiola said the climate students would learn much at the clam garden.

"Education," she stressed, "doesn't stop at the four-walled classroom."

Vendiola emphasized that the Swinomish climate adaptation plan is ongoing.

"We're doing a lot of educating, working with groups like yours," she said. "We would rather educate and work together than litigate."

Vendiola said an emerging push for climate justice is founded upon the key values of compassion, connection, continuity and community.

The environmental cause, she said, requires a commitment to protect the well-being of everyone. She likened that to the Native American traditions of gifting and reciprocity.

"Wealth," said Vendiola, "is defined by how much we give – including our time."

And for the University of Washington and Seattle University students taking notes last week, their visit here was indeed time well spent.