Come bless this creek from its end to its beginning south of Kuboto Garden and along the way. Someday we envision this creek will be completely daylighted. How is connecting deeply to place and to beautiful (& often ignored) natural splendor connected to our own health and well-being as residents of this neighborhood? What is the ecological reason? How is nature honored in other traditions? At 8:45 on the morning of Saturday, April 27, 2024, we’ll gather with people from various traditions to learn about their perspectives on nature and water and how it is regarded and/or venerated. In addition to Ashley Townes, other speakers will be Kosho Itagaki, a Soto Zen priest and chief priest of Eishoji, a Soto Zen training facility in Rainier Beach, Tetsuzen Jason Wirth, a Soto Zen Priest and docent at Kubota Garden, Reverend Judith Laxer, a licensed, Ordained SHES (Spiritual Healers and Earth Stewards) Minister and Priestess, Armaye Eshete and Nagessa Dube of Serve Ethiopians Washington, a group that has been cleaning litter and non-native species from the creek’s riparian zone in the park. The skunk cabbage is out now and the creek looks beautiful. Plan to meet near the restrooms. If raining we will be under the new shelter near the restrooms. Tetsuzen Jason Wirth will also discuss the creek, and efforts to protect it, in the context of ecological reason as articulated in a new essay published in the journal Research in Phenomenology, entitled: “Affordances: on Luminous Abodes and Ecological Reason.” Nagessa Dube will talk about indigenous traditions in Ethiopia as related to water and nature. This should be a remarkable event. I am grateful to work on such an important task in the neighborhood in which I live and with such dedicated, committed individuals.

Experience tradition and learn about our environment at the Serve Ethiopians Coffee Ceremony! Join us for an engaging and enlightening event designed to enhance community awareness and understanding of our local ecosystems and water bodies. Come savor authentic Ethiopian coffee, connect with your community, and discover more about the environmental efforts protecting our natural surroundings. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to blend culture with environmental education, right here in our community!