About Soil Health & Justice Initiative (SHJI)
The Soil Health & Justice Initiative formed as a collaboration between community activists, urban gardeners, farmers, and University of Washington scientists working to address the legacy of soil contamination in King County. Since 2020, collaborative stewardship of the SHJI led by Sustainable Seattle (S2) and core partners has focused on environmental data collection, community listenting, and partnership building.
Based on community feedback, concerns, and interests, as well as our own experiences and observations, we are moving into our next season of environmental justice work. In this current phase, we will welcome a more formal coalition that will focus on learning and sharing simple and practical actions that promote healthy soil, clean water, and climate resilience at individual, neighborhood, and watershed scales.
SHJI Core Partners
Basilica Bio
Basilica Bio (BB) is an education-minded, action-oriented, community organization focused on promoting health equity through their programming. They aim to make knowledge of our soils more accessible through development of educational materials that can be used to support deeper, more intersectional conversations both in-classroom and in community.
Black star Farmers
Black Star Farmers (BSF) is a founder of the SHJI. Their mission is to secure the liberation of all beings through land sovereignty, food sovereignty, and self-determination. We work towards this mission through collective land stewardship, mutual aid, popular education, and direct action.
sustainable Seattle
Sustainable Seattle (S2) has been the operational and logistical anchor for the SHJI project. We are excited to move towards stewarding a coalition dedicated to activating organizations, community, and individuals towards simple actions that build community and climate resilience.
Beacon Food Forest
Beacon Food Forest (BFF) is a literal and metaphorical anchor for community led land stewardship. In their words, they “work to dismantle an unjust food system rooted in white supremacy and conquest by nurturing is replacement, already alive and ready to grow.”
Coalition Mission
Preliminary Mission of the Coalion:
The Soil Health and Justice Coalition supports community organizers to be catalysts for climate resilience. Through understanding our collective and individual roles in earth systems at hyperlocal and broad scales, the SHJI Coalition will support the community integrating actions that improve soil health, water quality, and climate resilience into their community resilience work.
Intentional, integrated care of our communities and earth resources is environmental justice.
Collaborators & Community
We’re looking forward to updating this section soon!
Learn more & join the SHJI community
“I know [environmental contamination] is in my neighborhood, but I’m not sure what that means for me or my garden.” -community member March 2025
SHJI Happenings
We are planning two related event series. The Community Conversations will be open to everyone while the Coalition meetings will be for the 2025+ Coaliation cohort. In addition, individual events will be posted here. Hope to see you soon!
May 1, Thur.
11am – 2pm
SHJI Coalition Interest Meeting
Join for lunch, a presentation on the plans and timeline for the Coalition and meet follow Coalition Members!
Early June
Public
SHJI Coalition presents
Community Conversations
Join your community for discussions on local environmental issues & practical actions you can take towards climate resilience!
We’re hoping for a quarterly series. Stay tuned!
