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 Happenings on our main Events page
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!
The Herons Nest
In 2026, the Heron’s Nest joined the Community Catalyst Coalition and remains a collaborator and partner for S2 and the region, practicing, advocating, and educating around reciprocity, care, and love of the land and each other.
Malaya Farms
Farmer and weaver, Cly, stewards Malaya Farms and first joined this work as a guest speaker in 2025. They continued in the Community Catalyst Coalition in 2026 and are an ongoing partner and collaborator, regularly sharing their harvest in community.
Trillium Sustainability
Trillium Sustainability joined a 2025 series event as a gues speaker before joining the Community Catalyst Coalition in 2026. Trillium brings stewardship, justice, and culture creation to our work and region.
Yeawa
Farmer, truth teller, and weaver, Yeawa joined the Community Catalyst Coalition in 2026. They bring deep connection and roots to the land and a network of local Black farmers and land stewards as well as a deep practice of reciprocity and curiosity.
Braided Seeds
In 2026, the Braided Seeds joined the Community Catalyst Coalition and remains a collaborator and partner for S2 and the region, removing barriers to the outdoors for Black Indigenous and People of Color.
Chioma
In 2026, Chioma joined the Community Catalyt Coalition and continues collaborating on creative, grounded practices of reconnecting to land and community, with joy and artistry.
Khalil
Khalil is a long time partner in community engagement on soil health through their work at BFF and as an individual. Khalil was a co-visionary of the 2026-2027 Community Catalyst for Soil Health and Climate Resilience project.
Vedika
Vedika first joined this work in 2025 through curiosity, then an internship and researcher, then a staff member and co-lead for the Community Catalyst Coalition in the summer of 2026. She continues advocating, exploring, and deeping a practice of community integrated health & justice work.
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
this calendar is sunsetting ~ go to EVENTS for updates
We are continuing our dual seires, Public Community Conversations vs Coalition Member meeting, howvever events will ALL be posted on the main event page. This event page is sunsetting in 2026 ~ Hope to see you soon!
Sunday
Nov 8
11a – 3p
~
Kubota Forest
Community Event: Community Catalysts for Soil Health & Climate Resillience
Tending a Remnant Forest in Seattle
Join Sustainable Seattle, Trillium Sustainability, and Green Seattle Partnership during Seattle’s Forest Week and practice tending the Kubota Forest, learn skills and approaches, and witness the beauty od culture shift and restoring and transforming our shared relationship to the land!
Sunday
Sept 27
~
Kubota Forest
Community Event: Community Catalysts for Soil Health & Climate Resillience
Equinox with Trillium Sustainability
In partnership with the Community Catalyst Coalition, S2 is joining Trillium Sustainablity for an equinox celebration within Kubota Forest at the headwaters of Mapes Creek.
NEW DATE
Sunday
Sept 13
12-3p
Othello-UW Commons
Community Event: Community Catalysts for Soil Health & Climate Resillience
Community Share Back & Visioning
We’re thrilled to welcome Vedika Bhat, MPH to share back on her research that included partnerships on 5 community programs and focus groups with Urban Community Gardeners in the fall of 2025. Join us to hear about her findings and questions and learn about S2’s work and what is next in our Community Conversations programming!
Address: 4200 S Othello St #124, Seattle ~ RSVP Here ~
Saturday
June 6
11a – 1p
beacon food forest
First Community Event: Community Catalysts for Soil Health & Climate Resillience
Wisdom & Wonder in Community
Join the Community Catalyst conversation during June Bloom at the Beacon Food Forest. We will hold space for an exchange of knowledge, dreams, and questions. This is is our first event in the series and we welcome community to help us shape and direct our efforts related to soil health & climate resilience right where we are!
Thursday
June 18
1 – 3pm
Othello Park/ Playground
2nd Community Event: Community Catalysts for Soil Health & Climate Resilience
Earth Science & Plant Art
Join us for hands on learning about how things get into and out of soil! We’ll also have plant art actvities where you can create and contemplate your connection to earth and community.
Family and youth welcome! rsvp optional
Schools out & we got somethings you can do!
Delayed due to schedule challenges
—
Beacon Food Forest
SHJ Coalition: Community Conversations
Plant Dyes & Paper Making
Join the Soil Health & Justice Coalition for two days of arts as we further explore healthy ways to engage with soil, plant, and water and how our actions can contribute to local remediation efforts and forming a new relationship to the land.
TBD
Saturday
November 15
~
Magnusen Cafe
SHJ Community Conversations #3
Community Gardeners & Urban Farmers
Join us at Magnusen Cafe for our final conversation of this falls Soil Health and Justice Community Conversations. As part of this we will also exchange practices for winter care of our gardens. Capacity ~20, please rsvp
EVENT PASSED
Sunday
Nov 16, 2025
~
Estelitas on Beacon Hill
SHJ Community Conversations: Wrap up
Summary, Data Share, Community Focus Groups & Lunch
We are so excited to invite you to join us! This is a 2 part event: S2 sharing back on SHJ program & data, then guided community focus groupd to hear from you!
Delicious lunch from the amazing Tuesday.
Estelitas ~ 2901 17th Ave S, Seattle
EVENT PASSED
Saturday
October 25
(tabling)
12 – 3pm
~
Heron’s Nest
12 – 9 pm
SHJ Tabling at Nest Fest
SHJ & Heron’s Next
S2 is joining Nest Fest @ The Heron’s Nest to table and share about SHJI and other S2 work. We’re super excited to elevate this event and hope to see you there!
EVENT PASSED
Saturday
October 18
10am – 1 pm
S Dakota St
(west side of Jefferson Park)
SHJ Community Conversations #2
Soil Health & Beacon Food Forest
S2 is joiningg Beacon Food Forest‘s Saturday work party to lead soil sampling – a continuation of community co-designed investigation/remediation. We’re excited for soil sampling demonstration and support, community conversation and exchange, hands on review of safe practices, and sharing what’s next for S2’s SHJ Coalition work!
EVENT PASSED
Saturday
October 11
10am – 12 noon
S Juneau St &
Chief Sealth Trail
SHJ Community Conversations #1
Soil Health & Pumpkin Patch w/
Juneau St Resilience POD
Join S2 and wonderful community partner Juneau Street Reslience Pod, for a day of pumpkins, tasty bites, and soil sampling demonstration!
There will be conversations around emergency preparedness and environmental health! Including kits to build and/or take home. See you there!
EVENT PASSED
June 15, Sun
1pm – 3pm
SHJ Coalition Series
SOiLIDARITY – Lunch on the Land
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!
May 1, Thur.
11am – 2pm
SHJI Coalition Interest Meeting
Join for lunch, a presentation on proposed plan and timeline for the Coalition formation and meet potential Coalition Members//see if this is for you <3
EVENT PASSED