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BUILD >

HEAL & SUSTAIN

PROTECT Water

  • Working with County Hydrogeologist

  • Encourage Mapping/Monitoring our Aquifer

  • Promote water retention and conservation

WCA held a Water Conference in June 2023 to address Whidbey's Water Future. Ideas included advocating for a County-led effort to map our aquifer, and community-led projects to build resilient landscapes that reduce runoff and promote aquifer recharge. Community rain gardens, anyone?

pond.jpg

SAVE Forests

  • Reduce incentives to cut forests

  • Working with county and DNR

  • Encourage forest planning

WCA has been working with county and state agencies to find ways to save our forest ecosystems and make them as sustainable as possible. One such effort is to eliminate the granting of moratorium waivers on taking land out of a county forest use tax exemption.

forest glade

ELIMINATE Waste

  • ALE student-led RePurpose project

  • Langley ordinance to eliminate single-use plastic

  • Seeking EPA grant

Partnering with Zero Waste Washington and with the support of WCA, students at the Alternative Learning Experience (ALE) researched and prepared a proposal to discourage single use plastic in Langley’s restaurants and B&Bs. The manufacture and transport of products creates huge impacts from greenhouse gas emissions to pollution. Adopting a zero waste lifestyle is easy to do and makes a big difference. Students are researching refinements to the ordinance and will reintroduce it in 2023.

empty dumpster

COMPOST Food

  • Food in garbage produces methane in landfills

  • Landfills account for 18% of methane emissions

  • Turn food waste into a valuable soil amendment

The City of Langley successfully composts yard debris, but not food waste, at their Wastewater Treatment Plant. WCA is searching for a community composting solution to handle home and business food waste. The Zero Waste ordinance was stymied for lack of a commercial composting facility on the island. If you have ideas for how to implement a community composting facility, please contact us!

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Check out the solar composters built by Alternative Learning Experience students as part of their RePurpose
efforts to reduce waste. These composters are installed in the courtyard behind the South Whidbey Community Center.

solar food composters
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