King County Earth Week 2025

Earth Week 2025

Caring for the Earth also means caring for ourselves and our communities. Cleaner air and water improve public health, reducing waste saves time and money, and nature-based solutions protect safety during disasters. There are countless co-benefits that come alongside environmental justice and climate action – and protecting the Earth, as a goal on its own, has long been a tradition and priority for our region.

Americans marked the first Earth Day in 1970, when an estimated 20 million people attended demonstrations to fight for environmental causes and demand an end to environmental degradation. In King County, that meant events and teach-ins at the Seattle Center, University of Washington, and other locations.

Sustained action and advocacy led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, the passing of the Clean Air and Clean Water acts, and other regulations to prevent pollution and protect public lands. Today, many people and organizations celebrate Earth Day, Earth Week, and Earth Month – and insist that the work lasts year-round.

For King County, protecting the Earth means groundbreaking investments to promote clean water and healthy habitats, ambitious partnerships to conserve more land, and empowering more home-grown, local food. It also means prioritizing climate action, improving transit access, and empowering community members to lead on projects that matter to them. There is also great work ahead to restore lands, better protect wildlife, and correct for historic disinvestment in underserved parts of King County. That is part of the ethos of Earth Week– pushing, together, to be better stewards every day.

None of this work is possible without involved community members, grassroots groups, small businesses, and other partners who offer their time, talent, expertise, and lived experience to these efforts.

Each day of this week, we’re highlighting ways King County is working with the community to protect, restore, and show care for the Earth. Check back here throughout the week to read new stories about action being taken across King County and check out the pages below to find ways to get involved.

Some steps King County is taking:

Environmental stewardship is a key component across departments within King County, and efforts are woven throughout everyday work to serve resident’s needs. Here are just a few ways King County is working to protect the earth, ensuring a clean future and healthy communities:

• Lowering the county’s footprint: The County is working to reduce its own contributions to air pollution, waste, and carbon emissions by choosing cleaner fleet vehicles, reducing energy use where possible, and making choices to reduce, reuse, and recycle. One recent example of action within the Department of Executive Services includes the adoption of a hybrid electric fire truck at the King County International Airport.
• Ensuring healthy people and places: Public Health of Seattle and King County’s Environmental Health Division offers a number of programs and services to protect and maintain healthy environmental conditions, including work ensure safe biowaste disposal and to prevent lead poisoning. Learn how to support their mission of healthy water, air, and soil.
• Tracking the health impacts of climate change: Public Health – Seattle & King County has data dashboards that explore some of the impacts of climate change on the health of King County residents. Gathering information on these health impacts will allow us to understand trends over time, identify disparities in who is most impacted, establish potential areas for action, and inform future planning and investment.
• Conserving natural lands: King County’s Land Conservation Initiative aims to protect remaining lands and secure our regional trail network within 30 years. Through bold, aggressive action and collaborative partnerships, King County is working to protect and expand open space even as the area’s population grows.
• Sustainable building: Both in its own buildings and across communities, King County is working to increase adoption of sustainable building practices including rebuilding inefficient sites, repurposing low-demand buildings for high-demand uses, reducing use of land and materials, and recycling building materials. Learn more about education, resources, and financing help that may be available here.
• Restoring nature while improving roads: Along with maintaining and improving roads and responding to neighborhood needs, Road Services Division crews with the county’s Department of Local Services prioritize protecting nature and meeting environmental commitments in their work. That recently included helping to restore the Green River Road natural area and completing the SE 432nd Fish Passage Restoration project.
• Supporting healthy, sustainable places to live: The Permitting Division with the county’s Department of Local Services supports green building alternatives and helps mitigates environmental risks, like wildfires and flooding.
• Mitigating climate change in unincorporated King County: The Department of Local Service’s subarea planning team does long-range planning for healthier, more livable environments, prioritizing walkability, public transit, and low-impact infrastructure in urban areas. Planning also promotes the preservation of forest and farmlands in rural areas.

Ways to Help: