Since time immemorial, Indigenous peoples of the Salish Sea region have stewarded the lands now known as Seattle. When white settlers arrived in 1851, the area was covered in old growth forest. Settlers cut and sold the forest for lumber. By 1890, just a few stands of conifers remained in the present-day city limits. Early attempts to restore Seattle's canopy included a 1903 city approval of the Olmsted Brothers' plan to create a network of parks and boulevards. In 1930, Seattle hired its first City Arborist. Then, in 1967, the city formally placed the development of street tree programs under the Seattle Engineering Department (SED). From the 1990s through the early 2000s, SED employee Liz Ellis expanded her department's impact on the urban forest. Ellis leveraged limited resources by training volunteers, applying for grants, and building coalitions.
The scope of this series is centered around Liz Ellis's tenure as an arboriculturist and tree stewardship program coordinator, with most records in the years 1991-2002. Ellis was heavily involved in training volunteers, partnering with citizens, and doing education and outreach. During Ellis's employment, the City of Seattle underwent departmental re-organization. Her office began in the Seattle Engineering Department (SED), later re-organized into Seattle Transportation (SeaTran), and finally, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT).
Series includes print photographs, negatives, and slides related to urban forestry, outreach, training and other programs led by Liz Ellis. Includes images from events and programs like the volunteer Tree Steward program (TSP), National Urban Forestry Conference, Arbor Day, Retree Ballard, Rainier Valley Heritage Festival, Elementary School outreach, Sweet Gum Protest, Tree plantings, volunteer weeding and pruning, Rainier Valley Tree Princess Parade, Meany Middle School Wood shop program, and Earth Day celebrations. Collection also includes photos of trees and plants in Seattle, as well as landscape plans, aerial views and slides for educational presentations, as well as award ceremonies. People of note are Councilmember Cheryl Chow (1990-1997), Mayor Paul Schell (1998-2002), author Arthur Lee Jacobson, Councilmember Martha Choe (1992-1999), and Commissioner of Public Lands Jennifer Belcher (1993-2001).
Since time immemorial, Indigenous peoples of the Salish Sea region have stewarded the lands now known as Seattle. When white settlers arrived in 1851, the area was covered in old growth forest. Settlers cut and sold the forest for lumber. By 1890, just a few stands of conifers remained in the present-day city limits. Early attempts to restore Seattle's canopy included a 1903 city approval of the Olmsted Brothers' plan to create a network of parks and boulevards. In 1930, Seattle hired its first City Arborist. Then, in 1967, the city formally placed the development of street tree programs under the Seattle Engineering Department (SED). From the 1990s through the early 2000s, SED employee Liz Ellis expanded her department's impact on the urban forest. Ellis leveraged limited resources by training volunteers, applying for grants, and building coalitions.
The scope of this series is centered around Liz Ellis's tenure as an arboriculturist and tree stewardship program coordinator, with most records in the years 1991-2002. Ellis was heavily involved in training volunteers, partnering with citizens, and doing education and outreach. During Ellis's employment, the City of Seattl