Deeply Rooted

Colonization and assimilation took away customs and traditional foods from both Native and immigrant communities. Now, local farmers and chefs are bringing back traditional cuisines.

Climate change is leading to record-breaking wildfires across the West Coast. In Washington state, the 2020 fire season was one of the worst on record. As wildfires increasingly spread across the state, not all communities bear the brunt equally.

In the U.S., communities of color are the most affected by environmental racism. Yet STEM fields, particularly environmental science, are still largely dominated by White men. This Washington scientist explains why diversity is important to her field.

Rural and tribal communities across the nation have been looking to renewable energy sources to achieve energy sovereignty.

Much of our natural landscape still bears the evidence of colonization in the names. Some of our most beloved places, such as Mount Rainier, serve as reminders of injustices committed against indigenous communities.

Lake Washington and the Duwamish River teach us about disparities in water rights.

As the coronavirus spread throughout Washington's rural and agricultural communities, Yakima County had the highest per capita rate of COVID-19 infections on the entire West Coast.

Our nation's parks and forests have struggled with a diversity problem for decades now. A long history of racism and exclusion in the great outdoors has left a deeply ingrained message about natural spaces: People of color don’t belong. Today, a group of dedicated nature lovers in Wenatchee hopes to change that.