Episode 174 - Sandy and Julia Shettler are a mother-daughter team with Tree Action Seattle, which advocates for Seattle’s trees at the neighborhood level and at City Hall.
Sandy Shettler’s Articles
Seattle’s tree ordinance is endangering trees, not protecting them | The Seattle Times
Let’s Throw Shade on Aurora Avenue - The Urbanist
Seattle’s town house residents deserve trees, too | The Seattle Times
Video about Tree Action Seattle:
Saving Luma — Biophilic Cities
Articles referencing Tree Action Seattle:
Activists want to save Wedgwood cedar, change Seattle tree oversight | The Seattle Times
Developer abandons plan to cut down Wedgwood tree | The Seattle Times
New rules put Puget Sound's urban trees in private hands | Cascade PBS News (crosscut.com)
Article about Luma the Cedar:
Sandy and Julia Shettler are a mother-daughter team with Tree Action Seattle, which advocates for Seattle's trees at the neighborhood level and at City Hall.
Sandy is a medical social worker with a background in public health. She focuses on the physical and mental health benefits of living near trees, and the need to bring these benefits to deforested and underserved urban communities. Julia is an electrical engineer by training and works in climate tech. She is deeply interested in preserving the natural environment as a common-sense solution to climate change.
Tree Action Seattle is a collective effort that was sparked by the City of Seattle’s July 2023 approval of the cutting of a large western red cedar. Nicknamed “Luma”, the Snoqualmie Tribe identified the tree as historic and culturally modified. This singular tree illuminated glaring flaws in Seattle’s tree code.
Activists nicknamed “Droplet” sat in Luma’s branches and did not leave until the property owner chose to protect Luma. The community that coalesced around Luma’s protection catalyzed a movement focused on transparency, accountability, and sound urban forest policy.