“Trees are poems the earth writes upon the sky.” - Khalil Gibran
A Tree Census
In Seattle, our majestic trees are poems on our civic sky that connect us to history, inspire us and call on us to honor our duty as stewards of this place. Very few cities of the world have trees like ours. Yet one by one, these great trees are being cut down. One by one, the pages of Seattle’s book of poems are being torn out and thrown away.
The Last 6000 campaign is an effort to find and document these majestic trees. The name of the campaign comes from the 2016 Seattle Tree Canopy Cover report, which noted that there were only 6,338 trees of trunk diameter of 30 inches and greater left in the city.
As an ever-evolving city, Seattle and its residents have faced and overcome many challenges. The years 2020 and 2021 brought a life-threatening pandemic, economic turmoil and renewed efforts for racial justice and fair treatment. Many challenges continue to face our city and our nation.
We hope Seattle's majestic trees towering tall can be a source of strength, endurance, and wisdom in these times. We enjoyed the words of a Seattle journalist, Isabella Breda who recently climbed a majestic tree with the assistance of an arborist: “Burnt orange leaves rustled in the gentle winds. Some shook loose and drifted toward the soft earth beneath. Blue sky peeked through the holes in the dense canopy, and the afternoon sun in the west illuminated the round leaves… The bark was mostly smooth, but some ridged ribbons of texture danced around the trunk as I swung in my harness between heaving pulls toward the top.”
In 2022, groups of neighbors came together to protect a large Western Red Cedar tree in South Seattle, to protect a large Horse Chestnut tree in West Seattle, and to protect large Sweetgum trees on Aurora Avenue in North Seattle. Additionally, Seattleites have supported the implementation of an ordinance to register tree services providers for the first time and require a three-day public notice of trees to be cut down or pruned significantly. And there are significant efforts to create a position of a Seattle Urban Forester to coordinate the nine different departments impacting the fates of our large trees.
We are pleased to see the increase in persons following our Instagram site as nearly 1800 persons are following The Last 6000 Campaign now. And volunteers have continued to submit majestic trees in 2022 as our database grows.
The Last 6000 campaign is an effort to find and document these majestic trees. The name of the campaign comes from the 2016 Seattle Tree Canopy Cover report, which noted that there were only 6,338 trees of trunk diameter of 30 inches and greater left in the city.
As an ever-evolving city, Seattle and its residents have faced and overcome many challenges. The years 2020 and 2021 brought a life-threatening pandemic, economic turmoil and renewed efforts for racial justice and fair treatment. Many challenges continue to face our city and our nation.
We hope Seattle's majestic trees towering tall can be a source of strength, endurance, and wisdom in these times. We enjoyed the words of a Seattle journalist, Isabella Breda who recently climbed a majestic tree with the assistance of an arborist: “Burnt orange leaves rustled in the gentle winds. Some shook loose and drifted toward the soft earth beneath. Blue sky peeked through the holes in the dense canopy, and the afternoon sun in the west illuminated the round leaves… The bark was mostly smooth, but some ridged ribbons of texture danced around the trunk as I swung in my harness between heaving pulls toward the top.”
In 2022, groups of neighbors came together to protect a large Western Red Cedar tree in South Seattle, to protect a large Horse Chestnut tree in West Seattle, and to protect large Sweetgum trees on Aurora Avenue in North Seattle. Additionally, Seattleites have supported the implementation of an ordinance to register tree services providers for the first time and require a three-day public notice of trees to be cut down or pruned significantly. And there are significant efforts to create a position of a Seattle Urban Forester to coordinate the nine different departments impacting the fates of our large trees.
We are pleased to see the increase in persons following our Instagram site as nearly 1800 persons are following The Last 6000 Campaign now. And volunteers have continued to submit majestic trees in 2022 as our database grows.
Our Goal
The campaign officially launched on April 1, 2019 and due to popular demand we continue to accept information on majestic trees. Our focus currently is to analyze and report the key points of our census findings to community groups and create neighborhood documentation of the majestic trees.
Community Engagement
In addition to creating our tree census, we aim to create community engagement around, and awareness of, these special trees in our midst. We invite you to join us! It's easy. Send us photographs of and data about the majestic trees that live in your neighborhood or on your way to work or play.
|
Volunteers
Our goal is to gather, then report the number, location and status of Seattle's majestic trees. There are two ways to help: find and send us data on the trees you encounter or become a Big Tree Action Librarian! We will then document the trees and important information about them.
|
Have you located a majestic tree, or a few, in your neighborhood or around the city?
Share them with us. We'll count and map them!
Share them with us. We'll count and map them!
|
The simplest way to send us your tree information is to enter it directly via our Google Form:
|
If you would prefer to send your data to The Last 6000 via email instead, download and complete the Email Input Form below. Then send it to us here.
|
Follow us @thelast6000
Connect with us on Social
The Last 6000
Established in 1987, PlantAmnesty is a 1,000-member nonprofit organization whose mission is to
end the senseless torture and mutilation of trees and shrubs caused by mal-pruning.
end the senseless torture and mutilation of trees and shrubs caused by mal-pruning.