Astra – A Tree Facing Removal by Development
Gratitude Gatherings are held for trees facing removal in the face of new housing. They’ve been an event in Seattle neighborhoods since Luma, a Western Red Cedar, was first honored and ultimately protected in the summer of 2023.
A gathering was held recently for another Cedar, named Astra, whose fate still hangs in the balance. Tree advocates want to see decisions about trees on residential properties taken out of the hands of the Department of Construction and Inspection and moved into a new city Department of Climate and the Environment.
Producer: Martha Baskin with help from Daniel Guenther at Jackstraw Productions
Photos: Martha Baskin
Protectors of Luma, the Western Red Cedar
On Friday, July 14th, a group of concerned community members rallied around a western red cedar named Luma in Seattle’s Wedgewood neighborhood. They hope to preserve the tree since aggressive development activity in Seattle has led to increased loss of large trees in the city. The developer, Legacy Group Capital has a permit to take down the tree within the next 60 days.
KBCS’s Martha Baskin spoke with Droplet, one of the advocates for the tree, and Yuko Kodama spoke with Sandy Shettler of The Last 6,000.
Martha Baskin will be working on another story on Luma next week.
Producer: Yuko Kodama, Martha Baskin
Photo: Courtesy of Droplet advocates
