Our environment is a major part of our identity as residents of Washington State. We share a remarkable natural heritage: incredible land and seascapes, diverse animals and plants, and shared stories about good times spent outdoors. Older generations share with younger ones joys and lessons found on our beaches and in our streams, lakes, mountains, and deserts. These special experiences make life rich for those who live in our region.

Yet our environment is in trouble. Intensive use has had a profound effect on our marine and fresh waters, our forests and prairies. And as water and air quality diminish and native species decline, all of us are affected. A primary source of the problem is the fact that environmental challenges are frequently not a top priority in our busy lives—the scope of the challenges seems daunting, while the pace of environmental changes going on around us is so slow that it escapes notice. The resulting inattention to the environment threatens our economy, our heritage, and our very way of life.

My platform faces these environmental challenges head-on with a plan focusing on public awareness, youth volunteerism, and environmental appreciation. To increase the efficacy of my plan, I have teamed up with the Nature Conservancy, a global conservation organization, and its MudUp! campaign to clean up the shorelines of Puget Sound. By joining with MudUp! and the Nature Conservancy, I will be able to focus my platform on tangible, attainable goals that will have a positive impact on local environments around the Puget Sound during my year as Miss Seattle, thus benefiting all residents of our region.

Learn more at www.mudup.org.