The Whole Vashon Project

V-MCC Environmental Resources

Last updated 2/25/2026

The Whole Vashon Project (WVP), led by Rondi Lightmark and Susan McCabe, started in 2019 as a way to motivate our Vashon Island community to work on the climate crisis, for the sake of our children and their future.

Whole Vashon Project core team also includes: Lynn Greiner, Steve Bergman,

Terry Sullivan, Tag Gornall, Hodari Nundu, Katrin Fletter, Sheila Brown, Tania Kinnear, Sue Hardy, Siobhan McComb, Mark Hickling, Peter Ray, and Carrie Sikorski.

The first initiative was The Whole Vashon Catalog (WVC), a community review of the “green goals” for Vashon businesses and non-profits, published in 2020 with five thousand copies distributed for free around the island. This outstanding 92-page creation also includes contributions from Vashon writers, artists, designers, photographers, and island historians, as well as watercolor paintings of local birds by Vashon 4th graders. Click here for an online WVC viewing!

The WVP vision has been to inspire other communities to  take on similar sorts of commitments: “Our Community, Standing up to the Climate Crisis with Creativity and Hope!”

During the time of peak activity (up until December 2024), the WVP team produced full-page ads in the Vashon Beachcomber, educating about the environment. There were bi-weekly 800-word Green Brief commentary articles in the Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber newspaper (which have continued, see links below), and a bi-monthly Environmental Newsletter advertising the work and needs of the nearly 30 Vashon environmental non-profits profiled in the Catalog. There was also a website, which is presently paused as different organizations augmented their own work.

Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber Green Brief Links: 2020-present

68. Green Brief: The amazing stories rocks can tell

By Steve Bergman •  February 11, 2026

Have you ever wondered what lies beneath your feet as you walk along Vashon beaches at low tide?

67. Green Brief: Cutting energy costs in the winter

By Steve Bergman •  January 29, 2026

Despite the exceptionally warm December and the days getting longer, lower temperatures are forecasted for the coming months, when energy…

66. Green Brief: The next step for reuse on Vashon

By Steve Bergman •  August 28, 2025

Zero Waste Vashon is dedicated to turning waste into resource.

65. Green Brief Commentary: The care-free lawn

By Terry Sullivan •  August 13, 2025

I would like to address what may be our greatest unnecessary draw on water — greening our lawns.

64. Green Brief Commentary: Planet Earth, people and plans

By Steve Bergman •  July 17, 2025

We’re looking for your ideas for climate action on Vashon.

63. Green Brief Commentary: Celebrating natural heritage alongside human imprints

By Steve Bergman •  July 9, 2025

Editor’s note: Green Briefs is a regular series of commentaries by eco-leaders on

Vashon, presented in The Beachcomber in partnership…

62. Commentary: An “Epic” day for Vashon beaches

By Steve Bergman •  May 22, 2025

In total, 126 tires were picked up from the island’s beaches, along with lots of other debris.

61. This Earth Day, it’s “Our Power, Our Planet”

By Steve Bergman •  April 15, 2025

April 22, 2025 is the 55th annual Earth Day.

60. Commentary: An epic fix for Vashon’s rogue tires

By Steve Bergman •  March 27, 2025

How often have you noticed derelict tires littering our island’s beaches?

59. Commentary: Negotiating on climate change

By Terry Sullivan •  December 20, 2024

We have all the knowledge and capacity we need to solve these problems.

58. Green Brief Commentary: What not to put in the Christmas stocking

By Celia Congdon •  November 29, 2024

Black plastics in many food trays, packaging, toys, and utensils likely contain toxic chemicals.

57. Green Brief Commentary: Celebrating environmental wins on Vashon

By Steve Bergman •  November 22, 2024

As the new year approaches, let’s celebrate some environmental achievements on Vashon Island.

56. Green Brief Commentary: Reusable cup project shows the power of community

By Steve Bergman and Leslie Brown •  September 5, 2024

These moves to a circular economy are encouraging and worth celebrating.

55. A decade of Zero Waste Vashon

By Steve Bergman and Nancy O’Connor •  June 12, 2024

The organization is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

54. What will you do to celebrate the 54th Earth Day?

By Steve Bergman• April 18, 2024

What can we do to mend the living planet and our relationship with it?

53. The island’s coyotes are friends, not foes

By Susan McCabe • March 27, 2024

Rumor has it that coyotes are wreaking havoc on Vashon’s domestic cat population and other animals.

52. Celebrating creative activism

By Lynn Greiner •  March 7, 2024

This year, Green Briefs will feature island organizations working for climate justice.

51. Fill-Em-Up: Refilling Rocks!

By Steve Bergman •  February 21, 2024

Will you join me in refilling as much as possible to reduce waste and help the planet?

50. Vashon-Maury Community Council supports green legislation

By Steve Bergman •  February 14, 2024

Islanders place a high priority on protecting the environment and addressing the climate crisis.

49. Green Briefs: Amy Drayer on sustainability and the Vashon Chamber’s mission

By Rondi Lightmark and Amy Drayer •  January 31, 2024

How Vashon can promote sustainability, according to Executive Director of the Vashon Chamber of Commerce.

48. Green Briefs: Starting the year with good news about the climate

By Susan McCabe • January 17, 2024

2023 left us with many signs of hope.

47. Green Brief Commentary: The sharing economy — Vashon Style

By Steve Bergman • December 20, 2023

Will you join us in advancing Vashon’s Sharing Economy for the good of our community?

46. Green Brief Commentary: Not all native plants are...

By Terry Sullivan • October 5, 2023

All native species fill a vital niche, but some are much more valuable than others.

45. Green Brief Commentary: Bringing Balance and Hope

By Rondi Lightmark • September 28, 2023

It seems more common these days to hear bad news than to get a dose of what is working.

44. How not doing things can help heal the planet

By Terry Sullivan • November 29, 2023

With COVID, you might say that “not doing” was our main theme.

43. Green Brief Commentary: Know the island beneath your feet

By Steve Bergman • October 25, 2023

To most effectively recharge our major aquifers, we need to consider Vashon’s geology.

42. Choosing plastic-free products on Vashon

By Celia Congdon • August 17, 2023

The market responds to consumer interest in plastic alternatives.

41. Green Brief: A Green Growth vs. Degrowth Economy

By Steve Bergman •  August 2, 2023

Growthers believe that our capitalist tendencies can be controlled and channeled for health and equity.

40. Summer Wildfire Safety and the Climate Crisis

By Steve Bergman •  July 6, 2023

Local organizations do a great job of informing us of summer wildfire hazards and how to best protect Vashon.

39. Green Brief Commentary: Advancing Vashon’s Climate Agenda

By Lynn Greiner •  June 28, 2023

The 2023 Legislative session produced policies that will benefit our community. But we have more work to do.

38. Celebrating Earth Day with Zero Waste Vashon

By Steve Bergman •  April 19, 2023

Join our volunteers at Vashon High School at 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Earth Day, Saturday, April 22, for our sixth Electronics Recycling Event.

37. The Joy of Getting Your Garden Going

By Karen Biondo •  April 12, 2023

Most important, start wherever you are and enjoy your garden!

36. An islander’s guide to responsible spring flinging

By Rondi Lightmark • April 5, 2023

To create beauty and order outwardly, there is also the ethics of sustainability and responsible recycling.

35. A primer on how to keep our aquifer fresh and clean

By Susan McCabe • March 15, 2023

Maintaining our septic systems makes all kinds of sense.

34. Finding a better metric for a sustainable future

By Steve Bergman • February 8, 2023

It is time to change our system so humankind can flourish in a steady state, not dependent on GDP growth.

33. Take Action Network enables legislative engagement

By Kevin Jones • January 5, 2023

The Washington State 2023 legislative session has just started. Here’s a great way to make your voice heard.

32. Fast fashion: not a good look for Mother Nature

By Lynn Greiner • December 21, 2022

Most fast fashion is produced in developing countries by low-paid young women; less than 2% make a living wage.

31. Green burial — a common sense approach to...

By Lisa Devereau and Sheri Reder •  November 30, 2022

It’s an idea that’s been catching on for the last quarter-century.

30. This holiday season, cut the trash and up the cheer

By Celia Congdon •  November 17, 2022

Let’s give the planet a holiday boost and ditch unnecessary waste.

29. Vertical Agriculture: Harvesting going up

By Steve Bergman •  November 2, 2022

It is resilient to climate change and produces healthier and higher yields than traditional agriculture.

28. We can restore the balance of nature on Vashon

By Terry Sullivan •  October 27, 2022

As the plants go, so do we.

27. Green Brief Commentary: Learning Outside the Book

By Steve Bergman •  October 12, 2022

Dana Schuerholz has created an amazingly effective vehicle for transforming our conventional educational system.

26. Solar Power on Vashon Is Real

By Lynn Greiner • September 8, 2022

Editor’s note: This commentary is part of a series, Green Briefs, published in The Beachcomber in partnership with the Whole…

25. Encouraging islanders to ‘pick up’ a new habit

Carrie Sikorski •  August 4, 2022

These days, it’s obvious from the handy, trailhead bagging stations what public health experts want us to do.

24. COMMENTARY: Getting to know and love your wild neighbors

By Terry Sullivan •  July 13, 2022

You don’t need to travel farther than your own backyard to re-create a sense of connection with your local ecology and to discover your important place in it.

23. Green Brief: The importance of soil science

By Rondi Lightmark •  June 22, 2022

Turns out this CO2 focus has missed an essential part of the story, said Jehne, which is about the role of healthy soils in regulating the earth’s water cycle.

22. Green Brief: Living on an ‘island of habitat’

By Greg Rabourn •  June 15, 2022

Vashon’s “habitat” status is a critical asset to Puget Sound’s varied ecosystems, especially when combined with its 50 miles of shoreline.

21. Working together to aim for a plastics-free Vashon

By Celia Congdon •  May 11, 2022

While the problem is way larger than consumers can solve, we can affect some change on a personal and local level.

20. COMMENTARY: An Interview with VHS Green Team Members

By Tania Kinnear •  April 27, 2022

These kids feel they are making important decisions for the future. And they’re doing it under the constant reminder that the Earth is approaching a crisis that, if ignored, will have a massive impact on their lives.

19. COMMENTARY: Every day should be Earth Day on Vashon

By Steve Bergman •  April 20, 2022

As we celebrate the 52nd Earth Day, some may wonder what happened on the previous 51 Earth Days here.

18. COMMENTARY: Earth Week—A Time To Act

By Rondi Lightmark •  April 13, 2022

Let’s create a new Earth Day — indeed, Earth Week — traditions with actions that can unite us in a time of renewal, that can provide a framework for future years.

17. COMMENTARY: Vashon Birds: They are a-changin’

By Adria Magrath with Katrin Fletter •  April 6, 2022

Birds, like many forms of life, have a remarkable ability to adapt when needed — and more will be needed to survive the current realities of climate change. Climate change is causing large-scale and rapid alterations to habitats.

16. COMMENTARY: Celebrate and participate in our sharing economy

By Steve Bergman •  March 31, 2022

On Vashon, we benefit from more than eight libraries which each contribute to our rich sharing economy.

15. COMMENTARY: How Safe Are Your Garden Products?

By Michael Laurie • March 23, 2022

Before you run out to purchase a pesticide that might be toxic to wildlife, pets, and you, please know that there are plenty of safer options that work well around here.

14. COMMENTARY: Trying to make sense of a troubling topic

By Rondi Lightmark  •  February 24, 2022

As we choose what we eat, we must consider a variety of factors.

13. COMMENTARY: Dive into Doughnut Economics

By Steve Bergman •  February 10, 2022

We need a new way to measure the quality of life and prosperity.

12. COMMENTARY: What Gandhi Said…

By Susan McCabe •  January 26, 2022

Living simply for the earth can also reduce the pressure to earn more and allow more free time for those most important things.

11. COMMENTARY: Good News for The Earth

By Terry Sullivan, Steve Bergman, Rondi Lightmark, Tag Gornall and Lynn Greiner •

December 29, 2021

The “Green Briefs” editorial team offers good news about our planet.

10. Green Briefs: Plastics — a good idea gone bad

By Susan McCabe with Tag Gornall and Steve Bergman • December 8, 2021 Plastics were introduced to solve problems but instead created a host of greater troubles.

9. COMMENTARY: Now is the time for planting native plants

By Adria Magrath •  November 10, 2021

In supporting birds, people can help by providing native plants on their property.

8. Green Brief: It’s Time to Become World Citizens

By Terry Sullivan •  October 27, 2021

The impacts of the global climate depends on what all of humanity decides to do now.

7. Green Briefs: Vashon gets state help with first official beach clean-up

By Steve Bergman •  October 6, 2021

More than 2,700 pieces of litter, weighing more than 400 pounds, were characterized and documented.

6. Green Briefs: Supporting Our Birds

By Adria Magrath •  September 29, 2021

Bird populations are dwindling, but we can still take action to support their recovery.

5. Green Briefs: How this story might end

By Rondi Lightmark •  September 15, 2021

Learning to care about the nature we cannot see.

4. Green Brief: BioEnergy can impact climate change

By Srirup Kumar and Terry Sullivan •  August 12, 2021

It’s possible to imagine and create more constructive systems for waste management.

3. Everything Must Change. What are the New Rules?

By Rondi Lightmark •  July 21, 2021

What we really need is some concrete guidance, a “to do” list.

2. Green Brief: Recycling Stations Turn Waste To Resource

By Steve Bergman •  July 7, 2021

A group of islanders is working to make Vashon Island a model waste-to-resource community.

1. With 50th anniversary of Earth Day, it’s time for change

By Steve Bergman •  April 16, 2020

Let’s make the best of challenging times by making Vashon a more sustainable and resilient community.