Welcome to the Green Seattle Guide, a guide to community action to protect and restore the natural assets on which our quality of life — and that of our children and grandchildren — depends.

What are Seattle’s urban ecosystems? They are the basis for life in our city — the water we drink, the air we breathe, our climate, the nature that surrounds creeks, rivers, Puget Sound and its inhabitants — they all sustain us. Yet every day, hundreds of thousands of us make choices that put stress on this beautiful legacy we have inherited. Choices we make at home and in our gardens can help or hurt. How we get from “point A” to “point B,” what we buy, or who we buy it from can all affect the health of our local environment.

Each of us can choose to be part of the problem — or part of the solution. This guide will help you and your family and neighbors make the best choices, do the right things and become part of a solution specifically crafted for Seattle.

Let’s get going. Look through this easy guide and pick a dozen actions to weave into your life right now. Once they become routine, pick a dozen more. Use this guide. Share it with family, friends and neighbors. The more you and others use this guide, the healthier Seattle will be, for us and for future generations.