COLUMN| Green Economy: What is a cooperative?

Green Economy: What is a cooperative?

Cooperatives are a business model where the business is owned and democratically controlled by members who also use its services and/or goods. The board of directors is elected from within the membership, not appointed nor recruited to the Board from outside the membership. Coops return any revenues above expenses and investment to members in proportion to their coop use rather than their ownership share (publicly traded stock shareholders are paid dividends based on ownership share). The main business purpose of a coop is to provide services and goods to their members, rather than to maximize profit as in the more common corporate business model. In broad categories, there are producer coops, worker-owned coops, and purchasing/shared services cooperatives found in all kinds of business sectors. A few examples of well-known local businesses having this business structure are PCC, REI, Group Health Cooperative, and BECU. An example of a large national coop is Ace Hardware.

Juanita Bay Park

Warblers are beginning to appear in the park, as spring migration gets underway. Osprey have been reported at the Bay. Skunk cabbage, red-flowering currant, salmonberry, Oregon grape and trillium are blooming.

Green Calendar

Saturday, April 25, 9 a.m. to noon: Green Kirkland Partnership and Earth Corps sponsor a work party at Juanita Bay Park. greenkirkland@ci.kirkland.wa.us

Sunday, April 26: Native Plant Walk in Madrona Woods, Seattle. Meet at 9:30 at Wilburton P&R at I-405 and SE 8th to carpool. There is a carpool fee based on mileage. No pre-registration required. www.eastsideaudubon.org/

Weekly Wetland walk at Mercer Slough with a Bellevue Park Ranger. Free, no pre-registration required. Meet at the visitors’ center, 1625 118th Ave SE. (JJ Note: one part of this park was once a rhododendron nursery, so May is a good time to visit!)

When: Weekly, every Saturday, 1-2 p.m. www.bellevue.wa.gov/pdf/Parks/mseec_spring_2009_prorams.pdf

Weekly, every Thursday, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Sit, Sip & Stroll

Enjoy an informal discussion over coffee or tea followed by a ranger-guided stroll along Mercer Slough’s trails. Free, no pre-registration required. Meet in the Douglas Fir Community Room, at the visitors’ center, 1625 118th Ave SE. www.bellevue.wa.gov/pdf/Parks/mseec_spring_2009_prorams.pdf

May 1, 8 a.m.: Marymoor Park Bird walk. $1 county park fee, no pre-registration required. Meet in Parking Lot D, by the off-leash dog area.

http://www.eastsideaudubon.org/

Saturday, May 2, 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.: Eastside Audubon’s annual plant sale at Kirkland Children’s School, 5311 108th Avenue N.E. in Kirkland. http://www.eastsideaudubon.org/

May 3, 1 p.m.: First Sunday walk in Juanita Bay Park. Meet a volunteer ranger at the kiosk next to the parking lot. Free, no pre-registration required. (If you want to schedule a group tour, please schedule it separately through the Kirkland Parks office).

May 3-9: Various native plant related events are scheduled for Native Plant week, including local field trips and garden tours. www.wnps.org/

Saturday, May 9, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Washington Native Plant Society Native Plant Sale at Bellevue Botanical Gardens. List of available plants at http://www.wnps.org/chapter_info/documents/April2009PlantSaleWord.pdf

SEELC classes (free, but must pre-register as class sizes limited).

Saturday, April 25, 9-11 a.m., Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Northwest.

Saturday May 9, 9-12 Wilderness Awareness School: The Language of Birds.

Saturday May 9, 9-12 Wilderness Navigation and Orienteering Www.seelc.org/2009SpringProgram.aspx

Janice Johnson is a Juanita resident and a volunteer ranger at Juanita Bay Park, among her other local environmental, community and music group activities.

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