Environmental Rotary Club dissolves, planting new roots in Shoreline, Bothell, and LFP Clubs

By Judy Maccully

The Environmental Rotary Club of Puget Sound is officially dissolving as a cause-based e-club, with its passionate members transitioning their environmental activism directly into community-based clubs in Shoreline, Bothell/Kenmore, and Lake Forest Park. 

Rather than marking an end, this transition embeds interest in ecological stewardship directly into Rotary’s traditional community service groups across the North End.

A Legacy of Local Green Impact

The decision in 2001 to charter a unique "cause-based" Rotary Club in the Puget Sound area came after Rotary International in June 2020, approved adding a new area of focus dedicated to the environment. 

It became Rotary's seventh area of focus, joining peacebuilding and conflict prevention; disease prevention and treatment; water, sanitation, and hygiene; maternal and child health; basic education and literacy; and community economic development. 

Quickly, stories of how environmental sustainability promotes the other humanitarian goals quickly emerged as Rotarians around the world began developing local projects and pursuing global grant funding for environment-related projects. 

The Environmental Rotary Club of Puget Sound, Chartered in July of 2021, bridged the gap between global environmental initiatives and local, hands-on restoration and environmental focused projects.

The Environmental Rotary Club’s digital network allowed volunteers to coordinate ecological preservation efforts, leaving a permanent footprint on public spaces: The Miyawaki Urban Forest Project: 

In collaboration with the Shoreline Historical Museum, club members worked alongside a coalition of neighborhood champions on the installation of an urban pocket forest using the Miyawaki method. This project transformed barren soil into a biodiverse ecosystem. 

In addition to securing a Rotary District grant for the entryway art to the Forest, the Club funded and contributed the labor to create a pollinator garden adjacent to the Forest.

North City Park Restoration: Adopting the Shoreline park in 2022, the club hosted consistent urban forest restoration events to support native plant life.

Regional Alliances: From constructing a shade pergola at Horseneck Farm for the South King County Food Coalition to mobilizing teams for the global Plastic Free July EcoChallenge, participating in Duwamish River cleanups, coordinating local lithium battery collection drives in partnership with Redwood Materials, and helping to establish the Lake Forest Park Climate Hub (often referred to as the environmental hub) which is a permanent community resource located along a 25-foot wall inside Third Place Commons, their footprint extended deep into the community.

Honoring Five Years of Visionary Leadership

The community impact achieved by the club over its five-year history is a direct result of the dedicated leaders who guided its mission from the very beginning. Deep gratitude is extended to the individual Club Presidents whose strategic vision and tireless hours of volunteer coordination sustained the group's momentum:

• President Kimberly Peterson served during the Club’s Charter year 2021 and during Rotary Year 2022-22.
• President Janiece Hoggatt served Rotary Year 2022-23
• President Douglas Hoggatt served Rotary Year 2024-25 and 2025-26. Along with Treasurer Janiece Hoggatt, Douglas stewarded the Rotary Club through its final 2026 board meetings and close-out activities

Planting New Roots in Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, and Bothell

While the standalone e-club model closes, the mission to safeguard the planet simply pivots. Members are bringing their environmental expertise and existing project portfolios into established community-based clubs.

For Shoreline Rotary, this influx of cause-driven activists ensures that long-term local initiatives—like the maintenance of the Miyawaki Forest and the preservation of North City Park—will continue to thrive under strong, centralized neighborhood leadership.

Meanwhile, members joining the Rotary Club of Northshore in Bothell will spread this ecological focus further east, blending environmental advocacy with traditional civic projects.

Lake Forest Park Rotary Club is also inheriting dedicated talent from the dissolving Club. LFP Rotary is already deeply familiar with these initiatives, having previously co-led major regional conservation events like the highly successful District 5030 Lithium Battery Recycling Campaign alongside the Environmental Club. 

The integration of this new member directly amplifies Lake Forest Park’s ongoing ecological goals—such as supporting local urban canopy health, partnering with the LFP Stewardship Foundation, and backing local climate resilience efforts.

Since Rotary’s 2020’s commitment to Environmental Sustainability thousands of Rotary Clubs worldwide have been running local green initiatives. Many of the Rotary Clubs throughout the Puget Sound have also incorporated environment focused projects into their annual plans to serve their local community. 

While this specific Club closes, the environmental mission simply returns to the soil. The dedicated volunteers will join others in the Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, and Northshore Rotary Clubs to help ensure that local conservation efforts remain a permanent fixture of community service. 

The Environmental Rotary Club of Puget Sound may be dissolving, but its green impact will continue to bloom right here in our neighborhoods.