Seattle’s environmental education programs face an uncertain future as budget cuts to the Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) Department put hundreds of programs, volunteers, and employees at risk. Beginning January 2026, many of the city’s long-standing outdoor learning initiatives could be eliminated, leaving both community members and park employees concerned about the future of environmental education.
The cuts stem from the city’s 2025-2026 budget, approved in November 2024, which addressed a $250 million deficitwhile prioritizing investments in affordable housing, public safety, and homelessness. However, for Seattle Parks and Recreation, the budget reductions mean eliminating 90 volunteer positions and at least nine unionized staff roles, with some employees already leaving due to job uncertainty.
“The city said it will maintain this program through this year, but with the uncertainty for staff and having to pay their bills, everyone’s making their individual decisions on how to survive,” said Mark Watson, political director for the union Protec17.
In 2024, Seattle Parks and Recreation offered 593 environmental programs, including 38 public programs, guided walks, and 338 school programs. Among the most notable cuts are those impacting Discovery Park, Seattle’s largest green space, where environmental education has played a vital role for decades. The Discovery Park Visitors Center, currently closed for maintenance, is set to reopen in June 2025—but will permanently close to the public in 2026.
For volunteers like Melanie Wienecke, who has spent 12 years leading environmental education programs as a SunGuide for Seattle Parks and Rec, the cuts are deeply personal.
“It’s heartbreaking for me personally because I also have small children that I wanted to leave these programs for their schools,” Wienecke said.
“All of this exists for all the people in the city. We reach over 80,000 people.”
Despite the reductions, Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office insists that environmental education will continue in some capacity.
“While we don’t want to minimize the impact of these reductions, we want to reassure residents that we remain committed to offering environmental education and outdoor learning opportunities,” the mayor’s office said in a statement.
According to city officials, the new budget still allocates funding for five environmental learning positions, with programs continuing at Camp Long, the Associated Recreation Council (ARC) at Discovery Park, and Creative Kids Preschool at Carkeek Park.
However, the city is also exploring privatization of the lost programs—an approach that worries longtime volunteers like Wienecke.
“I do not think a private company can do what we do,” she said. “We have decades of institutional knowledge in this program. If we get rid of the volunteers and staff who have that expertise, it would be like building from the ground up.”
