According to Bill Opfermann, the organization that collaborated with the city of Burien to create Burien's first community garden is much like the garden itself: "very organic."

For approximately 2.5 years, Sustainable Burien has been encouraging grass roots, community-based efforts at sustainable living.

However, the community garden became a reality only recently, with construction of beds beginning three months ago.

In May, the garden was opened to local gardeners, who were given the opportunity to cultivate a 75-square foot plot of land near the old community center.

Conceived in 2008, Sustainable Burien was inspired by Sustainable Communities All Over Puget Sound (SCALLOPS.)

Rebecca Dare remembers asking, "Why not sustainable Burien?"

Since its start, the group has worked on numerous sustainability-related projects around Burien, such as planting an educational native plant garden in the current Burien Community Center, planting raised beds in the Burien Interim Arts Space, coordinating Styrofoam recycling, and distributing native strawberry plants.

Additionally, the group arranges speakers for its meetings on the second Sunday of each month, which are open to the public and address such topics as waste management and solar power.

Opfermann noted that the organization's membership includes both liberals and conservatives, and its mission goes "beyond politics," to advocate for actions that promote community and environmentally responsible living.

This involves "helping us understand that we need each other, that we can rely on each other, and that we can have fun with each other," he said, adding that many of these actions, such as gardening at home and walking or bicycling, also lead to a healthier way of life.

Dare elaborated on the importance of beginning a sustainable lifestyle with such simple actions, saying, "When you take a small step and it works, it's empowering." These steps can help overcome feelings of individual powerlessness that often accompany major environmental problems.

Once of the organization's recent focuses has been enabling urban bicycling. They helped facilitate the inclusion of bike lockers in the Burien Transit Center, and members recently worked with local businesses to prepare a bicycle scavenger hunt for Burien's Wild Strawberry Festival.

Volunteers also staffed a table at the festival, fitting helmets and distributing more local strawberry plants to encourage gardening with native species.

Sustainable Burien is open to all members of the community who have sustainable, meaningful ideas and passions for the Burien area, Opfermann emphasized.

One idea that he hopes will become reality in the near future involves sustainability-oriented walking tours of Burien, such as a "special trees of Burien" walk.

He suggested that if the people of Burien were excited about their community, visitors might be attracted to the area.

"I'm excited about Burien," he said.

Dare and Opfermann recommended that Burien residents interested in embracing sustainability might begin the task by planting edible gardens and connecting with the like-minded people of Sustainable Burien.