Notes from the Underground & HQ: March Updates
With COVID, things are still quiet, but I wanted to share a few updates from the Underground, and a few things that we've been up to.
Firstly, we've set up a new Cascadia discord server! We've integrated it with the Patreon bot, so everyone should have access to join the server, which also unlocks access to a #Cascadia-VIP channel if you're joining from the Patreon. You can head to #role-reacts to select pronouns, and where you're located to unlock additional channels. If you're having any issues, feel free and join at: https://discord.gg/NtxBEC5cqu, and you can message me at @CascadiaBrandon to bump up your role if needed.
Here in the space, we've been busy:
Yogi has taken on responsibility for helping the Cascadia Underground become a pickup and drop off spot for the Seattle Art Vault. The community org is run by AFRO, one of the muralists who helped paint the Black Lives Matter mural here at Cal Anderson during CHOP, and it exists simply to provide art supplies to BIPOC artists and students. While it might look like some empty shelves in a ramp, we're excited to start filling them up :).
Sue from Vashon and Ameya who is helping start a Cascadia Rural Urban Coalition have both helped us get signed up as a local seed distribution hub as part of the Cooperative Gardens Commission, an amazing grassroots group that formed at the height of the pandemic to help grow food sovereignty, and share expertise and seeds out to communities. We're going to begin using our space as an area for packing seeds for local community gardens, refugee gardens and other BIPOC food groups. On a more regional level, we're also going to begin sending out pollinator "Cascadia Seed Bombs", with little zines on how people can plant and plug in.
Troy, the platinum blonde behind the mike in the picture has really been stepping up on creating the Podcast Media Center. We've been working with a group of 20-30 folks, and helping people plug in, and record when able. Our first podcast, BLK TEA, is about to release after their hard work. He's been the mastermind behind getting the studio set up, with the mikes, video cameras, and primary computer. He's also been making some really amazing connections, and has also been connecting with a lot of local organizers around Seattle, including starting to chat with campaigns like Nikita Oliver and a few others about to launch for different positions. As part of this, he's going to be setting up a series of townhalls meetings, and and skill building workshops... more details TBA soon!
Kate has also hopped on our team, and has been tirelessly working to clear a "mysterious" under the ramp space. This oh my god full of books other things (so far, we've found a bow, a crossbow, three boxes of phones???? and an illuminati table among others...) is quickly on its way to being our Cascadia printing HQ. We've been clearing out the space, dust proofing it, repainting over the ... oh my god probably....??? 30-50 year old paint job? and sealing as much of the wood as we can to get the area for use. Jay has scored a really awesome connection on a local Facebook art group, and we're going to be moving in a 44" large format printer into the area, which will be a whole new awesome asset. Oh and seriously.... there's like a giant metal door on rolling hinges..... we don't even know where that goes.
Our podcasting group Niko, Bill, MFerg have also been meeting each Thursday, and we've been super appreciative of our volunteer editor Graham who has been helping people edit their articles. We also have a writer Elyse who has stepped on board and is currently working on a Bioregionalism & Why it is important essay series we hope to turn into a small booklet.
Quinn has had to take a bit of time for personal reasons, but is still hard at working scanning and archiving when they can. Right now, our project is "Home: A Bioregional Reader" which is an anthology of early bioregional writings gathered over several decades. We will be excited to share there soon.
What's coming up soon. Quite a few things as it turns out...
We've got all sorts of cool things on the burner... and again, just want to reiterate that this is your space. It's our hope to turn the Cascadia Underground into a movement space, that can be helping grow and connect people together around important issues, and be building the Cascadia movement in a positive way. Podcasting network, independent media center, print shop.... drop in, shoot me a message, and let's connect.
Patreon Merch! Is heading out this weekend. We should hopefully have it in the mail by Monday.
What do you want to see? We'll be reaching out more this month to ask that exact question, and we can't wait to hear your answers. What would you want to see in a podcast? What are questions you have that we could answer? Do you have any in person events you'd like to see or use for the space when COVID is over? It's a small space... but's once everyone sharing it is vaccinated, it's got that bunker charm to it, you know?
Some of the cool projects we're looking at right now, are things like a Cascadia Seasonal Cookbook, A Cascadia Women's Football Team & hosting a match against the indigenous Unrecognized Native Peoples of Canada Team when the border re-opens, as well as starting to launch workgroups around environmental sustainability and food sovereignty, Cascadia emergency response, a Cascadia bioregional party or PAC, and quite a few others.
Passport Information Page & Stamps. As soon as we actually have our spaces somewhat carved out for functioning.... we're going to be jumping back into the Passport project in the way that we wanted to when we launched it, but just weren't quite in a spot to do it. This is going to mean getting our directory page back up and functioning, doing a big callout for fun stamp ideas, and also being able to do passport information page inserts that we can fill out for people to make it "official".
Let's get "Official"
And if we're going to be official, well we'll need to be official - which is why Dept of Bioregion is ready to submit our 501(c)3 application to the IRS, very thanks to all of our Patreon supporters. This is a huge deal and there are quite a few projects we'll likely sponsor right off the bat.... so stay tuned!
If you made it this far..... WOW. You're a champ. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and we can't wait to keep sharing updates, and connecting.
