Scott Broadbent is a Sustainability Consultant for Urban Villages – the group which helped bring the beautiful carbon-positive hotel, Populus Seattle, to Pioneer Square. Puget Soundkeeper is the inaugural recipient of the Populus Stewardship Grant, which has led to a robust partnership this year.
What is your “water story”?
I grew up spending summers on the rivers and coastline of Maine, canoeing the Penobscot and Allagash, and combing the tidepools of the rocky shore. I think I was always inspired by the power of water to move us, both physically and emotionally, through time and space.
My dad was a meteorologist in the Navy, and his long explanations of clouds and love for fly fishing were early influences on me, and he connected the hydrological cycle for me in tangible ways as only a long-winded father can. I have kept a love for earth and its systems with me throughout my life, and particularly on my aquatic adventures, whether it was rafting the Rogue River or sea-kayaking in Patagonia.
Moving to Seattle has connected me with water in a new way, and I can honestly say that Puget Sound is my favorite body of water to spend time on!
What do you enjoy about working in Sustainability at a place like Urban Villages?
Urban Villages combines my passions for careful design, thoughtful hospitality, responsible urban planning, and environmental stewardship. Through programs like the Populus Stewardship Grant, I get to be a part of the incredible community of people making our region a healthier place to live and recreate, including Puget Soundkeeper. The built environment is heavily resource intensive and accounts for around 40% of greenhouse gas emissions globally, so there is a tremendous opportunity to improve our management of those systems. Through adaptive reuse of the Westland Building, Urban Villages cut the embodied carbon emissions of Populus Hotel by 36% and had the opportunity to upcycle old growth timbers into furniture and siding for the RailSpur block. There are so many fun parts of my job, but mostly I am just grateful to be a member of such an amazing community and ecosystem.
What is one of your favorite critters in Puget Sound?
Orca must be a common answer, but I just got to see my first orcas up close while camping on Sucia Island and it was a life changing experience that I will never forget. However, my heart truly lies with a much smaller and more colorful group of critters, the Nudibranchs. These fantastical sea slugs look like creatures from a sci-fi planet, with horns, wings, and colors you’ve never even imagined. Who doesn’t love a Nudibranch?!
Thank you for sharing your water story, Scott! We’re so glad to work with you.
Keep an eye on the Puget Soundkeeper website and social media pages for upcoming events with Populus Seattle!