March For Science Seattle returns to the streets Saturday

Carrying signs with messages like “Einstein was a refugee,” “Make America full of bees again,” and “I’ve seen smarter cabinets at Ikea” a crowd of 25,000 people joined the March for Science Seattle last year.

This year’s march will take place at Cal Anderson Park on Saturday, April 14, beginning at 10 a.m. Speakers will include Nancy Pelosi, Pramila Jayapal, young climate activists, even a 5-year-old girl from Shoreline who wants to ban plastic straws.

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March for Science Seattle organizer Teresa Swanson says this year’s message isn’t just targeted at the general public.

“The importance of our scientific entities in this country, like the EPA, the CDC, and NASA and NOAA and all these other organizations have been under fire under the Trump administration,” Swanson said. “But we also want to bring attention to the scientific community itself and talk about diversity in science and how scientists really need to improve their diversity and their diversity outreach.”

One of the biggest roadblocks, she says, is the growing cost of higher education. But there is some good news. Swanson says our local representatives have been great champions of science. Such as the recent effort by Governor Jay Inslee to improve the environment for Orcas.

“Species protection is something that often goes unnoticed but is a really great way to get people interested in science in general, and in scientific research and what it means to really protect science,” Swanson said. “Everybody around Seattle loves the Orcas and doesn’t want to see them hurt.”