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The Heron’s Nest

The Heron’s Nest Outdoor, located at 4818 15th Ave SW, operates as a part of the The Shared Spaces Foundation. Located in West Seattle, perched on the western hills above the Duwamish River, and located in the largest contiguous forest left in the city, it is a place for community members to learn, grow, and build together. 

Shared Spaces

The Shared Spaces Foundation is an organization working to reduce the impact of continued development by preserving green spaces and creating community facilities where community members are able to gather, learn and create. With a focus on restorative justice through land restoration and sustainable education, Shared Spaces provides a variety of no-cost skill building workshops aimed to teach sustainable skills to community members, with classes on everything from sustainable building to canoe repair. 

Legal Status

Shared Spaces & The Heron’s Nest is currently operating as a fiscally sponsored project of A4A Accounting, a local non-profit accounting firm. Shared Spaces is currently undergoing the process of incorporation but, due to COVID-19 related backups, has not yet received 501(c)(3) status. They have retained the services of an attorney, but the process will still take approximately eight more months to complete. 

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Duwamish Tribe

Key Facts

  1. The Duwamish Tribe is currently not federally recognized.

  2. The tribe operates out of small 501c(3) with low capacity and funding.

  3. The tribe only owns 0.75 acres of land, which sits on a heavily industrialized and dangerous road. Traffic is heavy and there is no easy access for people to visit. 

  4. They are currently engaged in recognition claims & have repeatedly been denied.

Further Cultural Context

This 3.5 acre parcel was originally part of the 55,000 acres occupied by the Duwamish Tribe in the Seattle area. It was utilized by the Duwamish for hunting land and as ceremonial grounds. The Duwamish Tribe has been fighting for federal recognition since the 1850’s. The Tribe received acknowledgment by the Clinton Administration in 2001, but this recognition was quickly repealed by the Bush Administration in 2002. 

The Duwamish river is Seattle’s only freshwater river and leads directly into the Port of Seattle, which in combination with the Port of Tacoma is the one of the largest ports in the country. This is part of the reason why the Duwamish have never been granted their fishing or hunting rights, and why their land rights have never been recognized. In 2015, the Duwamish Tribe appealed their case, which is still pending in the Interior Board of Indian Appeals.

The Tribe currently owns approximately .75 acres of land, which encompasses a longhouse and a parking lot. The location of the longhouse holds a historical and cultural significance to the tribe, due to its location across the street from what was once the tribe’s largest village, known as hah-AH-poos. Nowadays, the plot sits on a heavily industrialized and dangerous road and there is no easy access for people to visit. 


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Significance Of This Project

  1. Increases the territory of the Duwamish Tribe 5.7x 

  2. First ever repatriation project for the Duwamish Tribe

  3. Safer and more accessible than the longhouse property but still adjacent

By re-acquiring this parcel of land, the Duwamish Tribe would be able to expand not only their property but also the types of programming, services, and resources they are able to offer to tribal members. Located on the next access road up above on a hill, The Heron's Nest is significantly easier and safer for people to access while still offering a trail through the woods to the longhouse property. 

This project is the first ever repatriation attempt with respect to the Duwamish Tribe and would have significant impacts on the Tribe’s recognition claims. Now that the property has been cleaned up and new facilities have been built, there is ample space for meaningful community programming, education, social events, traditional practices, gardening/farming, and more.

  • 1865

    Seattle bans all Duwamish from residing within limits of town, meaning the land was forcibly taken from the Tribe.

  • 1893

    Settlers burned down the Tribe’s housing and belongings

  • 1916

    Opening of Lake Washington Ship Canal, draining lake, leaving Tribe without source of food or transportation. Tribal members remained in area with makeshift homesteads and logging camps, but lacked reservation of their own.

  • 1950

    The Duwamish basin became the core of Seattle's industrial and commercial industry. Activities included cargo handling and storage, marine construction, ship and boat manufacturing, concrete manufacturing, paper and metals fabrication, food processing, and numerous other industrial operations.

  • 1960-1990

    After the initial development in the 50’s, the land was purchased by a private owner, local family MacFarlands, who further developed the land, adding cement and stone brought out of the river to backfill the land. They owned it until the late 90s.

  • 2000s

    Since the late 90’s, this parcel has passed through the hands of several different developers, all of whom decided not to build on the property due to the costs associated with establishing power, water, and sewage systems. Developers who purchased it had proposed land uses approved by the city to do up to 16 multimillion dollar condo units, but to bring utilities, sewage, fire hydrant, etc, in just to begin a development project would be about 3 million dollars.

  • 2010

    Between 2010 and 2019, the mostly undeveloped lot sat vacant. There was a lot of criminal activity and the area had become a dump zone for stolen cars, waste, etc. There is a single family residence on the lot that was completely uninhabitable due to vandalism. The owner wanted to sell the land and was looking for someone to keep an eye on the property.

  • 2019

    Amanda made an informal agreement with the property owner to watch over the land in exchange for storage space. Once Amanda saw the approximation of the land to the longhouse, conversations began with the Duwamish Tribal Services about the potential use of the land. It was made known to them the land was going to be sold and that they could purchase it if they were interested.

  • 2020

    Through the conversations it became clear that Duwamish Tribal Services were interested in utilizing the land and having access to it, but did not have the capacity or funds (due to being wrapped up in Federal recognition case and also because they had just purchased the 2,000 sqft parking lot next to the longhouse. Since spring of 2020 Amanda has put in about 2,500 hours of labor into developing the property.

  • 2021

    In February of 2021, Shared Spaces took over the lease on a rent with option to buy for $1,000,000 agreement and began paying rent of $1,000/month on the property.

  • Location.

    4818 15th Ave SW
    Seattle, WA 98106

    Between the lower ridge of the Duwamish greenbelt and river, approximately 500yards south of the Duwamish Longhouse; off main access road, W. Marginal Way. Seattle Dept. of Parks & Rec owns surrounding lots.

    Parcel #2840700005

  • Planned Use Summary.

    Reduction of impact from continued development and industrialization of native lands. Partnered with the Duwamish Tribe and multiple NGO’s (see partnerships) utilizing the land for educational workshops, storage, community facilities, and urban farming space. Restoration of natural land and continued stewardship. Preservation of green spaces and local access to ‘Ridge to River Trail’. Additional Duwamish Territory. Community programming, alternative education, outdoor recreation learning space. Urban farming facility that provides food to low income and marginalized community members.

  • Specifics.

    Property Size: 155,073.6 sqft / 3.56 acres

    Current Facilities: 65’ x 16’ Greenhouse, Garden, Campgrounds, Classroom, ADA Showers & Outhouse, Single Family Residence, Storage Shed, Gated Entrance, Chicken & Duck Coop, Gravel Driveway

    Flora: Madrona, Plum, Elderberry, Maple, Cottonwood, Fern, Blackberry

Meet the Team

  • Amanda Lee

    they/them

    FIELD DIRECTOR

    Amanda is a dedicated environmental activist and educator that has worked with a variety of nonprofits to strengthen communities and preserve waterways and land for future generations. They have led numerous workshops, projects, and events, teaching a range of practical skills related to environmental sustainability. They hold certifications including ACA Kayak/SUP instructor, STCW coast guard safety, American Red Cross CPR Instructor, General Mechanic, Woodworking and Welding certifications.

    Amanda began working in the Duwamish river valley 8 years ago, leading kayak tours on the river. Through their work on the river, they built a relationship with the Duwamish tribe, and helped the tribe with the formation of an education waters program, which is set to launch in Spring 2022.

    Through their work with Shared Spaces Foundation, Amanda plans to share their knowledge of sustainable building and self-sufficiency. Amanda is a young and driven innovator who hopes to show others that through strong will and determination you can make a difference in the world and help educate others outside of the boundaries of the formal education system.

  • Waiman Lee

    she/her

    FUNDRAISING DIRECTOR

    Waiman was born and raised in Hong Kong. Even at a young age she has always wanted to give back to the community. She came to the U.S. to pursue her college degree which she achieved in short order. After college she worked in New York as a real estate agent before returning to Hong Kong. While in Hong Kong, Waiman worked at a public relations firm and also started an international trading firm importing Washington State wine to Hong Kong and China. This is when her entrepreneurial spirit caught fire. Waiman enjoys the outdoors and nature. As Hong Kong is very small and crowded, she looked for somewhere to go.

    Her love of the outdoors and nature eventually led her to Seattle where she picked up her real estate career as an international agent and personal investor. Her passion for giving back led her to volunteer in elderly homes and youth centers. She has lived in Seattle now for 11 years. Growing up in Hong Kong, where space is very limited, made Waiman realize that being able to provide space and create an environment where people can learn and prosper is her true calling.

  • Lauren Little

    she/her

    SOCIAL MEDIA

    Lauren began a relationship with educational workshops early on in her cosmetology career by attending countless inspirational classes. It was this platform that led her to become an educator herself. She gained a deep passion for sharing knowledge in a hands on learning environment structuring engaging and comprehensive curriculums for students of all experience levels. It is this experience and Lauren's tenacious work ethic that will create a lasting impression with participants. Lauren is excited to continue her studies with South Seattle Community College and hopes to build a culture of sustainable education through volunteering with The Heron’s Nest.