2019 was a blessedly smoke free summer, but we all still recall our 40 consecutive days of unhealthy air quality during the 2018 fires. 2017 was also a terrible smoke year. The Methow Valley Clean Air Project has been listening to what smoke season feels like to you – not just headaches, sore throats, and wheezing – but also the high stress of being cooped up indoors, feeling alone and isolated, wondering when the smoke was going to clear, and whether this is simply our “new normal” for summers in the valley.

As we see right now in California, this is not just a local issue, but one people are grappling with all over the world – how do we care for ourselves and each other during the mental stress of wildfire smoke? We can wear respirator masks and try to stay inside in cleaner air, but how do we stay mentally strong through prolonged smoke episodes?

Please join the Methow Valley Clean Air Project for a discussion to better understand what smoke season felt like, and what helped make it better. We are partnering with the University of WA to develop a tool kit for our community to use, to help share information on coping during smoke season. Small focus groups will be led by local health and wellness providers to hear your concerns and solutions. From your input, the toolkit will be developed, shared back with you, and widely distributed in the community prior to the 2020 smoke season.

We know there are A LOT of these types of listening sessions going on in the valley this fall; thank you for taking the time to participate in this unique effort to build our resilience to wildfire smoke.

Dinner and quality, fun childcare provided!

Space is limited – please RSVP to annah57@uw.edu and liz@mvcitizens.org