Alum Creates Guide to Seattle’s Street Trees
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Taha Ebrahimi ’01 has always been fascinated by people who knew about trees. “It feels like they know more about a place or like they belong to a place,” she says.
As a first-generation Seattleite and an experienced world traveler, having a sense of place is important to Ebrahimi. It’s how she found her footing at Whitman College as a transfer student. It shaped her Watson Fellowship travels after Whitman. And it’s one of the motivating forces behind her Pacific Northwest bestseller, “Street Trees of Seattle: An Illustrated Walking Guide” (Sasquatch Books, 2024).
In many ways, the story of Seattle’s street trees is the story of the city itself. “Seattle has one of the most diverse street tree collections in the entire United States”—the majority of which are not native species, Ebrahimi says. “I used to take that for granted growing up. I didn’t know it was weird to have a palm tree, a Douglas fir, a maple and an elm as street trees all on the same block.”
That diversity makes the city one of the best places to learn about trees, she says, “because there are so many that you can see in person.” And that’s exactly what she hopes readers of her book will do. The robust walking guide combines history, illustrations, maps and identification tips for notable trees in over 30 of Seattle’s neighborhoods.
Read the full story in the Spring 2025 issue of Whitman Magazine. Also, don’t miss this story supplement that highlights trees on Whitman’s campus, with original illustrations by Ebrahimi.
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How to Submit Content for the Newsletter
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Whitman Today is open to submissions from the entire campus community. Send your submissions to whitmantoday@whitman.edu for consideration. Most requests are included as space allows.
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- Feature Stories: If you have an idea for a Feature Story, please reach out in advance as space is limited.
- Noteworthy: Submit your professional or personal accomplishments to be included as a Noteworthy as space allows.
- Announcements: Submissions of 125 words or less are due by noon on the previous business day to be included in the Announcements section. For event announcements, be sure to include title, date, time, location and a brief description.
- Photo Finish: Submit your photo(s) and a brief description to be considered for a Photo Finish. In most cases, this section is used to highlight ongoing or past events.
- Calendar of Events: Generally, events that are published on the main website calendar will automatically be included in the Whitman Today calendar.
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Print Shop Closed This Week
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Please note that Printing Services in Boyer House is closed this week, reopening on Monday, July 28.
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Outdoor Work Safety Webinar for Employees
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Whitman employees are invited to attend an Active&Fit webinar on the topic of “Working Outside and Safety Tips” on Wednesday, July 23, from noon–1 p.m. Advance registration is recommended.
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STEM Hub Talk on Wednesday
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A summer series of talks organized by the STEM Hub continues on Wednesday, July 23, at 4 p.m. in Brattain Auditorium in the Hall of Science. This week, Assistant Professor of Computer Science Jordan Wirfs-Brock will deliver a talk titled “Compelling Visuals To Communicate Your Research.” The series continues through the first week in August.
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Meet Whitman College’s arborist—Kirk Huffey ’95. In this short video, Huffey reflects on his time on campus as a student and how he later landed his current job caring for the health of Whitman’s many trees.
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STEM Hub Talk: Compelling Visuals To Communicate Your Research
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Hall of Science, Brattain Auditorium
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Whitties Turf Soccer Game
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James Hayner Field (RSVP)
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Umatilla National Forest, Sinks Trail and Jubilee Lake
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Would you like to share an event with campus? Submit the information to the Events Calendar.
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Whitman Today is emailed to Whitman College staff, faculty and students each weekday during the academic year and twice a week during breaks. An archive of previous issues is available online.
All submissions are welcome! If you have accomplishments to celebrate, an event to publicize or other Whitman content to share, email whitmantoday@whitman.edu. Submissions of 125 words or less are due by noon on the business day prior to publication. Submissions may be edited and/or held for a later date according to space and editorial needs. Your submission also authorizes use on Whitman's social media unless otherwise specified.
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Find us on social media: @whitmancollege
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