north olympic salmon coalitionnosc.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/march-20151.pdf · 2014. 3....
TRANSCRIPT
North Olympic Salmon Coalition
"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time is today." - Anonymous
upcoming events
Maynard BeachDiscovery Bay Tree PlantingSaturday, March 28th10am-2pmRSVP Reed: [email protected] or 379-8051 Dungeness RiverTree Plantingnear Nash's FarmSaturday, April 4th 10am-2pmRSVP Kendra:[email protected] or 379-8051 Chimacum CreekFinnriver Farm Tree PlantingSaturday, April 18th10am-2pm RSVP Kendra: [email protected] or379-8051 Earth Day! Peabody Creek Port Angeles tree planting andinvasive removalWednesday, April 22nd 3pm - 7pmRSVP Kendra:[email protected] or 379-8051
THANK YOUBINGO SUPPORTERS!
Plant with us again at Discovery Bay!Phase II of the Maynard Beach Restoration Planting
Volunteers came out in droves to plant dunegrass at Discovery Bay in Nov.2014. We will be back March 28 to plant trees! Join us! Bring your friends!North Olympic Salmon Coalition invites YOU to our largest plantingevent of the season on Saturday, March 28th at our beautifulMaynard Beach restoration site at Discovery Bay. We will be planting more than 2000 trees and shrubs just abovethe beach and need your help! When: Saturday, March 28thWhere: Maynard Beach at Discovery Bay (behind the train cars)Time: 10am-2pmWhat to bring: We will provide gloves and shovels, but pleasebring your own if possible. Also bring water, a lunch, durableshoes, and warm/waterproof clothing (just in case). These volunteer plantings (especially at Maynard Beach) havetaught us that salmon truly draw people together. Planting eventshave fostered growing friendships, inspired youth involvement,and always offer a fun outdoor adventure. Don't just take it fromus though; see what other volunteers have to say: "When I started volunteering with NOSC through my Natural
Photo By Jean Erreca
Thanks to stalwart bingoenthusiasts* and generousmatching funds from our
board and friends, we brokeweekly records and
raised $2900 during SalmonBINGO 2015!
*Bingo devotees will be pleased to notethat the Hilltop hosts bingo every
Wednesday to benefit various charitiesthroughout the year.
WISH LISTDonate to NOSC!
Bright colored fabric for Fin'sRhody costume!
Kevin's Fish"They grow up so fast..."
Resources class, I witnessed the passion and excellence of thestaff and grew a lot of respect for them. Many people dream toadvocate positive change in our environment, but they truly wantto act for that impact. This is why I continue to volunteer withNOSC." -Emily Larson, Sequim High School Junior "My favorite aspects of planting trees and bushes are working withother dedicated and energetic volunteers...especially young kidswho will serve as the future stewards of our salmon and habitat."- Andy McGregor, NOSC Board President So, put your salmon-friendly thoughts into action and come out toour Maynard Planting. Please RSVP to Reed at [email protected];(360) 379-8051.
New Project UnderwayDawley Restoration Site on Sequim Bay
The Dawley Restoration Projectwill restore a 1,400 ft section ofSequim Bay shoreline owned bythe United States Fish andWildlife Service through theremoval of armoring, bulkheads,fill, and overwater structures.The shoreline will be re-contoured to blend intoundisturbed adjacent beachfaces and the marine riparianzone will be re-vegetated. Thisproject will repair habitatsustaining shoreline processesand improve migration andsurvival of juvenile salmon,especially JimmycomelatelyCreek summer chum. Theproject will also improve water
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One Month Old
*See February newsletter forbaby picture*
50% OFF ALL 2014
MERCHANDISE
Fish LOVE our shirts.
...available at our Port Hadlock
office...
Follow NOSC onFacebook
quality within Sequim Bay byremoving toxic creosoted pilings.There will be future opportunities for volunteers to participate intree planting and invasive removal activities on this property. Staytuned!
Citizen Action Training SchoolCitizen-led service projects gather steam
CATS students walk the beach at the mouth of the Elwha River on a classfield trip. Citizen Action Training School (CATS) students are well underwaywith service projects. Each student undertook a 50-hour projectof his or her own design, with the goal of improving Puget Soundhealth. One student began surveying his Port Angeles neighborhood forsuitable locations for a rain garden. After one particularrainstorm, he realized that the project was much larger thananticipated, and he set out to create GIS map overlays of severalwest Port Angeles neighborhoods' stormwater pathways, revealinginteresting possibilities. He plans to work with City and Countyofficials to see if his findings might illuminate possibilities forimproved stormwater management. Several other students worked with Sequim Water ResourcesSpecialist Anne Soule to enhance her outreach efforts aroundSequim's water plan. One student project engaged youth increating an interactive route along Sequim's Bell Creek, recentlycovered by the Sequim Gazette.
You can follow various other class projects on the class blog. Congratulations, CATS students!
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: School ProgramsGuiding our young people in stewardship
Reed Aubin, Volunteer & Education Program Manager, instructs SequimHigh School students on planting trees.
The Salmon Coalition is currently on the lookout for volunteersinterested in working with young people! We are partnering withmiddle and high school groups from Chimacum, Port Townsend,and Sequim and need your help. No education experience isrequired - all training provided. Connecting young people with their local watersheds and ournative salmon is an important piece to creating long-term healthysalmon habitat. Events with these students include servicelearning work-parties, water quality testing,macroinvertebrate lessons in the classroom (looking at cool bugswith microscopes), and more. Dates include the following:
Wed. March 25: Tree planting with Chimacum MiddleSchool Tues. April 7: Fin and Field Games at Grant Street SchoolFri. April 10: Tree planting with Blue Heron Middle School,in ChimacumFri. April 17: Water quality study with Blue Heron MiddleSchool and Jefferson Land TrustApril 23: Tree planting with Joyce Middle School in PortAngelesWeek of May 4: Macroinvertebrate study with ChimacumMiddle SchoolThurs. May 7 & Fri. May 8: Water quality study with BlueHeron Middle SchoolTues. May 26: Planting site maintenance with Blue HeronMiddle School, in Chimacum
Ongoing: Environmental Project Mentorship with SequimHigh School students.
To volunteer for these projects, contact Reed Aubin [email protected]; 379-8051.
Keep Your Friends WarmSell Them Some Quilt Raffle Tickets!
The "Salmon Rain" quilt, displayed by Salmon Coalition staff members ReedAubin and Rebecca Benjamin
Don't be fooled by the recent warm winter weather nor the sunnyday in the photograph above. The nights ahead may still getchilly, and June-uary is right around the corner. Your friends maybe in danger of getting cold, so what better way to show themthat you care for them, than by selling them some raffle tickets? They, or you, can own a cozy piece of local salmon restorationhistory, the "Salmon Rain" quilt, created by the Wild OlympicWomen in 1989. The quilt made its way home to celebrate its25th birthday, and we are raffling it off again to support theresurgence of salmon art and culture in our community. All ticketssold will benefit community celebrations and soulful educationabout fish and local watersheds. The drawing will be held at 4pm on May 15, right after the RhodyParade, at Pope Marine Park in downtown Port Townsend. Fin willdraw the winning ticket. We need YOUR help to sell a few tickets to your friends. ContactEmmy Lou Stein at [email protected], or (360) 774-0373,or (360) 732-4085.
Education and Volunteer Highlights
photo by joelrogers.com
Volunteers gather around Reed Aubin, Volunteer and Education ProgramCoordinator, as he describes proper techniques for planting a tree atChimacum Creek work-party on Eaglemount Farms.
Sequim High School "Salmon Crew" observe Siebert Creek for their NaturalResources class. These students gain one semester credit through the NorthOlympic Peninsula Skills Center as they study and restore their localenvironment with the Salmon Coalition.
Students from Sequim and Port Angeles High School participate in ivyremoval during Peabody Creek work-party on March 7th.
Volunteer Spotlight
Frankie Jo Montague
Frankie naps as her dad, Larry Montague, records forage fish data atDiscovery Bay. Photo by Sarah Doyle
Our volunteer spotlight this month goes to the Salmon Coalition'syoungest volunteer (3 months old), Francesca Jo. Francesca, alsoknown as Frankie by family and friends, had her first volunteerexperience near the end of February. Frankie and her dad, former AmeriCorps Education & OutreachAssistant Larry Montague, joined Salmon Coalition stewardship
coordinator Sarah Doyle during our February forage fish survey.Forage fish are prey for salmon as they journey from estuary toocean and back to their estuary. The surveys conducted byFrancesca, Larry, and Sarah involve walking Irondale and Maynardbeach collecting sand samples. The samples are tested andanalyzed for forage fish eggs, which give us a good idea of ifthese restored beaches are providing habitat for salmon food. Of course, life as a baby, much like life as a salmon alevin, is achallenging one indeed, and Frankie hasn't quite learned tospeak. Luckily, Larry was able to interpret her "goos" and "gahs"for us...
What was Frankie Jo's favorite part of surveying forforage fish?Being born in water, Francesca seems to have an affinity forit. So far she loves bath time, snow (she was born in NewHampshire), and the ocean. I think her favorite part of thesurvey was being outside on the beach. Her mobility ispretty limited as this point. She seems to appreciate themotion of walking and the fresh air.
What other volunteer ventures do you hope to go ontogether?Well, once I told her that water is not just a fun thing to bein but also helps living things grow, she said we HAVE to goto a tree planting event. I haven't even told her wheresalmon live, yet... She's going to flip when she finds out! So,look for the Montague family at one of your upcomingplantings. We plan to volunteer a lot. Frankie doesn't have ajob right now, (neither does dad) but a lack of monetarywealth doesn't stop her from wanting to give. We decidedthat, rather than exchange gifts this holiday season, we'reall going to go to Seattle to volunteer at a young adultshelter or soup kitchen on Frankie's birthday--December12th.
Why have you and Frankie chosen to volunteer withNOSC?Alright, since you asked this question I had to tellFrankie where salmon live... "Wait. So you mean salmonbabies are born in water, too?!" Wow, she just gave a hugesmile! We love the Salmon Coalition, and not simply becausedad worked there for a year and we have a lot of friendsthere. NOSC is easy to like: you guys protect the water forthe fish, the trees for the water, and you make it possiblefor anyone--regardless of whether they're big or small, or iftheir age is measured in years or months--to help you dothese great things. Plus, you teach people all about theworld of salmon. Frankie has already realized that life is allabout learning, so she really appreciates your capacity tohelp people to do. "Once I learn my letters, I'm going to becruising around town chanting 'N-O-S-C!'"
"Thank you, Sarah, for a wonderful day on the beach!"
Is it any surprise this young volunteer has made the spotlight thismonth? If you're interested in volunteering like Larry and Frankie,please see our events calendar or contact Kendra:[email protected], (360) 379-8051
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North Olympic Salmon CoalitionCommunity Partnerships, Collaborative Restoration
www.nosc.org