NSEA Happenings and News:

Fairhaven Middle School Service Learning Program

Middle school students from Fairhaven Middle School have been spending part of their Friday giving back to their community through the Middle School Service Learning Program. Two of these groups of motivated students have been teaming up with NSEA and the Bellingham Parks Department to remove invasive plant species, maintain previous work sites, and plant native trees and shrubs along Padden Creek, located within a mile of Fairhaven Middle School. Throughout their service the Fairhaven Middle School students learn how their service is making a positive impact on salmon habitat and the watershed which they live and go to school in. Thanks for your service Fairhaven Middle School!

Happy Valley Elementary Salmon Dissection with Dr. Dave

Dr. Dave recently teamed up with Maggie Long, NSEA's education coordinator to lead a salmon dissection at Happy Valley Elementary. Maggie has been teaching the Happy Valley kindergartners about the salmon life cycle while helping them to raise baby coho salmon (fry) to be released into the wild this spring. Way to go Happy Valley Elementary! 

 

 

 

 

Happy Valley Elementary Salmon Tank Project

Kindergartners  from Happy Valley Elementary were recently asked by their teacher Susan D'Amelio to draw a picture and to write down some "salmon facts" about what they learned from recent salmon lessons from NSEA's education program. Maggie Long, NSEA's education coordinator has been teaching the Happy Valley kindergartners about the salmon life cycle while helping them to raise baby coho salmon (fry) to be released into the wild this spring. Way to go Happy Valley Elementary! 





"Tree-Angle" Benefit for NSEA

A compound  of tree and triangle describing The Huxley Student Chapter of the Air and Waste Management Association's (AWMA) project to donate trees, shrubs and specialty plants to the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (N-SEA). 100% of your donation will be used to purchase shrubs and trees from the 2012 Whatcom Conservation District Plant Sale.  These plants will then be donated to the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA), thus completing the “tree-angle”. Huxley AWMA’s  goal is to create a link between individuals and businesses in our community (from WWU, to Whatcom, to Washington and beyond) with local organizations in an effort to plant a more sustainable future. Ways to Donate: online at www.wwu.edu/give, by phone 360-650-3027, or by check:

WWU Foundation
516 High Street, OM 430
Bellingham, WA 98225-9034

Stream Restoration Internship Opportunity

Outdoor Science Education Internship Opportunity

NSEA is now on Twitter!

March 24- Whatcom Conservation District's (WCD) 19th Annual Native Plant Sale & Expo

• The Nooksack River Basin has all 5 species of Pacific salmon:  Chinook salmon, chum salmon, coho salmon, pink salmon, and sockeye salmon.
• Chinook are the largest Pacific salmon species and can reach up to 135 pounds!
• Coho have the nickname silver salmon because they retain their silvery ocean color longer than any other salmon species after entering fresh water.
• In 2011, 1,807 Whatcom County students spent 3,489 hours participating in NSEA educational programs.
• In 2011, 91 streamside habitat restoration work parties were held. 2,520 volunteers donated 6,584.5 hours to streamside work parties!
  

Pacific salmon have disappeared from about 40% of their historical breeding ranges in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and California over the last century, and many remaining populations are severely depressed in areas where they were formerly abundant.