By NSEA Stewardship Program Coordinator, Sarah Brown

Salmon recovery is a complex field that requires collaboration and strong partnerships, and we are excited to join forces once again with other local organizations and governments for our 2021 Fall Community Work Parties. We will restore streamside habitat along seven different creeks across Whatcom County this fall by planting native trees and shrubs and removing invasive vegetation. Between October 9 and December 11, we are hosting a work party every Saturday from 9 am-12 pm. Plus, we have two work parties commemorating important events in our community, Orca Recovery Day and Make a Difference Day.

Endangered Southern Resident orcas rely on healthy Chinook salmon populations and habitat degradation and pollution continue to be some of the biggest threats to salmon recovery. Alongside the Whatcom Conservation District and the Whatcom Land Trust, we are celebrating Orca Recovery Day by restoring salmon habitat along California Creek on October 16. Planting trees and removing invasive vegetation improves the water quality of the creek which makes up about 40% of the Drayton Harbor watershed and is home coho, chum, and Chinook salmon as well as threated winter steelhead.

The following weekend will be our Make a Difference Day (MADD) Work Party with the City of Bellingham on October 23. MADD is a National Day of Service focused on community and making positive impacts, and we will spend the day restoring salmon habitat throughout Whatcom Falls Park. Sign up to join us and encourage your friends and family to tag along, and we will be ready with tools, gloves, and instructions for a fun day of restoration.

Outdoor opportunities remain as one of the safest ways to get involved and connect with others in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. We will continue requiring registration, physical distancing, and face coverings, along with following other safety measures as described in our COVID-19 policies and procedures. If you have a larger group that is interested in participating at one of our Community Work Parties or are looking for a private restoration opportunity, please reach out! I am happy to answer any questions you may have about the upcoming season and the work we are doing to keep our community safely engaged in salmon recovery. Please contact Sarah Brown at sbrown@n-sea.org or call 360-715-0283.

We look forward to seeing you at the creek!

Registration for Community Work Parties is now available on our website.

By Education Program Coordinator, Nathan Zabel

In a year that has been marked by adapting and pivoting our programming, we are grateful to be able to look forward to meeting both students and community members outdoors, in-person, along salmon-bearing waterways throughout Whatcom County. Facilitating those programs will be NSEA’s new AmeriCorps Team, serving through Washington Service Corps.

Joining the NSEA team are Environmental Stewardship Associates Megan Adams and Gabby Boyson and Environmental Education Associates Chloe Brush and Grace Pierstorff. Megan is from Puyallup and is a familiar face at NSEA. You may have seen her in the Mt. Baker – Snoqualmie National Forest when she was a Nooksack River Steward Intern or at a Community Work Party this spring when she was a Community Program Intern. She recently graduated from Western Washington University with a degree in Environmental Science. Megan is “excited to grow through the new challenges I’ll face and work as a team to impact our community.” Joining her on the Stewardship team is Gabby, who took a trip across the country to serve with NSEA. She comes from Vermont, and graduated from the University of Vermont with a degree in Environmental Policy. Gabby is looking forward to “getting my hands dirty planting trees and pulling invasives with this great community and watching NSEA’s projects continue to grow!”

Chloe Brush is from the Pacific Northwest, originally from Portland, and is a recent graduate from Western Washington University with a degree in Environmental Studies. She has experience with hands-on restoration through participation with WWU’s LEAD Program at work parties and is excited to bring that experience to “both make a difference in my community and learn more about it as well.” Joining her on the Education team is Grace, who also ventured to Washington for this position. She comes from Wisconsin and is a recent graduate from the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire with a degree in Environmental Biology. This is Grace’s second AmeriCorps term, having previously served with Bitter Root Water Forum in Montana. She is looking forward to “expanding my knowledge on salmon ecology and exploring out in nature with students of Whatcom County.”

You will have a chance to meet this year’s Program Team at the variety of programs they will be facilitating, including Community Work Parties, Salmon Sightings, and Students for Salmon. They are excited to connect with you at locations throughout Whatcom County and work collaboratively to further our mission of salmon recovery through education, inspiration, and engagement.

Fall Fun at Community Work Parties

Welcome Program Team!