A bunch of us volunteered recently to help Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group staff do the annual In-Stream Monitoring and Measuring of many of the sites where fish habitat restoration has been done. The results, some tracking back several years, help determine the effectiveness of the efforts, both in the stream and on the banks.
The staff guy on our team was 40 years younger than me, and had a little one about 1 year old. We were working on a little stretch of N.P. Creek up near Wickersham. I got to wondering if this kind of stuff was being done when I was his age, and if it would be still happening when that little fellow is grown.
Coincidently, I ran across the http://www.skagitriverhistory.com website and read many of the news articles from around 1968. Lots of talk about flood control via dams, dredging, and a by-pass. Much concern about declining salmon runs. Also mention of streams ruined from logging practices. Nothing about any restoration efforts at all! We’ve come a long ways in forty years … in some ways!
When you see how much effort it must take to restore just a few hundred yards of a stream, and then look at/imagine all the miles of damaged streams around here where salmon could spawn and live their early lives …. it seems like even Forty more years is not enough. Learn well and work hard little one.
By the way … kudos to the GoSkagit staff on their new design and format … it has really made blogs much more accessible! If you like it, let them know.
The Local-Organization-You-Might-Want-To-Be-Involved-With this week is The Skagit Audubon Society http://www.fidalgo.net/~audubon/ Yes, the bird watchers. But golly, this is some of the best bird watching anywhere and there is always something of interest. Field trips and presentations of all sorts are scheduled frequently; there is a calendar on the web site.
Meetings are held out at the Padilla Bay facility on the second Tuesday of each month, except July and August, 7:00 pm. They are quite informal and open to non-members. Membership fees are nominal and provide you with a monthly newsletter. Besides the fun of birding, members are also involved in educational programs and conservation activity and advocacy.
Give them a look-see, and maybe join up and help keep the NaturalSkagit nice!
Here are some near-term activities to consider:
Now Watch a video about helping to keep Puget Sound clean http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=24243118493081945&hl=en
Sat. June 21 Skagit Land Trust van tour 9:30am – 3:00pm http://www.Skagitlandtrust.org for details. See some beautiful preserved areas with lunch and treats!
Sat. June 21 Nookachamps Watershed Tour 9:00am – 3:00pm Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group All ages 360 336 0172 or
Sat. June 21 Beach Expo at Washington Park 1:00 pm – 3:00pm WSU Beachwatchers provides guided intertidal walks and education about caring for these sensitive areas!
Sat. June 28 North Cascades NP Colonial Creek Campground Storm Damage Revegetation 9:00am – 12:00pm 360 854 7275 for details.
Sat. June 28 Tour Eight Anacortes Backyard Wildlife Habitats 10:00am – 2:00pm Map and flyer at Anacortes Farmers Market – R ave. between 6th and 8th.
Sat. June 28 Work Party at Tope-Ryan or Lyman Slough 10:00am – 1:00pm http://www.Skagitlandtrust.org for details. Help clear brush and invasive plants from newly planted native species at these beautiful preserved sites.
Sat. July 5 Beach naturalists at Washington Park 1:00pm – 3:00pm Beach education with the WSU Beachwatchers.
July North Cascades Institute, in cooperation with the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, is seeking volunteers to participate in the Mountain Stewards program, now in its seventh year. Beginning in July, this environmental education program will train adult volunteers in low-impact recreation skills, natural history and backcountry management issues. Mountain Steward volunteers will travel in these beautiful areas to share information with day hikers, backpackers and climbers.
If you’re an experienced hiker with a passion for protecting wild places, you can find more Mountain Stewards information or obtain an application at http://www.ncascades.org/programs/stewardship/mountain , by phone at (360) 856-5700 ext. 209 or email at .
Many similar events and activities and opportunities are posted on the GoSkagit Event Calendar. Check it often!
(This blog is a service of the Skagit Conservation Education Alliance http://www.skagitwater.org Your comments will be helpful. New ideas to consider, and changes we should make are especially welcome. Corrections and further enlightenment will help as well. You can email to . Thank you.)
