Get Involved
Community volunteers are the strength of salmon recovery.
There is more than one way to help: a Saturday work party, an internship, a gift, or a restoration project on your own land.
Ways to help
Ways to get involved.
Volunteer
Work Parties
Join a Saturday morning work party and plant native trees and shrubs along local creeks. No experience needed, and all ages are welcome!
Work with Us
Internships & Careers
FLOW internships (Future Leaders of Whatcom Waters) are paid positions for college students, with credit available through WWU. Staff openings are posted here too.
For Landowners
Landowner Partnerships
If a creek runs through your property, NSEA can help you restore it at no cost. Fill out the Landowner Response Form and our restoration crew will follow up.
Give
Donate
Donations pay for the trees, tools, and staff behind every project. Give once, or become a monthly donor and help us plan ahead.
Community Science
Salmon Spotters
Watch a creek site of your choice for 15 minutes twice a week each fall and help us count the salmon that come back to Whatcom County.
Volunteer Work Parties
What to expect at a work party.
Since 1999, NSEA’s Stream Stewards Program has hosted volunteer work parties at salmon habitat restoration sites around Whatcom County. They run every spring and fall, most on Saturday mornings from 9am to 12pm.
NSEA brings all the tools, gloves (sizes XS to XL), and instructions. Just wear sturdy shoes and long pants you don’t mind getting dirty. Typical tasks include planting native trees and shrubs, removing invasive blackberry and reed canary grass, spreading mulch, and potting natives for our plant nursery.
All ages are welcome. Volunteers under 18 need a signed Youth Liability Form, and volunteers under 14 need an adult with them. Register at VolunteerHub, or reach our Stewardship Program Manager, Sarah Brown, at sbrown@n-sea.org.
Since 1991
400,000+
volunteer hours since 1991
1,400+
work parties hosted
500,000+
native trees and shrubs planted
Groups welcome
Bring your whole crew.
Work parties are a great fit for large groups, and NSEA can host a private work party just for your company, school, club, or team.
More ways to volunteer
See a role you’re interested in?
Beyond work parties, volunteers chaperone Students for Salmon field trips, collect vegetation monitoring data at restoration sites, translate materials into languages used in Whatcom County (currently Ukrainian and Punjabi), and serve on our volunteer board of directors. Submit the volunteer interest form and we’ll be in touch!
Join us
Join us at the creek!
The next work party is only a Saturday morning away, and registration takes a couple of minutes on VolunteerHub. You can also sign up for Fish Bytes, our e-newsletter, to hear about upcoming events.