“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of a difference you want to make.”
—Jane Goodall
Nooksack River Stewards
The Nooksack River Stewards Program educates residents and visitors about wild salmon, native fish populations, and how to recreate responsibly in the Nooksack River watershed. In the North Fork, our naturalists share the wonders of our national forest, host guided river walks, and emphasize the importance of leaving no trace with visitors, and residents to the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Our team in the South Fork prioritizes education on stewardship practices that reduce negative impacts while recreating around stressed salmon and habitat.
These two initiatives aim to show how collective action can help salmon recovery goals that people can take with them long after leaving our natural playgrounds. Have questions? Reach out to Sarah at sbrown@n-sea.org or call our office at 360-715-0283.
summer 2024 Events and Activities
Guided River Walks
Learn all about salmon, their habitat, and conduct water quality experiments. Free, fun for all ages, no RSVP needed. Requires walking on some uneven trail with a few short inclines/steps.
North Fork: 1PM Saturdays, July 6th-Sept 7
Meet at the Horseshoe Bend Trailhead in Glacier, WA.
River Litter Cleanup
Sept 8 | 10am-12pm | Acme, WA
We are ending the summer season by picking up litter along the river! NSEA adopted a section of Mosquito Lake Road, and teams will help us collect trash to keep it clean. Suitable for most ages, requires walking on uneven ground. RSVP required, lunch provided!
South Fork outreach
Summers in the PNW are filled with sunshine and warm weather, drawing people outside and coinciding with the return of Chinook salmon to freshwater across the state. These threatened fish enter river systems as early as April, holding in the Nooksack River until their ideal spawning time in August and September. There's limited information on how increased summer river use impacts these salmon, and few options for learning about them while recreating. That’s where we come in! NSEA has received funding to provide education and outreach about the South Fork Nooksack River, partnering with the Nooksack Indian Tribe to share information on salmon stewardship and habitat preservation. While not aiming to regulate river use from the South Fork Watercraft Closure, NSEA seeks to engage recreators in best practices, learn from their experiences, and share collected data and stories. The Storymap below describes our South Fork Programming, results from the 2023 season, and more!
The Nooksack River Steward Programs are supported by WRIA 1 Salmon Recovery Lead Entity, Whatcom County Public Works, Tomberg Family Foundation, Drinking Water Providers Partnership.
