The Tale of Two Forks

Folks checking the turbidity tube to determine if the water is clear enough for salmon

A LARGE pile of recently removed invasive Himalayan Blackberry and an excited work party volunteer. And that was only one pile that was not the only pile volunteers removed that day!

The Nooksack River Stewards program began as a partnership with the Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest to increase capacity for education, outreach, and monitoring in an area along the North Fork Nooksack River. Fast forward nearly 20 years and the program expanded this year to include the South Fork Nooksack River! These two forks of the river couldn’t be more different, surrounding land use, headwater source, flow and temperature all vary, but they are both home to critical Spring Chinook populations that are a priority for recovery in our area. We took different approaches in how programming would look in each fork, but the overall goal was the same: engage the community in ways they can steward salmon habitat while recreating.

Kiddos learning the names of the five Pacific salmon using the fiver finger salmon trick. FYI, Thumb= chum.

Overall, we engaged a total of 2,348 community members and visitors along the Nooksack River! We hosted community work parties in both forks with the Whatcom Land Trust where 57 volunteers removed over 45 cubic yards of invasive vegetation. We had fun making bracelets during salmon storytime at the Whatcom County Library’s North Fork and Deming branches. In Glacier, 61 participants joined us for the Guided River Walks to learn about salmon ecology and conduct water quality experiment along the Horseshoe Bend Trail. And our summer season concluded with hundreds of people witnessing the biennial return of pink salmon at Thompson Creek bridge during our Salmon Sighting events. Down in Acme, we surveyed 130 recreators, collected data on water quality and recreation, and picked up 280 gallons of trash!

The booth along the South Fork.

Thank you to Nooksack River Stewards partners and funders: Whatcom Land Trust, Mt Baker Snoqualmie National Forest, Whatcom County Library System, Nooksack Indian Tribe, WRIA 1 Salmon Recovery Lead Entity, Whatcom County Public Works, Tomberg Family Foundation, and Drinking Water Providers Partnership.

P.S. Our South Fork programming included much more than could fit here. Visit www.nooksacksalmon.wordpress.com for more details on that initiative including our community survey and data collection results.

By Sarah Brown, NSEA Stewardship Programs Manager

Celebrating another summer with Camp Keystone

By Nathan Zabel, NSEA Education Program Manager

This summer, NSEA welcomed back 4-6 year old campers, and our campus was once again filled with laughter, singing, dancing, and excitement. Camp Keystone celebrated its third year, and first year as a state licensed, outdoor nature-based program. For both returning campers and those we met for the first time this summer, we enjoyed another summer of learning about salmon, a keystone species so important to our region.

Camp Keystone ran for 10 weeks from June through August and featured 10 different ecological themes, all rooted in salmon education and place-based outdoor learning. New themes such as “Salish Sea” connected campers to the marine world salmon swim in while familiar themes such as “Whatcom Watersheds” brought campers from the top of Mt. Baker to the depths of Bellingham Bay. We started each day with a salmon circle, which included a land acknowledgment, salmon yoga, and salmon songs! Campers learned through movement and music the stages of the lifecycle and the habitats salmon rely on for survival, while thanking our Indigenous neighbors for caring for the land since time immemorial. They left each week showcasing their ability to name all 5 species of Pacific salmon using their hands.

Each week featured a field trip where campers visited a property located in the forest along Tenmile Creek. There, they got to look for salmon fry in the moving water of the creek, stand next to a beaver dam, and play hide and seek among the tall trees.

We are thrilled that almost every week of camp was full. This year was our first year as a licensed program, which opened up access to subsidies for families and allowed us to take one more step to increase accessibility to our Whatcom County community. We are happy to hear how meaningful Camp Keystone was for these campers and their families. One parent said, “Everyday my child came home and shared what they learned. I was amazed with how much he absorbed and could articulate to me. The topics were both fun and engaging but cultural and place based. Thank you for such awareness in your program!” Camp Keystone provided an avenue for youth to play, grow, and explore in the outdoors, while sparking a lifelong learning and compassion for the environment and salmon.

Registration for next summer will open on February 1st – look for more information at n-sea.org/camp-keystone or contact Nathan Zabel at nzabel@n-sea.org.