Illuminate Skagit January 2023
January 27, 2023
Storming the Sound Conference 2023
January 19, 2023Storming the Sound 2023 - Register Now!
Storming the Sound, our regional environmental education conference will be in-person at Maple Hall in LaConner.
Thursday, January 19, 2023
We're all set for our 24th Storming the Sound conference! Now we just need you to join us. The agenda is posted at Storming the Sound's website. Here's a taste of this year's topics: Foundations for Addressing Climate Change, Monitoring stormwater with volunteers, making luminaries, teaching data literacy, singing for the planet, your local pollinators, salmon education – an NGSS aligned supplementary curriculum for upper elementary, how Washington State supports environmental education, and what is a just transition?
Is your organization a sponsor? Contact Susan Wood to find out how to support Storming the Sound. All presenters and attending sponsors need to register.
Are you a classroom teacher? We have substitute funds and free clock hour credits. Find the application here.
Let's gather together January 19 to inspire, energize and support one another.
Register now
COASST Training
July 30, 2022Beachwalkers wanted for
coastal observation and seabird survey team (coasst)
On July 30th , 2022 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST) will deliver a free training session in Mount Vernon, WA for members of the community. The COASST Beached Bird program is focused on the intersection of science, conservation, and communities. COASST participants help make a difference for the environment by collecting data on beach-cast carcasses of marine birds and marine debris on a monthly basis to establish the baseline pattern of beached bird mortality on North Pacific beaches.
Through an interactive, hands-on workshop, trainees will become acquainted with COASST survey protocols, have a chance to learn more about the seabirds that live in their area, and learn about the effects of marine debris on sealife. The COASST training provides participants with the tools to monitor for potential changes in the marine environment and promote stewardship of local marine resources.
COASST is a citizen science project of the University of Washington in partnership with state, tribal, and federal agencies, environmental organizations, and community groups. COASST believes residents of coastal communities are essential scientific partners in monitoring marine ecosystem health. By collaborating with community members, natural resource management agencies and environmental organizations, COASST works to translate long-term monitoring into effective marine conservation solutions. Currently, nearly 1000 participants survey beaches in Washington, Oregon, California, and Alaska.
The training session will be held at the Padilla Bay Interpretive Center (10441 Bayview-Edison Rd). There will be a short break in the middle of the session for lunch, so please bring your own sack lunch, or money to purchase food in the area. Participants need NO prior experience with scientific data collection, just a commitment to survey a specific beach at least once a month.
COVID-19 details: Masks are recommended, but not mandatory. Staying safe is our top priority and we will have disinfectant wipes and sanitizer on hand.
For more information and to reserve your training spot, call COASST at 206-221-6893 or email coasst@uw.edu. More information about the COASST program can be found at coasst.org.
Stream to Sea Virtual Kick Off Event
June 5, 2022
TIPS AND TRICKS TO CATCH MORE CRAB!
May 1, 2022Event Sponsors: Skagit Marine Resources Committee, Northwest Straits Foundation, and Northwest Straits Commission
Please join the Skagit MRC and Northwest Straits Foundation for a series of educational videos with tips and tricks to catch more crab! A Virtual Crabbing Workshop with WDFW will be held on the evening of June 30th. Stay tuned for more details!
Crabbing is a popular activity in Washington for recreational crabbers. There are lots of Dungeness crabs in Puget Sound, and crabbing gear is affordable and accessible. However, pots are lost at an extraordinarily high rate and very few are retrieved. An estimated 12,000 crab pots are lost in Puget Sound each year. A single lost crab pot can kill up to 15 crab per year resulting in over 180,000 wasted crabs not making it to the dinner table.
TIPS AND TRICKS TO CATCH MORE CRAB!
Here are a few tips and tricks to help you keep your pots and catch more crab!
Check out the Northwest Straits Foundation's educational videos that will be highlighted each week during the month May, including a virtual crabbing workshop!! A live virtual crabbing workshop with WDFW will be held on the evening of June 30th! Stay tuned for more details.
- Check Tides and Currents (May 1st- May 5th)
- Add Weight to your Crab Pot (May 6th – May 10th)
- How to Rig Your Line (May 15 – May 20th)
- Modify Your Crab Pot (May 22nd – May 25th)
- How to Set your Crab Pot (May 26th - May 30th)
- NWSF Virtual Crabbing Workshop 2020 (May 31st)
Additional Crabbing Resources to Know When and Where to Set Your Pot:
- Tides and Currents: NOAA Tide Predictions, NOAA Current Predictions, DeepZoom Tides and Currents; IPhone Apps: Tides Near Me, TideGraph; Android Apps: Tides Near Me, TideGraph
- Marine Traffic: Washington State Ferries-Route Map, Tug and Log Tow Routes, Commercial Vessel Tracking, Commercial Vessel Tracking App for iPhone & Commercial Vessel Tracking App for Android
- Rules & Regulations: Seasons and Limits, Crab ID and Softshell Crab;
SHORE FRIENDLY LIVING
May 1, 2022Join us for a FREE Vegetation Management Workshop and Beach Walk for Shoreline Landowners: May 25, 2022, 10am-2pm at the SneeOosh Beach and Thousand Trails Meeting Room. To Register: https://nwstraitsfoundation.org. Space is limited.
Bulkheads, seawalls, and rock riprap along the shoreline, can disrupt the natural geological processes that form beaches and spawning habitat for forage fish. Hard shore armoring can damage delicate shoreline habitats that are crucial to the survival of many marine species and can worsen overall shoreline erosion.
In many cases, bulkheads are unnecessary and there are better, more natural alternatives to address bank erosion and drainage issues on shoreline properties.
The Shore Friendly Living Program promotes alternative strategies for shoreline residential properties that provide both the use and enjoyment of the property while promoting and maintaining the nearshore ecosystems for the support of fish and wildlife.
Check out the Northwest Straits Foundation's Shore Friendly Living educational video series and resources for Shore Friendly Living:
EUROPEAN GREEN CRAB INVASION INVESTIGATIONS
May 1, 2022EUROPEAN GREEN CRAB INVASION INVESTIGATIONS IN SAMISH AND PADILLA BAYS!
Event sponsors: Skagit Marine Resources Committee, the Northwest Straits Commission (NWSC), and Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (PBNERR)
Invasive European Green Crab (EGC) are detrimental to native species and can negatively impact nearshore ecosystems. EGC populations have been found in Samish Bay and Padilla Bay in Skagit County. The NWSC, SMRC, and PBNERR are working in collaboration to trap and remove EGC in Samish and Padilla Bays and provide education and outreach to help reduce the spread of this invasive species.
Skagit Water Weeks Event- European Green Crab Presentation
May 25, 2022 - 3:30 - 7:30pm
Terramar Brewery -Distillery
5712 Gilkey Avenue Bow, WA
Want to learn more about European Green Crab and the collaborative effort to trap and remove them in Samish and Padilla Bays? Join NW Straits Commission, Padilla Bay Reserve, and Taylor Shellfish staff on May 25, 2022 from 3:30-7:30pm at Terramar Brewstillery. There will be talks and educational booths on green crab, shellfish, and much more. Click here to learn more.
Staff from the NWSC andPBNERR teamed up to train a Washington Conservation Corps crew on trapping invasive European green crab in Skagit County. Be sure to check out the twitter and Instagram posts by the NWSC’s Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) crew and Northwest Straits Facebook page during the month of May! The WCC members will share what they’ve learned, marine water facts, green crab facts, and other interesting tidbits to shine a light into estuarine field work.
Additional European Green Crab Information Resources:
- European Green Crab Trapping and Removal Effort in Drayton Harbor recorded webinar.
Bowman Bay Work Parties
April 30, 2022Join us this summer for weekday maintenance at our beach restoration site at Bowman Bay, Deception Pass State Park. In partnership with Washington State Parks, Skagit Marine Resources Committee, and Northwest Straits Foundation.
All events 10am-noon; bring garden gloves, or borrow ours! Dress for the weather.
Work parties are schduled for the following dates:
Wednesday May 18 REGISTER
Monday June 27 REGISTER
Wednesday July 13 REGISTER
Monday August 8 REGISTER
Reef Check Washington 2022 Training
April 20, 2022
Illuminight
January 28, 2022