Now that the legislative session is over, where do the Orca Task Force recommendations stand? Has progress been made? The BOLD team has the answers in this easy-to-read scorecard.
Thank you to everyone who’s been following and engaging with their legislators to help critical bills get passed! There is still more work to be done in a lot of areas as you will find out in this report particularly in funding salmon habitat projects.
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Endangered Southern Resident killer whales depend on salmon as a critical prey resource from watersheds in Puget Sound and beyond. Salmon use the Sammamish River as a migratory corridor. Improving the water quality in the river will help both struggling salmon populations and orcas. Join us to care for new native plantings at the former Wayne Golf Course. Vegetation will help shade and cool and clean a small stream emptying into the Sammamish River. Healthy riparian forests control erosion of river banks and host insects young salmon need early in life. The former Wayne Golf Course features nearly a mile of shoreline and is the largest City of Bothell park. Activities will take place on the west side or “front nine.”
Consider signing up your household for a fun, educational, family outing. Those under 16 must be accompanied by an adult, under 18 need a signed release form by a parent. Meet at the clubhouse parking area (16721 96th Ave NE, Bothell, WA 98011). Please sign up. A confirmation email will be sent to you 2-3 days prior to the event.
Sign up here!
Join us to plant trees and shrubs along the Sammamish River!
Endangered Southern Resident killer whales depend on salmon as a critical prey resource from watersheds in Puget Sound and beyond. Salmon use the Sammamish River as a migratory corridor. Improving the water quality in the river will help both struggling salmon populations and orcas. Join us to care for new native plantings at the former Wayne Golf Course. Vegetation will help shade and cool and clean a small stream emptying into the Sammamish River. Healthy riparian forests control erosion of river banks and host insects young salmon need early in life. The former Wayne Golf Course features nearly a mile of shoreline and is the largest City of Bothell park. Activities will take place on the west side or “front nine.”
Consider signing up your household for a fun, educational, family outing. Those under 16 must be accompanied by an adult, under 18 need a signed release form by a parent. Meet at the clubhouse parking area (16721 96th Ave NE, Bothell, WA 98011). Please sign up. A confirmation email will be sent to you 2-3 days prior to the event.
Sign up here!
Join us to plant trees and shrubs along the Sammamish River!
Endangered Southern Resident killer whales depend on salmon as a critical prey resource from watersheds in Puget Sound and beyond. Salmon use the Sammamish River as a migratory corridor. Improving the water quality in the river will help both struggling salmon populations and orcas. Join us to care for new native plantings at the former Wayne Golf Course. Vegetation will help shade and cool and clean a small stream emptying into the Sammamish River. Healthy riparian forests control erosion of river banks and host insects young salmon need early in life. The former Wayne Golf Course features nearly a mile of shoreline and is the largest City of Bothell park. Activities will take place on the west side or “front nine.”
Consider signing up your household for a fun, educational, family outing. Those under 16 must be accompanied by an adult, under 18 need a signed release form by a parent. Meet at the clubhouse parking area (16721 96th Ave NE, Bothell, WA 98011). Please sign up. A confirmation email will be sent to you 2-3 days prior to the event.
Sign up here!
Join us to plant trees and shrubs along the Sammamish River!
Endangered Southern Resident killer whales depend on salmon as a critical prey resource from watersheds in Puget Sound and beyond. Salmon use the Sammamish River as a migratory corridor. Improving the water quality in the river will help both struggling salmon populations and orcas. Join us to care for new native plantings at the former Wayne Golf Course. Vegetation will help shade and cool and clean a small stream emptying into the Sammamish River. Healthy riparian forests control erosion of river banks and host insects young salmon need early in life. The former Wayne Golf Course features nearly a mile of shoreline and is the largest City of Bothell park. Activities will take place on the west side or “front nine.”
Consider signing up your household for a fun, educational, family outing. Those under 16 must be accompanied by an adult, under 18 need a signed release form by a parent. Meet at the clubhouse parking area (16721 96th Ave NE, Bothell, WA 98011). Please sign up. A confirmation email will be sent to you 2-3 days prior to the event.
Sign up here!
Join us to prepare for our upcoming fall planting season!
Endangered Southern Resident killer whales depend on salmon as a critical prey resource from watersheds in Puget Sound and beyond. Salmon use the Sammamish River as a migratory corridor. Improving the water quality in the river will help both struggling salmon populations and orcas. Join us to care for new native plantings at the former Wayne Golf Course. Vegetation will help shade and cool and clean a small stream emptying into the Sammamish River. Healthy riparian forests control the erosion of river banks and host insects young salmon need early in life. The former Wayne Golf Course features nearly a mile of shoreline and is the largest City of Bothell park. Activities will take place on the west side or “front nine.”
Consider signing up your household for a fun, educational, family outing. Those under 16 must be accompanied by an adult, under 18 need a signed release form by a parent. Meet at the clubhouse parking area (16721 96th Ave NE, Bothell, WA 98011). Please sign up. A confirmation email will be sent to you 2-3 days prior to the event.
By Deborah Horne, KIRO 7 News September 17, 2024 at 7:51 pm PDT
BOTHELL, Wash. — The birth of a new orca calf is sparking celebration. But also some concern among whale watchers tonight.
Now a scientist based in Bothell is working hard to keep mom, baby, and the rest of the endangered killer whales well fed.
Bothell is some 65 miles from the San Juan Islands where the pair was first seen. But that’s where the founder of “Whale Scout” is doing restoration work, hoping to boost the population of salmon, the whales’ favorite food.
It’s not often we think “salmon” and “Bothell” in the same sentence. But it turns out, we probably should.
After all, the Sammamish River is part of the eco-system that delivers salmon to the Salish Sea. So, what happens here could determine whether calf L-128 survives.
Whitney Neugebauer is talking about her favorite subject. The work Whale Scout, a land-based whale watching organization she started 11 years ago, is doing to restore salmon habitats along the Sammamish River here at Wayne Park.
“So, it affects whales because salmon are in the Sammamish River,” Neugebauer said. “We actually have coho and chinook salmon. They’re migrating through right now.”
And the effects of a long, dry summer can make that arduous journey even more so and threatens their existence.
“One of the biggest threats to the Southern Resident killer whales is a lack of salmon, specifically chinook salmon,” Neugebauer said. “And they’re right here. They’re literally swimming beneath our feet right now. So, what we do here really does matter for them.”
So, it is a whale of a tale that 31-year-old orca, L-90, has given birth to a brand new calf, named L-128 by the Center for Whale Research.
The newest member of the L-pod was spotted just two days ago off the coast of San Juan Island. There was some concern that the mother and calf have separated from their pod.
But all reports are that the calf looks healthy. Still scientists say L-128 likely has just a 50-50 chance of survival.
Neugebauer says they are doing their part here to help increase those odds.
“They’re so many people that love these whales so much, I don’t think we’re just going to watch them slip away,” insists Neugebauer. “It wouldn’t be the Pacific Northwest without orcas and salmon. It just wouldn’t.”
You won’t get any arguments here.
As for L-128 –scientists still don’t know the calf’s gender. Neugebauer says in order to determine gender, you have to see the calf’s belly.
The whale community is hoping for a female so there will be more orca calves to come.
©2024 Cox Media Group
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We’re excited to partner with Puget Sound Starts Here and Postdoc Brewing in Kenmore to celebrate ways to protect local streams, rivers, lakes, and (of course) Puget Sound!
Puget Sound Starts Here Night
Wednesday, September 18
4 – 7 p.m.
Postdoc Brewing Kenmore (7204 NE 175th St, right along the Burke-Gilman Trail) Directions
$1 from each pint or 20 oz. pour will be donated to Whale Scout, a local stewardship organization who has been heavily involved in salmon habitat restoration at the Former Wayne Golf Course in Bothell.
Postdoc Brewing is a family-friendly & dog-friendly brewery with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. They have lots family games to play, a large beer selection, non-alcoholic beverages, snacks, and rotating food trucks. They opened their Redmond taproom in 2014, followed by their Kenmore taproom in May 2014. They love supporting local causes and are excited to host an event for their Bothell/Kenmore neighbors! Check out more upcoming events at Postdoc Kenmore.
Founded in 2013, Whale Scout is a non-profit stewardship organization focused on land-based conservation efforts to restore salmon habitat. Whale Scout has been partnering with City of Bothell since 2019 to restore critical riparian habitat at the Former Wayne Golf Course. The long-term goal is to improve water quality by increasing tree canopy cover, shading the water, and improving ecological function. Aside from helping endangered salmon and orcas (who eat the salmon), this restoration effort also helps birds, pollinators, and reptiles, addresses climate change, and increases access to public land and recreation, improving both physical and mental health in the community. Get involved!
Puget Sound Starts Here (PSSH) is made up of more than 750 organizations working together to raise awareness about how our everyday actions affect Puget Sound. City of Bothell was one of the founding members of the group, and we’re proud to see how much we’ve collectively accomplished over the years! Learn about Puget Sound Starts Here Month, which we celebrate every September!
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Join us for the “Curious Steps” guest speaker series, where we walk and learn from three distinguished experts to share their insights on the vital importance of all thing’s salmon and trees.
Our final guest speaker will be marine naturalist, Ariel Yseth!
Learn from Ariel, Whale Scout’s San Juan Island Naturalist, about our beloved killer whales and her work on the shores of the Salish Sea
Location: former Wayne Golf Course, Bothell WA
Time: 9am – 10am
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Join us for the “Curious Steps” guest speaker series, where we walk and learn from three distinguished experts to share their insights on the vital importance of all thing’s salmon and trees.
Our second guest speaker will be Professor Jeff Jensen!
Come stroll the park and learn from fish biologist Jeff as he walks us through the importance of salmon in our watersheds, their status in Lake Washington, and why they’re in trouble!
