Restore Habitat in Bothell

Volunteer to improve habitat! Portions of Bothell’s largest park, the former Wayne Golf Course, are a migratory corridor for Chinook salmon in the Sammamish River and potential habitat for Coho at the confluence of Waynita Creek. As this amazing property transforms from a golf course into a public open space, volunteers are offered the opportunity to help improve the habitat. By controlling non-native and invasive weeds, and protecting native trees and vegetation, we’re able to improve water quality for salmon and down the line provide more prey for killer whales in Puget Sound!

Join us March 6th. We’re offering different shifts to ensure COVID-safe small groups (fewer than five people total). Consider signing up your household for a fun, educational, family outing.

Due to COVID precautions we ask all volunteers bring their own gloves, food and water, and wear mask. Those under 16 must be accompanied by an adult, under 18 need a signed release form by a parent.

Shifts are 9:00am – 11:00am, 11:30am – 1:30pm, and 2:00 – 4:00pm.

To sign up, please email director@whalescout.org with your name, requested shift start time, number of people in your group, and phone number.

We’re asking for firm, committed RSVP’s only. Upon confirmation, your spot will be held ensuring the group size does not exceed five people. Work party windows are short, please arrive promptly and stay the full time unless arranged ahead of time. Thank you for your cooperation!

Restore Habitat in Bothell – February

Volunteer to improve habitat! Portions of Bothell’s largest park, the former Wayne Golf Course, are a migratory corridor for Chinook salmon in the Sammamish River and potential habitat for Coho at the confluence of Waynita Creek. As this amazing property transforms from a golf course into a public open space, volunteers are offered the opportunity to help improve the habitat. By controlling non-native and invasive weeds, and protecting native trees and vegetation, we’re able to improve water quality for salmon and down the line provide more prey for killer whales in Puget Sound!

Join us February 7th. We’re offering different shifts to ensure COVID-safe small groups (fewer than five people total). Consider signing up your household for a fun, educational, family outing.

Due to COVID precautions we ask all volunteers bring their own gloves, food and water, and wear mask. Those under 16 must be accompanied by an adult, under 18 need a signed release form by a parent.

Shifts are 9:00am – 11:00am, 11:30am – 1:30pm, and 2:00 – 4:00pm.

To sign up, please email director@whalescout.org with your name, requested shift start time, number of people in your group, and phone number.

We’re asking for firm, committed RSVP’s only. Upon confirmation, your spot will be held ensuring the group size does not exceed five people. Work party windows are short, please arrive promptly and stay the full time unless arranged ahead of time. Thank you for your cooperation!

Restore Habitat in Bothell

Volunteer to improve habitat! Portions of Bothell’s largest park, the former Wayne Golf Course, are a migratory corridor for Chinook salmon in the Sammamish River and potential habitat for Coho at the confluence of Waynita Creek. As this amazing property transforms from a golf course into a public open space, volunteers are offered the opportunity to help improve the habitat. By controlling non-native and invasive weeds, and protecting native trees and vegetation, we’re able to improve water quality for salmon and down the line provide more prey for killer whales in Puget Sound!

Join us January 23rd. We’re offering different shifts to ensure COVID-safe small groups (fewer than five people total). Consider signing up your household for a fun, educational, family outing.

Due to COVID precautions we ask all volunteers bring their own gloves, food and water, and wear mask. Those under 16 must be accompanied by an adult, under 18 need a signed release form by a parent.

Shifts are 9:00am – 11:00am, 11:30am – 1:30pm, and 2:00 – 4:00pm.

To sign up, please email director@whalescout.org with your name, requested shift start time, number of people in your group, and phone number.

We’re asking for firm, committed RSVP’s only. Upon confirmation, your spot will be held ensuring the group size does not exceed five people. Work party windows are short, please arrive promptly and stay the full time unless arranged ahead of time. Thank you for your cooperation!

Upcoming Film, Searching for Chinook with Alexandra Johnston

Executive Producer and Presenter Alexandra Johnston joins the Whale Scout podcast to share an update on the upcoming film, Searching for Chinook. Footage was captured during the dramatic summer of 2018 on San Juan Island when J35 Tahlequah lost and carried her dead calf on a “tour of grief” and J50 Scarlet slowly and tragically perished despite an unprecedented rescue effort. Alexandra and the small team including Maisie Williams and Marina Nangle now work to complete the film during a challenging year. You can support their work by visiting their website and purchasing merchandise including sunglasses made from recycled marine debris.

Website: https://searchingforchinook.com/

Instagram: @SearchingforChinook

Please subscribe for more video podcasts on YouTube and iTunes! www.whalescout.org

Celebrate Orca Recovery Day!

Volunteer to improve habitat! Portions of Bothell’s largest park, the former Wayne Golf Course, are a migratory corridor for Chinook salmon in the Sammamish River and potential habitat for Coho at the confluence of Waynita Creek. As this amazing property transforms from a golf course into a public open space, volunteers are offered the opportunity to help improve the habitat. By controlling non-native and invasive weeds, and protecting native trees and vegetation, we’re able to improve water quality for salmon and down the line provide more prey for killer whales in Puget Sound!

Join us in to celebrate Orca Recovery Day, October 17th! We’re offering different shifts to ensure COVID-safe small groups (fewer than five people total). Consider signing up your household for a fun, educational, family outing.

Due to COVID precautions we ask all volunteers bring their own gloves, food and water, and wear mask. Those under 16 must be accompanied by an adult, under 18 need a signed release form by a parent.

Shifts are 9:00am – 11:00am, 11:30am – 1:30pm, and 2:00 – 4:00pm.

To sign up, please email director@whalescout.org with your name, requested shift start time, number of people in your group, and phone number. We’re asking for firm, committed RSVP’s only. Upon confirmation, your RSVP will hold your spot ensuring the group size does not exceed five people. Thank you for your cooperation!

Feds Won’t Remove Snake River Dams for Salmon, Orcas – Now What? Next steps with Joseph Bogaard

The federal government decided in July of 2020 to keep the four lower Snake River dams in place, knowingly turning against the best option for salmon recovery and for the benefit of endangered Southern Resident killer whales in desperate need of additional prey resources. With this long-awaited and expensive federal already decision made, where do we go from here? What steps can be taken to recover salmon in the Columbia and Snake River? We talk with Joseph Bogaard of Save Our Wild Salmon Coalition to hear what he has to say about the federal decision and what steps can be taken today to influence decision-makers for a better outcome tomorrow.

To learn more about Save Our Wild Salmon visit: www.wildsalmon.org

Check out their upcoming webinar about orcas and Columbia River salmon.

Talking to your elected officials is an important first step. Contact Washington State Governor Inslee, Senator Patty Murray, and Senator Maria Cantwell.

Read Whale Scout’s letter to Governor Inslee following the federal decision.

Please subscribe to our YouTube channel and on iTunes for more!

Researchers’ firsthand accounts of Tahlequah’s new calf, cause for celebration or concern?

Possibly the best news story of all of 2020, J35 Tahlequah gives birth to a new calf, just two years after her “tour of grief” where she carried a deceased baby 17 days and over 1,000 miles. We talk with Dave Ellifrit and Katie Jones of the Center for Whale Research who were both on the scene and took incredible photos documenting the newest member of J pod. They share what it was like to be on the water and the emotions that followed. After Tahlequah’s tragic loss two years ago, should people be celebrating or concerned? Dave and Katie weigh in.

All photos in this piece are credited to Katie Jones and Dave Ellifrit, Center for Whale Research.

To learn more about the Center for Whale Research on their website, Facebook, and Instagram.

Please subscribe on iTunes and YouTube for more!

Connecting Orca Science, Policy, and the Community: NOAA’s New Southern Resident Connections Blog

Sarah Fesenmyer and Michael Milstein of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration share a new blog series called “Southern Resident Connections.” The blog aims to connect the public with new and exciting research on the endangered Southern Resident killer whales and ways everyone can be involved. Hear about inspiring habitat restoration projects, microplastics found in killer whale poop, which salmon the whales are eating, how fishing seasons are being determined right now – and how you can make your voice heard.

Learn more about the podcast! Read the Southern Resident Connections blog. View NOAA’s brochure about Taking Action for Southern Resident Killer Whales here. Learn more about the upcoming Aug. 3-4 Pacific Fishery Management Council’s (Pacific Council) Ad Hoc Southern Resident Killer Whale Workgroup meeting. View the referenced Risk Assessment.

Subscribe to video podcasts on YouTube and at iTunes and take us everywhere you go!

Orca Month Book Club Recap Discussion with Colleen Weiler and Whitney Neugebauer

Whitney and Colleen Discuss these three books and share stories

Following interviews with the authors of Orca: The Whale Called Killer, Listening to Whales: What the Orcas Have Taught us, and Endangered Orcas: The Story of the Southern Residents, your Orca Month Book Club co-hosts Whitney Neugebauer and Colleen Weiler discuss all three books. They compare notes, offer insights and personal experiences, and share hope for the future. Dive into your next whale adventure through the pages of these books while you’re safe at home.

Stay tuned for community discussions online throughout the summer. We’ll get started in July with Orca: The Whale Called Killer, August with Listening to Whales, What the Orcas Have Taught Us, and in September, Endangered Orcas: The Story of the Southern Residents.

Watch author interviews on the Whale Scout YouTube channel.

Learn more about Orca Month which has gone virtual this year!

Stay informed about orca and salmon issues with Whale Scout and WDC!

Orca Month Book Club with Monika Wieland Shields, author of Endangered Orcas: The Story of the Southern Residents

Learn more from Monika Wieland Shields as she discusses her book, Endangered Orcas: The Story of the Southern Residents. This in-depth book takes a deep dive into the history of our interactions with Southern Resident killer whales, their biology, and current threats to their survival. Perfect for the beginner just dipping their toes into the world of orcas or the experienced naturalist, each section of the book offers the reader a clear understanding of orca research and science.

In the interview Whitney Neugebauer, Whale Scout, and Colleen Weiler, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, explore acoustic research, politics, and Monika’s current work as Founder of Orca Behavior Institute.

This is the third book of three in the Orca Month Book Club. Check out other interviews with Erich Hoyt, author of Orca: The Whale Called Killer and Alexandra Morton, author of Listening to Whales: What the Orcas Have Taught Us.

To learn more about Monika Wieland Shield’s research visit www.orcabehaviorinstitute.org

For her blog, visit www.orcawatcher.com

Buy the book at a local retailer or IndieBound or Amazon.

Like what you see? Learn more about Orca Month and Whale and Dolphin Conservation.