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Stormwater Monitoring Season is Here! 

 

Autumn 2022 starts our second two-year stormwater sampling campaign. This time with a twist: new citizen scientists in three more cities will be monitoring city stormwater outfalls in addition to continuing our work in Anacortes. Oak Harbor, Mukilteo, and Edmonds are now part of the expanded monitoring work that Friends of Skagit Beaches is leading in the North Sound. 

20221008 104425 1000226 1K smThis work is funded by a grant from the National Fish & Wildlife Foundations’ Southern Resident Killer Whale Conservation Program for the purpose of improving habitat, food sources, and conducting research to support recovery of the Southern Resident Orca population within our region. The grant covers the costs for volunteer coordination, recruiting, training, equipping, and managing the data captured by our volunteers.

During the summer of 2022 Friends established a partnership with the Snohomish County Beach Watcher program and the Sound Waters Stewards on Whidbey Island to connect to eager citizen science volunteers in their programs.  We recruited, trained, and equipped volunteers in Oak Harbor, Mukilteo, and Edmonds, as well as new volunteers for Anacortes. All three groups of eager volunteers are ready to get down to the beach and sometimes even in the water (photo left) to sample and take monitoring measurements. 20211115 102742 1022691 1Kpix

This volunteer effort addresses a shortcoming in our federal Clean Water Act: no required periodic monitoring of stormwater outfall pipes. Local towns would have difficulty in financially supporting the manpower and equipment costs for this activity. That’s where Friends of Skagit Beaches and our citizen science volunteers come to the rescue . . .

[Click Here to Read More]

Friends Videos

Over the years, Friends of Skagit Beaches has had the chance to collaborate with amazing volunteers, partner organizations, and students to create informative videos capturing the important enviromental work that is - or has - taken place along our Skagit shorelines. Starting in 2020 we began taking advantage of the opportunity to record our "Virtual" presentations on Zoom allowing people who miss the event to still see the presentation.  Below are links for our video library that is posted on our Vimeo channel

Skagit Climate Talks Fall 2021/Winter & Spring 2022

Friends teamed up with Skagit Chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby to sponsor a series of talks about climate change.  The focus of these talks is on latest science and projections both global and local, as well as a look at technology options, and what's being done to mitigate and adapt to climate change. 

October 14, 2021 - Dr. Steve Ghan, Tri-Cities Chapter of Citizens' Climate Lobby; Code Red: What Changed in the Latest IPCC Climate Assessment

November 18, 2021 - Dr. Jon Riedel, Geologist Nat'l Park Service North Cascades & Dr. Dave Peterson, UW Professor of Forest Sciences - both members of Skagit Climate Science Consortium;  Observed and Projected Climate Impacts in Skagit Valley    

January 20, 2022 - Fred Buckenmeyer, Dir. Public Works & Bruce McDougall, City Council Pos'n #5; Climate Impacts - How the City of Anacortes is Preparinging

February 24, 2022 - Jim Hopf Lead of CCL Nuclear Energy Action Team, Jim Conca Senior Scientist UFA Ventures, Adjunct Professor WSU, and Affiliate Scientist Los Alamos, & Kurt Smithpeters; Nuclear Energy Revisited - What's its role in a Net-Zero Carbon Emissions Future?                       

March 24, 2022 - Cmdr. Bob Hallahan, U.S. Navy Pilot (Ret'd) & International Airline Pilot; Climate Change and National Security

May 19, 2022 - Pete Marsh, Business Climate Leaders Electricity Sector Lead; #Electrify Everything Part 1 - Electrify Your Life"#ElectrifyEverything Part 1 - Electrify Your Life

Tuesday Talks Spring 2020

Our latest series is a collaboration with the Anacortes City Library called "Tuesday Talks." Nine wonderful presentations from local experts on the history, culture, and ecology of Fidalgo Island are available below:

 

ABC Video

 

Trail Tales Videos:

The Anacortes Baywide Cleanup - Restoring Shorelines, Habitat and a Community

This short documentary provides an overview of the Anacortes Baywide Cleanup program being conducted by the WA Dept. of Ecology in partnership with the Port of Anacortes, City of Anacortes, and local tribes.

The Custom Plywood Cleanup Site - Remediating a Toxic Legacy

During the early 20th century, Anacortes was primarily a mill town. At one time 13 mills operated along the shoreline of Fidalgo Bay.

Reg's Watersled

In a nod to Calvin & Hobbes, Anacortes filmmakers Lucas and Henry Holgeerts tell the story of 9 year old Matthew and his best imaginary river otter friend, Reg.

Forage Fish of the Salish Sea

Forage fish are a critical keystone species in the marine food web. This film sponsored by Friends of Skagit Beaches and WA Dept. of Ecology highlights the importance of these small fish to the ecology, economy, and identity of the Pacific Northwest.

Skagit Marine Reserves - Anchor of an Ecosystem

The protected marine reserves in Skagit County are the foundations of a vibrant ecosystem that supports eelgrass, forage fish, salmon, and herons.

Videos we like by others:

Pacfic Northwest Trail 

At 1,930 kilometers, the Pacific Northwest Trail is the newest long haul trail adopted into the National Scenic Trail Act in 2009. The trail stretches from Glacier National Park in Montana, to the Washington coast. But decades after its inception, trail workers are still struggling to establish a safe route for hikers.

Don’t Move to Texas

Seriously, don't move to Houston. Join us in the fight to save Puget Sound.

Model Toxics Control Act

Learn more about Washington's Model Toxics Control Act in this short 6-minute video.

Sound Action - Forage Fish Matter

Forage fish are the backbone of a healthy Puget Sound. They provide the food base for endangered chinook which in turn are relied on by the endangered Southern Resident Orcas. Little Fish + Big Fish = Orca.

Song of the Spindle (2016 Films with Friends selection)

An animated, humorous and informative conversation between a sperm whale and a man. Each one tries to convince the other that his brain is bigger.

Salmon Confidential (2016 Films with Friends selection)

Salmon Confidential is a new film on the government cover up of what is killing BC’s wild salmon. When biologist Alexandra Morton discovers BC’s wild salmon are testing positive for dangerous European salmon viruses associated with salmon farming worldwide, a chain of events is set off by government to suppress the findings.

WWU Planet Magazine Videos

Friends has enjoyed partnering with some of the talented young filmmakers working with the Planet Magazine.  To see more of their work visit this site.

 

 

In Friends Notes

Autumn 2022 starts our second two-year stormwater sampling campaign. This t...
UPDATE: Grant for Fidalgo Bay and City of Anacortes stormwater monitoring. ...
Compiled by Chris Wood with contributions from Ellen Anderson, Betty Carter...

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