Education Volunteering Opportunity: Salmon in the Schools Release Day
2023-04-21 08:30 - 13:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
Elementary Salmon in the Schools – Release Day Field Trip

NOSC staff and students observe macroinvertebrates (salmon food!) from Chimacum Creek. Photo by Mae Wolfe.
Students have spent the last couple months raising coho salmon from eggs and now will get a chance to release them into a local waterway. They will also participate in several other activities such as macroinvertebrate studies, salmon life cycle games, art, and habitat tours.
April 20th & 24th – HJ Carrol Park on Chimacum Creek. Tentative timing is from 10am-2pm.
April 21st – Dungeness Fish Hatchery on Dungeness River. Tentative timing is from 8:30am-1:30pm.
Sign up HERE

Earth Day Mulching Event 2023!
2023-04-22 10:00 - 14:00
Are you hoping to spend this Earth Day doing something that will having a lasting impact on our local environment? Come join us for a fun, community-filled day of mulching (and possibly planting) on the wild & scenic Dungeness River.

This winter, over 200 volunteers and students and our Washington Conservation Corps crew dedicated their time to plant and mulch nearly 7,000 trees and shrubs at the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe’s Caldero Side Channel Project. These trees and shrubs will grow to be a future forest that will support salmon and the many species of wildlife that depend upon these floodplain corridors.

So much of the work has been completed by our amazing community so far, but we still have more mulching to do and a few more plants to get in the ground!
Event Date/Time: April 22, 2023, 10-2 PM
Event Agenda:

10:00-10:15am Welcome and orientation
10:15-12:00pm Mulching/Planting
12:00-12:30pm Break time with a bonfire, hot drinks and treats
12:30-1:30pm Mulching
1:30-2:00pm Project site tour w/ NOSC or Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe staff

Merchandise: NOSC merchandise will be available at the beginning of the event, during the midday break, and after the site tour by cash or check only. You may leave early if you wish, but time flies when you’re planting with NOSC!
Please bring: warm, waterproof clothes and boots, water, and a lunch. You are also welcome to bring your own wheelbarrow, or other mulching tools.
Register Here

About the Caldero Side Channel Project:

The Caldero site was acquired by the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe in 2017 and is named after the former landowner. The Caldero Side Channel Project created nearly 1,000 feet of off-channel habitat for both spawning adult salmon and rearing juveniles.
Side channels such as the one at Caldero are critical refuges for salmon during flood events. This is particularly the case for juveniles, who can be easily overcome by swift flows. Off-channel habitat can also be important spawning areas for returning adults. In fact, since project completion in October, staff have seen adult Coho spawning in the new channel!
PHOTO CAPTION: A VOLUNTEER SHOVELS MULCH AT CALDERO, PHOTO BY ÆLFHILD WIKLUND.

Farms and Fish Film Celebration Event
2023-05-07 13:00 - 16:00 | Finnriver Farm & Cidery, 124 Center Road, Chimacum, WA, 98325
Join us on Sunday, May 7th at the Finnriver Haybarn to view the first public screening of the film – Farms and Fish: Thriving Together – and learn more about the unique partnerships with farmers that are paving a new path in salmon restoration in the Chimacum Creek watershed.
The afternoon will include a talk by NOSC Project Manager Kevin Long where he will speak about the challenges and creative opportunities posed in designing salmon habitat restoration projects in a thriving agricultural valley. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres highlighting products from our local farm partners during a panel discussion and Q&A featuring Kevin, Executive Director Rebecca Benjamin, the Jefferson Land Trust, and one of our farmer partners. After learning about the collaboration and design of these restoration projects, join us for a restoration site tour of Kodama Farm – the current and future site of one of these projects! “Shaded Stream Cider“, the special cider Finnriver created to highlight the mission of the Salmon Coalition, will be available for purchase during the event from Finnriver Farm & Cidery in addition to their regular offerings.

Space is limited!

Fin Swims the Rhody Grand Parade!
2023-05-21 09:00 - 14:00
Fin in her finest attire for the 2014 Rhody Festival. Photo courtesy of Brian Clark
Join us on Saturday, May 20th in Port Townsend for the 2023 Rhody Grand Parade!
Fin the Migrating Salmon – all 2,500 pounds of her – will be traveling back up the streets of Port Townsend once again this year!
We need your help! Prior to the parade, help us get Fin decorated and ready to impress.
We will be gathering at our assigned location and time. Please RSVP or email lmccord@nosc.org if interested so we can let you know when and where we will be meeting.
If you can, please bring:

cedar boughs
rhododendron flowers
other natural/native decorations

Want to walk with Fin and NOSC during the parade? Wear your NOSC gear or a salmon-themed outfit. Interested in purchasing a NOSC t-shirt for pick-up during Fin decoration? Please email lmccord@nosc.org with your t-shirt size for color availability.
RSVP or email lmccord@nosc.org to stay in the loop about our assigned staging location and time.

Education Volunteering Opportunity: Real Learning Real Work Field Trip
2023-05-25 09:00 - 14:00 | Salmon Creek in Discovery Bay, W Uncas Road
7th-8th Grade Real Learning Real Work – Site Maintenance & Career Connections

Students work to install protective blue tubing around their plants. Photo by NOSC Staff.
Students will be assessing plant health and conducting a mortality study, while executing maintenance tasks such as installing blue tubing and removing invasive species. Students will also talk to career professionals in field ranging from restoration to ecology to fisheries.
May 25th – WDFW Salmon Creek Site in Discovery Bay
Tentative timing is from 9am-2pm.
Sign up HERE

Education Volunteering Opportunity: Real Learning Real Work Field Trip
2023-06-09 09:00 - 14:00
7th-8th Grade Real Learning Real Work – Site Maintenance & Career Connections

Students work to install protective blue tubing around their plants. Photo by NOSC Staff.
Students will be assessing plant health and conducting a mortality study, while executing maintenance tasks such as installing blue tubing and removing invasive species. Students will also talk to career professionals in field ranging from restoration to ecology to fisheries.
June 9th – Pysht River Conservation Area
Tentative timing is from 9am-2pm.
Sign up HERE

Solstice Salmon Days
2023-06-22 - 2023-06-23 | Finnriver Farm & Cidery, 124 Center Road, Chimacum, WA, 98325
Celebrating Summer Solstice & Salmon!
Finnriver, North Olympic Salmon Coalition and the Marine Science Center invite you to an all-ages educational celebration of salmon!
Inspired by the long-standing traditions of local communities in honoring the salmon lifecycle, Finnriver, NOSC and MSC have joined together to offer three days of all-ages educational fun.
Join us for Salmon Hats & Trivia Night, playtime in Fin the Salmon, an Orca-themed children’s book reading, Salmon Shorts Movie Night, educational salmon crafts, and an all-ages Salmon Dance Party with DJ Lunch Lady!
All events are open to the public with sliding-scale donations that benefit salmon and marine education on the Peninsula as well as Chimacum Tribal Services.
Find out more details and the schedule of events: CLICK HERE
Solstice Salmon Days 8.5x11

NOSC & Fin at Clallam Bay/Sekiu Fun Days
2023-07-08
Find out more information at https://www.clallambaysekiufundays.info/

NOSC at Chimacum Farmer's Market
2023-07-16 10:00 - 14:00, 2023-08-20 10:00 - 14:00
Visit Jefferson County Farmers Markets (jcfmarkets.org) for more information!

Port Angeles Wednesday Night Market
2023-07-19 16:00 - 19:00 | Gateway Transit Pavilion, 125 E Front St, Port Angeles, WA, 98362
We’ll be at the market with information, merchandise, and to talk to you about how to get involved. Stop by and see us!

NOSC at Port Townsend Farmer's Market
2023-07-22 10:00 - 14:00, 2023-08-19 10:00 - 14:00

Trivia Night!
2023-08-03 18:00 - 20:00 | Finnriver Farm & Cidery, 124 Center Road, Chimacum, WA, 98325
Back by popular demand, it’s Trivia Night with North Olympic Salmon Coalition at Finnriver Cidery!
Come test your nature knowledge about the Pacific Northwest (plus a question or three about salmon)! So, bring your best all-ages nature trivia team for two hours of fun and wacky trivia questions about the natural world.
Sneak Preview: What is the largest watershed on the Olympic Peninsula?
Donate on a sliding scale of $5-$25 to enter a team. All proceeds benefit North Olympic Salmon Coalition. Best scoring teams win great prizes!

NOSC & Fin at Joyce Daze
2023-08-05
Find out more information at Joyce Daze Wild Blackberry Festival – Celebrate with us on Saturday, August 3, 2019

Sequim Farmer's Market
2023-08-12 09:00 - 15:00 | Civic Center Plaza, 152 West Cedar Street, Sequim, WA, 98382
We’ll be at the market with information and to talk to you about how to get involved. Stop by and see us!

Volunteer Spawner Surveys Training
2023-08-30 10:00 - 12:00 | Finnriver Farm & Cidery, 124 Center Road, Chimacum, WA, 98325
It’s hard to believe, but salmon spawner survey season is just around the corner, and we are seeking survey volunteers!
The Salmon Coalition has been conducting surveys of Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed Hood Canal summer chum salmon on Chimacum Creek since their reintroduction to the creek in the mid-1990’s. Collected data helps the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife assess the health of Chimacum Creek population and is also used to inform future management decisions. With populations having rebounded across their range in recent years, there’s been talk of their potential de-listing, which, if it were to occur, would mark the first salmonid ever removed from the ESA list! Last season we counted nearly 1,200 fish, the most recorded in the watershed since 2016, and a step in the right direction toward future delisting.
This years’ survey training will be held on Wednesday, August 30th from 10-12 at Finnriver Farm and Cidery in Chimacum.
If you’re interested in getting up close and personal with this amazingly resilient species, click below to register. We hope to see you there!
If you have questions or would like to find out more information, please contact Stewardship Coordinator, Nate Roberts, at nroberts@nosc.org.

Member Tour: Snow & Salmon Creeks
2023-08-31 16:30 - 18:30 | Salmon Creek in Discovery Bay, W Uncas Road
To thank our members for their generous support of NOSC, we invite current members to attend Member Tours. We are excited to announce the first tour of this membership year!
Snow & Salmon Creeks
August 31st – 4:30pm

Salmon Creek: 2003 & 2020 by NOSC Staff.
We plant a tree and then what? This member tour will explore the multi-stage restoration of riparian forests along Snow and Salmon creeks in Discovery Bay. With restoration and protection efforts stretching back over two decades, this site is home to numerous past and ongoing collaborative projects. We’ll meander through a riparian buffer planted nearly 20 years ago and along habitat restoration work completed this past spring by Jefferson County middle school students. Join us for a walking tour with our Program and Partnership Manager and 15 year veteran of NOSC riparian restoration projects, Sarah Doyle, as she answers the questions: What did we do? Did it work? What still needs to happen? How do we manage riparian restoration in the long term? Learn about how this project fits into the overall effort of habitat restoration and land protection in the valley and its implications in the recovery of Hood Canal Summer Chum.
Spots are limited, so register soon! Stay tuned for additional tour dates and locations throughout the year.
Still need to renew your membership or join as a new member? Visit Become a Member | North Olympic Salmon Coalition (nosc.org) to join today!

Top photo courtesy of Charles Espey.

Port Angeles Farmer's Market
2023-09-02 10:00 - 14:00 | Gateway Transit Pavilion, 125 E Front St, Port Angeles, WA, 98362

Finnriver: Back to School Celebration with FIN
2023-09-04 13:00 - 15:00 | Finnriver Farm & Cidery, 124 Center Road, Chimacum, WA, 98325
Kick off the school year right by lifting a glass of cider in support of NOSC’s Salmon in the Schools Program. For the entire month of September, you may choose to round up your purchases in the Finnriver Cidery to support NOSC’s elementary education program. The program provides hands-on, exploratory learning about the life cycle of salmon, stewardship, and healthy ecosystems. To learn more about the program click here.
Finnriver will be starting the month with a Back to School Celebration featuring our very own Fin!
Join us from 1-3pm in the Finnriver field and find out what’s inside Fin the giant salmon! We will be available to answer questions regarding the Salmon in the Schools program and will even open up the giant coho for kids to explore and play inside.

Trivia Night!
2023-09-07 18:00 - 20:00 | Finnriver Farm & Cidery, 124 Center Road, Chimacum, WA, 98325
Back by popular demand, it’s Trivia Night with North Olympic Salmon Coalition at Finnriver Cidery!
Thursday, September 7th at 6pm!
Come test your nature knowledge about the Pacific Northwest (plus a question or three about salmon)! So, bring your best all-ages nature trivia team for two hours of fun and wacky trivia questions about the natural world.
Sneak Preview: What is the largest watershed on the Olympic Peninsula?
Donate on a sliding scale of $5-$25 to enter a team. All proceeds benefit North Olympic Salmon Coalition. Best scoring teams win great prizes!

Peninsula College Fall Market
2023-09-09 10:00 - 16:00 | Peninsula College

Dungeness River Festival
2023-09-22 09:00 - 14:00 | Dungeness River Audubon Center, 2151 West Hendrickson Road, Sequim, WA, 98382, United States
We’ll be at the festival with Fin, information, fun activities, merchandise, and to talk to you about how to get involved. Stop by and see us!

Sequim Farmer's Market
2023-09-23 09:00 - 15:00 | Civic Center Plaza, 152 West Cedar Street, Sequim, WA, 98382
We’ll be at the market with information and to talk to you about how to get involved. Stop by and see us!
Note – we will not have merchandise available for purchase.

Orca Recovery Day
2023-10-14 10:00 - 12:30
Come join us again in celebrating Orca Recovery Day as the Jefferson County Conservation District, the North Olympic Salmon Coalition, and Jefferson Land Trust team up for a planting event at the Snow Creek Estuary! This estuary is important habitat for Endangered Hood Canal summer chum salmon. Recent studies have shown that when Chinook salmon, the preferred prey of Southern Resident Orcas, is in short supply, they’ll supplement their diet with other species, including chum salmon.
Please bring the following:

Gloves
Water Bottle
Snacks
Layers for fall weather

31 Fairmount Road Port Townsend, WA 98368

Forever Stream Fest
2023-10-14 10:00 - 15:30 | Peninsula College
Streamfest flyer 2023
We’ll have fun salmon activities for kids of all ages! Fin the Giant Migrating Salmon will be swimming over to Peninsula College for the event.
We will have NOSC t-shirts, sweatshirts, and puzzles for purchase as well.
Interested in volunteering at our booths or with Fin? Please email Education & Outreach Coordinator, Lindsay McCord, at lmccord@nosc.org for more information or to sign up.

2023 Annual Meeting
2023-10-16 17:30 | Dungeness River Nature Center, 1943 W. Hendrickson St, Sequim, WA, 98382
Please join us on October 16th at 5:30pm at the Dungeness River Nature Center to help celebrate another successful year at the Salmon Coalition!
We’re excited to share with you the work we’ve done over the past year, both in education and restoration projects. Additionally, we’ll take you on a short walking tour at the Nature Center to learn more about the native plants we use in our Riparian efforts, such as the riverbank lupine in the image above!
We invite you to bring a pie to share with the community to celebrate in true Salmon Coalition fashion! Remember to please dress appropriately for the initial walking presentation outside. We will send more details closer to the date.
We look forward to seeing you on October 16th at 5:30pm!
Dungeness River Nature Center
1943 W. Hendrickson St
Sequim, WA 98382

Trivia at Wind Rose Cellers with NOSC and NOLT!
2023-10-21 18:00 | Wind Rose Cellars, 143 W Washington St., Sequim, WA, 98382, United States
TRIVIA NIGHT – Saturday October 21st
North Olympic Salmon Coalition and North Olympic Land Trust are teaming up to bring trivia to the Wind Rose Cellars in Sequim this month!
Come test your nature knowledge (plus a question or three about salmon)! So, bring your best trivia team, your lucky pencil, and a thirst for knowledge!
Donate on a sliding scale of $5-$25 to enter a team. All proceeds benefit North Olympic Salmon Coalition & North Olympic Land Trust. Best scoring teams win great prizes!

Member Tour: Hoko River Watershed
2023-10-28 10:30 - 16:30
Photo: Culvert removal project on Johnson Creek (a tributary to the Hoko River) during construction – by NOSC Staff.
Join Project Manager, Kevin Long for an all-day tour of NOSC’s restoration work on the Hoko River!
Saturday, October 28th – 10:30am-4:30pm.
We’ll explore several projects throughout the Hoko River, weaving together the story of restoring this crucial watershed. The tour will meet at Clallam Bay County Park, caravanning between several restoration sites, and ending the day at Hoko Falls to look for coho jumping the falls. We will be visiting upcoming habitat restoration and culvert replacement projects and two recent culvert replacements. The Hoko is a special place and we hope you can join us. It can be very wet this time of year, be prepared to be prepared (and it can also be sunny)!
We recommend you sign up with a friend and plan on carpooling – parking is limited.
Schedule for the Day:
10:30 Meet at Clallam Bay County Park’s public restrooms. Caravan to field sites. The County Park driveway leaves Hwy 113 on the right just past the Clallam Bay Coop and Frontier Street.
10:45-12 Lower Hoko River Channel Restoration Project, Hoko River State Park.
12-12:30 Travel up the Hoko Ozette Road to Johnson Creek Project, brief stop at Hoko Hatchery intake.
12:30-1:30 Johnson Creek Big Dig Tour and Brown Bag Lunch
1:30-2:30 Tributary to Johnson Culvert Replacement-County Project and the Johnson Bridge project associated with the Big Dig.
2:30-3:15 Johnson Creek Triple Culverts Replacement Project
3:15-4:30 Hoko Falls stop. Linger if the fish are jumping. Bring your hiking poles. Short but steepish decent to the viewing location
Bring: Rain Gear, Extra Layers, Hiking or Rubber boots (we won’t be crossing creeks, but wet grass can be almost as obnoxious), hiking poles for Hoko Falls visit if you use them, lunch, snacks, water, curiosity.
Space is limited, so RSVP to secure your spot!

Coho Spawner Survey Training
2023-11-08 10:00 - 12:00 | Finnriver Farm & Cidery, 124 Center Road, Chimacum, WA, 98325
Goodbye Chum, Hello Coho!
With our summer chum spawner surveys wrapping up on Chimacum Creek, it’s the time of year where the Salmon Coalition transitions to surveying for coho salmon in the Chimacum watershed. Unlike summer chum surveys, where volunteers walk the lower 2-3 miles of the creek, coho surveys take volunteers into the creek’s uppermost headwaters. Indeed, coho salmon have an incredible ability to navigate their way into tributaries that in some cases are as wide as the fish are long! If you’re interested in participating, click on the link below to register. Surveys will begin around mid-November and continue through early January.
Training will occur at Finnriver Farm and Cidery in Chimacum on Wednesday, November 8th from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. Secure a spot soon, as submissions will be capped at 24 participants!

Image courtesy of John Gussman.
