AmeriCorps Reflection: Myrriah Crowley

In my first two months at Skagit Fisheries I’ve learned tons about both the salmon and the people of this community. I’ve been inspired by all the volunteers coming together for our Tree Planting events and our Salmon Spawner Surveys with the intention to learn about and restore salmon habitat and populations. One of my favorite new facts to offer folks when they say, “There’s no salmon in this creek, it dries up every year”, is that while streams may dry up seasonally, many have pools upstream may have had redds in them that, if kept in the proper conditions, will have juvenile salmonids rearing in them year round. On my first salmon spawner survey the lower portion of the channel was completely dry but further upstream we saw hundreds of juvenile coho and several rainbow trout; this week we saw dozens of beautiful, adult coho making their way upstream!

It’s been so fulfilling to see the bigger picture of restoration; it supports our salmon, forests and wildlife, as well as encourages us to be connected to our more than human community.