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Responsible Recreation by Holly Henderson

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Herd of elk viewed from a Skagit Fisheries vehicle

With warm weather finally making an appearance in western Washington (did anyone else feel like this past winter was painfully long?) many folks are choosing to get away this Memorial Day weekend. This time of year, it is more important than ever to take time to consider how you can be a respectful and active steward of the outdoors while traveling or recreating, when spaces are crowded and being used daily. Responsible recreation means different things for different activities – it could look like leaving wildlife alone/viewing from a safe distance on hikes, proper waste disposal, or inspecting/washing off water crafts after each use. No matter which activities you partake in this weekend, there are always ways to consider your impact on your surroundings and the greater environment. Habitat conservation is something that everyone can and should be involved in – do your part by taking small steps to lessen your impact on natural spaces. 

“Leave No Trace” is a phrase used in the greater recreation/conservation community that refers to taking actions to not leave a human “trace” in recreational areas. There are 7 main principles of the concept – read more here!

Another way to recreate responsibly this weekend is to take a micro adventure; a short trip that is environmentally conscious, less than 4 hours car travel from where you call home, enhances the economy of where you travel to, and is generally inexpensive. Anything from a trip to a local State Park for a walk from a weekend trip to Steven’s Pass can be considered a micro adventure. These short and sweet trips are great options for full-time working folks that want to get away for the day or a night (or two). Reframing a short trip as a micro adventure helps put things into perspective – in the Pacific Northwest we are blessed with natural beauty that folks travel incredible amounts of time and distances to see, but these spaces are in our backyard.

No matter how you spend your weekend, we at SFEG hope you have a fun, safe, and environmentally-aware few days! 

swede creek fish passage

Project Spotlight: Swede Creek Fish Passage Improvement

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This project worked with a private landowner to complete a fish passage barrier removal project on Swede Creek; a tributary to the Samish River north of Sedro-Woolley. Using Family Forest Fish Passage Program funds, SFEG removed four undersized culverts that were creating a barrier to fish passage for coho salmon, steelhead trout, and sea-run cutthroat trout. A 40 ft steel bridge replaced these culverts, creating instant passage for salmon upstream. The Swede Creek Fish Passage Improvement Project built upon a previous downstream fish barrier removal project completed two years prior.

swede creek fish passage

This latest project, completed in 2021, opened fish access to an additional 0.7 miles of high-quality spawning and rearing habitat in Swede Creek including a 6-acre pond, and over 80-acres of wetland habitat.

After project completion, volunteers documented over 100 coho salmon spawning in Swede Creek for the first time in many years. Salmon are returning thanks to working with private landowners to remove these fish passage barriers along on Swede Creek at two locations. SFEG completed the first project in 2019, but salmonids did not make their way back into this Skagit tributary until the completion of the 2021 leg of this project. juvenile trout

Juvenile trout found in Swede Creek

Before the fish passage barrier removal project

newly installed bridge over creek

After the undersized culverts were removed and the bridge was installed

Wrapping Up an Education Internship with SFEG

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 From Victoria Hartman, Education Intern, on her internship experience:

 

 Over a six month period I was able to grow my knowledge and learn all about salmon and their impact on the environment around us alongside the youth of Skagit County. Each three month period consisted of classroom visits and outdoor field trips.

     During the first 3 months we laid the groundwork of salmon education. Teaching the students about the life cycle of salmon and how salmon are beneficial to their surroundings, starting with how long of a journey the spawning salmon have and the low survival rates in all stages of life. One fact that I learned during this program was out of 4,000 eggs, only 0-2 will end up surviving to spawning adulthood. To help students remember the different stages of a salmon’s life cycle we led them through a project of creating a beaded bracelet, where each bead color represented a different life stage. We also taught them how to memorize the 5 different species of salmon living in the Skagit River by using a “hand”y trick. Each finger represents a different species. Pinky for pink salmon, ring finger for silver (or coho) salmon, middle finger for king salmon, pointer finger for sockeye, and thumb for chum. 

     Following the initial lectures, we would take the students on excursions to the nearby streams to assess the area and have them decide if it possessed all the requirements to house happy salmon. We had them physically look around the stream, deciding if there was good enough gravel for the young salmon to live in as well as the amount of coverage provided by the trees surrounding the area. Once they deemed the external area a good spot for salmon we instructed them through a simplified water quality test. We had the students participate in testing the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water, pH levels, temperature, and turbidity (clarity) of the water. After compiling all of our collected data we had the students discuss if they thought the area was the best for salmon to live or not.

     Leading into my last three months in the program, we got to return to the schools to have them participate in a fun art project to help solidify their knowledge on salmon. There were a variety of projects to choose from, including bookmarks, comic strips, or tissue paper salmon. Before starting them on the project we’d ask them a few review questions and tell them how this project relates to their salmon memory. I personally helped design the layout for the tissue paper salmon, having the kids design and color their own salmon using a method that might have been new to them. During this time we also delivered 200 salmon eggs to each school and helped the kids raise them into healthy fry ready to release into the nearby streams.

     Once their little salmon were ready we went on the last field trips of the program to release them. Starting early in the morning we would visit the schools and fishnap the fry and get a count. Later that day, the students would meet up with us at the creek and we’d tell them how many of their fish survived and we would instruct them on how to safely release them into the wild. Some students were excited to help the environment, while others were sad to see their little fish friends go. After they got to release their salmon, we led them in a service project in the same area that would help improve the surrounding riparian forest. Whether it was removing invasive blackberry bushes or planting trees, the students were all excited to get their hands dirty and help out.

     As sad as I am that my internship has come to an end, the entire experience was one of a kind and I feel very fulfilled that I was able to help see so many young people gain new skills and knowledge as well as myself. I hope to continue seeing progress towards improving the life for salmon and the increased education and awareness in the younger generations.