by Amy Johnson
Volunteers with Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA) celebrated Earth Day and World Fish Migration Day (WFMD) with NSEA on April 21. One hundred and eighty stalwart volunteers came to NSEA’s campus to make a difference in the lives of salmon. They worked hard potting 5,800 bare-root plants for NSEA’s nursery and still had time to hula hoop, play corn hole, get their faces painted, take pictures in a photo booth, and get hands-on learning from the Whatcom Conservation District’s Mobile Watershed Explorer. All the while, accompanied by great music and delicious food.
These plants will reside in NSEA’s nursery before they are placed at a restoration site to live out the rest of their days along a salmon-bearing stream, creating a healthy and diverse riparian zone. Their branches and leaves will one day offer shade to ward off invasive weeds and keep the water cold. Their roots will filter out stormwater runoff to help clean the water and provide bank stabilization to keep the stream clear of silt.
World Fish Migration Day
In conjunction with the potting party, NSEA celebrated World Fish Migration Day, a one-day global recognition of the importance of open rivers and migratory fish, coordinated by the World Fish Migration Foundation. Over 60,000,000 people at 522 events in 63 countries across the globe organized around the theme “Connecting Fish, Rivers and People.” By working together, we create a greater driving force to raise awareness that migratory fish all over the world depend on free-flowing rivers to travel upstream, increase fish populations and assure healthy river life — for fish, wildlife and humans.
Thank you to NSEA’s event sponsors Yeager’s Sporting Goods, Lummi Island Wild, Tony’s Coffeehouse, The Bagelry, Starbucks, The Community Food Co-op and Boundary Bay Brewery, as well as Crooked Constellation for providing the music and Whatcom Conservation District for the awesome watershed display and donated plants. Also, huge thanks to Gato Verde for the Sunset Cruise raffle prize. NSEA appreciates your support!
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Amy Johnson, Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA) Advancement Manager, has been with NSEA for three years. She ensures NSEA’s outreach and advancement activities are carried out to build support for NSEA’s projects, programs and initiatives through communications, publications, social media and events.