Orca Recovery Day Planting Party!
Saturday, October 19 from 9am – 12pm at our Cougar Creek Preserve! Join us for a special Saturday work party to replant areas of the preserve where Himalayan blackberry has been removed. The Cougar Creek Preserve is one of the Land Trust’s newest properties, acquired through our ongoing Stand for the Land campaign. It supports undeveloped forest habitat, wetlands, and a seasonal fish stream. Re-establishing native vegetation on the preserve is part of our long-term restoration and stewardship plan.
Join a Work Party!
About Orca Recovery Day
What: Orca Recovery Day 2019 is 40+ events across Washington, British Columbia, Oregon, and Northern California to connect people to the recovery effort for the critically endangered Southern Resident Orca Whales. Led by Conservation Districts throughout Washington, and joined by dozens of non-profits, tribes, and local and state agencies, Orca Recovery Day will engage thousands of people in actions that improve conditions for the Orca.
Why: The Southern Resident Orca Whales that call the Salish Sea (Strait of Georgia, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Puget Sound) home are critically endangered. In the past few months alone, three more Southern Resident Orcas died, resulting in a current population of 73. Their numbers have been in steady decline. Recovery for the Southern Resident Orcas will take a coordinated and ongoing effort by all who reside in watersheds that provide habitat for the Orca’s primary food source: primarily Chinook salmon, which are also endangered. Improving fish habitat will also support sport and commercial fisheries in Washington that have an estimated economic impact of $2.7 billion. These watersheds span every corner of Washington State and surrounding lands. Providing clean waterways that support fish health and overall improved water quality will benefit more than just the Southern Resident Orcas; doing so will benefit all life that call Washington State and surrounding lands/waterways their home.
Photo © 2019 Sue Larkin