Join Great Peninsula Conservancy and Mason Conservation District in taking action for Puget Sound Orca Recovery Day! GPC and MCD staff will work with volunteers to remove invasive blackberry and scotch broom along the estuary shoreline at the Klingel-Bryan-Beard Wildlife Refuge. This saltmarsh, where the tides of Hood Canal mix with the freshwater of Union River, provides prime habitat to threatened Hood Canal summer chum, Puget Sound Chinook, and winter steelhead. This work continues to maintain the 5,000 trees and shrubs that were planted at this site in January. With your help, GPC can improve this habitat for salmon and for the resident orcas who depend on them for food! The day will also include a guided walk, refreshments, and a chance to learn about other organizations helping to better our orcas. Be sure to dress for the weather, wear close-toed shoes, and bring a water bottle. We will bring the rest!

BONUS EVENT! GPC Stewardship Manager Adrian Wolf will also host a Birding Tour at 9am on the same day at the same site! Come for the birds, stay for the stewardship event later that day! Let us know if you plan to attend Adrian’s tour by signing up HERE.

Orcas in Puget Sound: The Southern Resident Orca Whales that call Puget Sound home are critically endangered. Over the past couple of years, many local orcas have died from a combination of malnutrition, polluted waters, and stress from local boat traffic. With just over 70 individuals left in the local population, we must act now. Puget Sound has 7,500 miles of shoreline, 2,500 of which has been degraded by development. By working to improve salmon habitat, we can help their populations grow and provide a food source and clean waters to save the most iconic species of the Pacific Northwest. ​As we restore our shorelines, there will be more forage fish such as sand lance and smelt, giving the salmon more food and therefore more food for the orcas. For more information and a history of Orca Recovery Day visit: https://betterground.org/ord

What is Orca Recovery Day? Conservation Districts around the state along with dozens of non-profit and agency partners are proud to provide folks the chance to take action on this critical issue, and get involved in the recovery of our local Orcas. If you would like to learn more about Orca Recovery Day, Western Washington University is hosting a free webinar on Thursday, October 13th. Thurston Conservation District also has a podcast episode explaining the event that you can listen to here.

For more information: Contact Micaela at micaela@greatpeninsula.org or (360) 373-3500

Brought to you by: Great Peninsula Conservancy and Mason Conservation District, with support from BetterGround

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