West Seattle, Washington
10 Wednesday
(WSB photo from 2015)
One of West Seattle’s most beloved Thanksgiving traditions continues again this year. And this year there’s also word of multiple ways to help, if you want to. Judy Pickens shares the announcement:
The Hall @ Fauntleroy will be a lively place on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 24) when Tuxedos and Tennis Shoes hosts its 18th annual free community meal. The sit-down dinner of turkey and all the trimmings will run noon until 3 PM and is open to anyone who needs a hot meal or just a warm and festive place to be on the holiday.
Volunteers can give a hand in one of three ways:
– Offer to help for an hour to welcome guests, pour coffee, or simply mingle with folks. Call 206-932-1059 or find the sign-up form here.
– Donate socks, blankets, or warm coats (child and adult sizes).
– Donate a dessert.
The hosts will welcome donated items 9 AM – 2 PM on Wednesday, Nov. 23, at their office in Sodo (4101 Airport Way S.) or 10 AM – noon on Thanksgiving morning at the Hall @ Fauntleroy (9131 California Ave. SW, south end of the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse Community Center).
Reminder from Roxane in the Luna Park area:
Our neighborhood, along with Luna Park Merchants and the Seattle reLeaf Tree Ambassador team, will be holding a work party to continue the clean up of the Avalon/ Harbor at Manning area on Saturday, November 5th, from 9 am until noon.
This is the second in a series of work parties to ready the site for the Neighborhood Street and Park fund grant work that will commence in February 2017 AND provide a green buffer for neighboring homes and businesses. Meet at the parking area of Luna Park Café. Help us remove aggressive weeds, care for the mature trees, and improve sightlines for pedestrians and traffic. We’ll provide tools, gloves, and instruction. No experience necessary.
WE WILL BE PLANTING SOME NEEDED TREES TOO! Here is the link for RSVPs.
Rain or shine!
If you’re not already signed up for this, it’s not too late: Join West Seattle Chamber of Commerce members on cleanup patrol tomorrow afternoon. They’re meeting outside the California/Charlestown 7-11 at 4:30 pm Tuesday “to hand out supplies and form teams” – then they’ll fan out and pick up trash from there south to SW Alaska in The Junction. Last time, they got it all in an hour – the more who get involved, the faster it goes. It’ll be followed up by a visit to “a local establishment for food and drinks.” Want to be part of it? RSVP here.
Two West Seattleites have been working on a plan to help the demonstrators who are gathered with the Standing Rock Sioux, 1,200 miles from here [map], trying to change the route of an oil pipeline. They are planning to travel to the site next month and collecting community donations if you are interested in helping. Here’s their message and plan:
BE A PART OF THE STANDING ROCK PROTEST AND HELP THE WATER PROTECTORS IN NORTH DAKOTA.
Standing between poisoned water and the people living from the Dakotas to New Orleans are a few hundred tents on the prairie. It gets very cold on the prairie in North Dakota.
THE PROBLEM:
The proposed path of the Dakota Access Pipeline goes under the Missouri River just a half mile from the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, threatening the water of the entire region, from the Dakotas to New Orleans. The DAPL company expects construction to be complete in January, with highly explosive oil from the Bakken region ready to flow.
THE SOLUTION:
Move this “safe” pipeline back to its original route north of Bismarck and away from the water. This is the only thing the Sioux tribe and their supporters are asking for. This is why they are camping on the prairie in the direct path of the pipeline.
OUR PLAN:
We are driving from West Seattle, hopefully with a truck or trailer full of supplies, to the Standing Rock Sioux at Sacred Stone Camp for Thanksgiving to show our support for their cause and sacrifice in protecting the water. We would like to give you the opportunity to show your support and gratitude as well.
There are two ways you can support this.
1. We will be taking donated items (see list) at the following locations for the next 3 weeks.
2. You can make a direct financial contribution to those protesting. (see links)MATERIAL DONATION SITES:
Saturdays: November 5th, 12th, and 19th, between 8 a.m. and noon.
Westside Unitarian Universalist Congregation at 7141 California Ave SW.Weekly: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (until the 19th)
Duwamish Tribal Services at 4705 West Marginal Way SW*Please note that we are not a 501c3 charity and any donations are non-tax-deductible. Any financial donation should be made through the suggested links.*
SUPPLY LIST:
(as requested by the Sacred Stone Camp)Warm Winter Clothes (good condition only please)
****Gloves, Wool Hats, Socks and Sweaters
****Insulated Coats and PantsSleeping Bags / Blankets for subzero temperatures
Thermal Bed Rolls
Winter Tents / Heavy Duty CanvasDIRECT DONATION LINKS:
sacredstonecamp.org
standingrock.org
democracynow.orgWe welcome any suggestions and comments from our community and will do our best to reply to WSB posts.
Giles Stanton and Cathy Morgan
Play, and help, one week from today:
Contact Fred Lisko to sign up by Tuesday. Here’s more about the program he’s fundraising for (and leading).
(Chalk art outside ‘Lunches with Love’ assembly location last year)
Community generosity tends to rise as the winter holidays draw near – and sometimes, the number of requests can be overwhelming. Here is an opportunity to do something early in the season. West Seattle/South Park entrepreneur and community advocate Lashanna Williams is planning this year’s “Lunches with Love“ again and sends word that the effort is beginning with a dropoff donation drive for “living supplies” – literally, the supplies that unsheltered people need for daily living. This week and next, a dropoff spot is set up for you to use any time to give any or all of the items they’re looking for – click ahead to see what’s needed and where: Read More
Photos by Leda Costa for West Seattle Blog
So much happened in West Seattle this weekend … but we would argue, this is the most important. On the Duwamish River and in its watershed, hundreds of volunteers gathered to offer some help via the twice-yearly Duwamish Alive! habitat restoration and cleanup gatherings. All sizes of volunteers, including Paislee Kelm and Nash Randow-Kelm:
They were working at Herring’s House Park on the river – explained on the Duwamish Alive! website as “a 15.5 acre location created in 1999 primarily as habitat for juvenile Chinook salmon as they journey to Puget Sound.” It’s across from the Duwamish Tribe Longhouse, one of nine areas where people gathered on Saturday, one of two visited by WSB photojournalist Leda Costa – more of her photos ahead: Read More
It’s a perfect fall morning, which is great news for the hundreds of volunteers out helping with the fall edition of Duwamish Alive! at nine locations along the river and in its watershed, from West Seattle to Tukwila. Our first photo, above, is from WSB’s Leda Costa at Herring’s House Park. More later!
Something new at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) – a race car.
It’s not a new product line but rather part of the store’s tradition of community giving.
The Porsche GT 911, which won the GT class at Sebring 2015, is a centerpiece for the store’s fundraiser for Team Seattle, a professional racing guild that supports the Cardiac Center at Children’s Hospital. Since its debut in 1996, Team Seattle hasraised more than $5 million for the center. Thriftway will match up to $10,000 in donations made for the next week. (Its support for Team Seattle included the last benefit barbecue of the year earlier this month.) You can see the car during Thriftway’s regular hours, 5 am-midnight daily (California/Fauntleroy/Morgan).
Though basketball season is still more than a month away, the West Seattle High School girls are busy with something else – this donation drive:
West Seattle HS Girls Basketball is holding a clothing/textile drive through November 29th. We are filling garbage bags with gently used clothing, shoes, belts, drapes, towels, and bedding.
If interested in donating, please text/call Jaci at 206-909-7669 or Izzy at 206-947-4131 or email jacit@workhouse.cc. We are happy to come pick up the bags!
(WSB file photo from a past Duwamish Alive! event)
If this isn’t already on your calendar – the Duwamish River will benefit from just a few hours of your time next Saturday (October 22nd). Five sites along the river and in its watershed are in need of volunteers for the fall edition of Duwamish Alive!, 9:30 am-2 pm on Saturday. It’s one of the two days each year when hundreds of people volunteer to help our area’s only river. Here’s how:
Join our community effort to restore native habitat within the Duwamish Watershed on Saturday, October 22nd, while celebrating the connection of our urban forests to our river and salmon. Starting at 10:00 am volunteers will gear up at multiple Duwamish sites including one of our largest urban forests – the West Duwamish Greenbelt – to participate in planting and removing invasive weeds in an effort to keep our river alive and healthy for our communities, salmon and the Puget Sound. Volunteers are still needed at:
Pigeon Point Park
Roxhill Bog, headwaters of Longfellow Creek
Delridge Wetlands, tributary of Longfellow Creek
Longfellow Creek at Greg Davis Park
Herring’s House Park, along the river
(outside West Seattle) Hamm Creek/Duwamish Substation, along the riverTo volunteer, visit DuwamishAlive.org to see the different volunteer opportunities and RSVP to the contact for the site of your choice, or email info@duwamishalive.org
Other work sites include a river cleanup by kayak, shoreline salmon habitat restoration, and native forest revitalization while enjoying our autumn. Families, company groups, clubs, individuals, schools, community organizations, are encouraged to participate, and no experience is necessary.
The workday at all 15 sites begins at 9:30 with volunteer sign-in and concludes at 2 PM. Refreshments, tools, and instructions will be provided. All ages and abilities welcomed.
(WSB photo, morning after Lam-Bow Apartments fire)
Two and a half weeks after the fire that gutted one of the two buildings at the Lam-Bow Apartments in Delridge, the Seattle Housing Authority tells us all of its 40+ residents have new homes “but fled the fire with nothing,” and there’s a new way for you to help and see your $ go further:
The Biella Foundation, a small local family foundation, made a $10,000 donation to the Lam Bow Fire Relief Fund. In addition to their initial donation, the Biella Foundation has pledged up to $10,000 more in matching funds to help inspire others to give to this effort.
Approximately $3,000 has been donated to the Fund at this time, leaving $7,000 un-matched. We would be very grateful if you could help share news about this matching funds opportunity so that people know their gifts are still very much needed and will be doubled.
Financial contributions to the Fund will help (the displaced residents) replace furniture, household items, clothing and shoes, strollers and cribs, personal documents, school supplies, food and other necessities.
Donations are tax deductible and will go directly to the fire victims through SHA’s Campus of Learners Foundation, a 501 (c) 3 organization.
You can donate online via the button on seattlehousing.org, or send a check to:
Lam-Bow Fire Relief Fund
c/o Campus of Learners Foundation
PO Box 19028
Seattle, WA 98109-1028
Three ways to help the West Seattle Food Bank – and the first one doesn’t even involve food!
NEEDED – BOOKS FOR LITTLE KIDS: WSFB’s Judi Yazzolino tells us that “the Bookcase Program is in dire need of Children’s Picture Books. We are all out! We accept donations Monday – Friday 9 am – 3 pm on the corner of 35th & Morgan. Last year, the Bookcase Program distributed 14,000 free children and adult books to encourage healthy reading habits from a young age.”
Now, two food drives involving nine local businesses:
SPRINGLINE APARTMENTS: Through the end of November, there’s a bin in the lobby of Springline Apartments (3220 California SW; WSB sponsor) where you can drop off food for WSFB, which is hoping for enough donations to fill 100 bags. Bring in your donation(s) during office hours, Mondays-Friday 9 am-7 pm and Saturdays-Sundays 9 am-6 pm.
PT CHALLENGE FOOD DRIVE: 8 local physical-therapy clinics are in the annual competition to see who can collect the most food and money for WSFB:
Sound Physical Therapy – 3823 Delridge Way SW
Life in Balance Physical Therapy & Pilates, LLC – 5410 California Ave. SW
Biojunction Sports Therapy – 3727 California Ave. SW
Southwest Hand Therapy – 4621 35th Ave. SW
Highline Physical Therapy – Jefferson Square
Kinetic Physical Therapy and West Seattle Pediatric Therapies – 4828 California Ave. SW
Therapeutic Associates West Seattle Physical Therapy – 4545 41st Ave. SW
Through the end of October, drop off donation(s) in the West Seattle Food Bank barrel at any of those clinics. Last year, the WSFB tells us, they collected 1,149 pounds of food and $163, and hope to beat that total this year!
P.S. The WS Food Bank’s “wish lists” can be found here.
North Delridge is home to lots of business development and densifying residential development.
But its neighborhood council is on the brink of folding without new participation/leadership.
That was revealed in today’s notice canceling next Monday’s meeting of the North Delridge Neighborhood Council. Outgoing secretary Nancy Folsom says it’s time for nominees for at least three open leadership positions: “As it stands, unless people take over the helm, this group will be disbanding.” Want to get involved or re-involved? Speak up, here.
11:41 AM: Eight days after the 3-alarm Lam-Bow Apartments fire on Delridge, the 40+ people who lost their residences are putting their lives back together. Some have asked about an online fund to donate money to the fire victims, and that’s finally been set up. We noticed it on the Seattle Housing Authority home page late last night. It goes to the same fund to which you can send checks, as announced last week. Here’s how to donate:
-Online (see the PayPal link here)
-Via check (here’s how)
As for material items, we haven’t heard of any current needs, after the outpouring last week left community liaisons most in need of volunteer help to get the donations sorted, especially at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center.
ADDED 1:23 PM: SHA reiterates in an update that no material items are needed right now but check back to see if rehoused residents have furniture needs in the future. This information also was sent:
SHA has had contact with all 19 households affected by the fire to assess their housing and other needs. Some families are already moved into new apartments with SHA, some are in the process and others are considering options. All families will have received offers of, or be moved into, replacement subsidized housing by the end of this week. Out of the 19 households:
5 households have moved into apartments
4 households have accepted apartments and are in the process of leasing
1 elderly household has decided to live with family members permanently
1 household has decided to permanently move out of SHA housing
All other households have had their needs assessed and are in the process of being provided with housing options.
All families with children are able to keep their children in the same school. School transportation is currently being provided to all children housed at the shelter.
SHA included this update on the burned building (one of two buildings that comprise the Lam-Bow complex):
The Seattle Fire Department has concluded its investigation of the fire and has determined the fire started on the building’s exterior but were unable to determine a specific cause. The building has been assessed by a structural engineer and it has been deemed unsafe to enter. SHA has secured the perimeter of the building and is providing 24-hour security.
Andersen Construction is providing pro-bono work on the building, removing damaged materials from the roof and third floor and shoring up the building for safety. It is unknown if the building is salvageable or if it will be completely rebuilt. Further structural investigation is required before anyone can enter for further assessment. It is not known at this time if or when it will be deemed safe for residents to enter to possibly retrieve any salvageable belongings.
(Young helpers during last spring’s Duwamish Alive!)
Recent events have reminded us how intensely people feel about greenspaces. Twice a year, Duwamish Alive! offers a chance for you to show you care with a few hours of hands-on effort in forests and other greenspaces in the Duwamish River’s watershed, as well as on the river itself. With the fall edition coming up on Saturday, October 22nd, here’s a semi-early alert so you can sign up to spend a few hours at the site where you would like to make a difference. Follow the link above to the DA website, where you will find the location list.
One week after the 3-alarm fire at the Lam-Bow Apartments on Delridge, we’ve just received word of a benefit event next week, on October 14th, when classes are out for Seattle Public Schools and the independent schools that follow its calendar. Just out of the WSB inbox:
Watts Basketball is passionate about helping the community making a difference in kids and families lives. As some of you know, there was a fire in West Seattle last week that affected the lives of many families in our community. To help those families in need, we are having a school’s-out clinic at Delridge Community Center on Friday, October 14th from 9 am-3 pm for grades 3rd-8th. There is a $65 registration/donation fee and the profits will be donated to the “Lam-Bow Fire Relief Fund”. Here are ways that you can donate:
· Register for the school’s-out camp: Go here
· Come in person and make a donation “Check payable to the Lam Bow Fire Relief”We would also appreciate any high-school kids coming in and volunteering to help out with the camp as well.
Let’s make a difference in our community!
The fire on September 27th did $3.3 million damage to more than 20 apartments in the Seattle Housing Authority-owned building and the belongings of the 44 people who lived in those apartments. SHA’s website has a page with donation information, where checks can be sent to the aforementioned fund; the community groups that have been collecting material donations say that volunteer sorting help is what they still need most (check in with Youngstown Cultural Arts Center).
Deron Woods
Watts Basketball
901 Occidental Ave S. Suite 206, Seattle, WA 98101
Personal 425-606-1665 | Office 206-467-1383
(Photo courtesy 100 Women Who Care)
Show you care! You’re invited to join 100 Women Who Care as they gather Wednesday to choose their next local beneficiary – or, there are other ways to help. Here’s the invitation and explanation:
This past June, the 100 Women Who Care giving circle chose West Seattle Food Bank for their donation of $3,800 to support the Backpack Program.
They are a group of women who lead busy lives but want to do some good in the community. They meet 3 times a year and agree to help one local charity in a really BIG way……. 100 people x $100 = $10,000 impact to a charity chosen by the group.
Come join 100 Women Who Care to choose the next charity to receive their donation. The charities up for vote are: The Tears Foundation, Major Taylor Project, Ladybug House.
If you join prior to the event – Make a Commitment – you get to nominate your favorite charities for selection at our October 5th (Wednesday) event. See their website for more information. Invite your friends and join us for the evening.
P.S. If you are unable to attend, there is online voting. If you have any questions, please e-mail 100womenseattle@gmail.com
(Photo courtesy Don Bereiter)
By the south entrance at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor), you can do two good deeds in the span of a few feet. Above, David Knittel, Jeralee Knittel, and Alice Kuder are three of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Northwest Real Estate (WSB sponsor) reps who are collecting food and money for the West Seattle Food Bank until 2:30 pm. Below, Michele and Sophia are at the grill for Thriftway’s final benefit barbecue of the year, until about 3:45 pm – $5 gets you a fresh-grilled bratwurst, with all proceeds going to Team Seattle, raising money for Children’s Hospital.
(WSB photo)
Michele tells us the Team Seattle race car will be at Thriftway soon – watch for info on that.
5:10 PM: That’s just one of multiple piles of donated items at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, which has been collecting donations for the Lam-Bow Apartments fire victims, many of whom have been sheltered by the Red Cross at nearby Delridge Community Center. Youngstown is so swamped, in fact, that director David Bestock sends the request: NO MORE FOR NOW, PLEASE – “I think at least until displaced folks find a place to live, we’ve got more than they can handle.”
He just told us as we were about to publish this that Youngstown DOES have enough helping hands for now, but: “Folks who want to help volunteer can contact the WS Helpline volunteer desk at operations@wshelpline.org for ongoing support over the next couple weeks.”
Meantime, we haven’t heard yet from the Seattle Housing Authority (which owns the Lam-Bow) about other ways to help, but keep in mind, for those families, there’ll be long-term needs, so we’ll continue to follow up, next week and beyond.
ADDED 7:43 PM: Some good news from SHA’s Kerry Coughlin: “Our staff have met individually with families to assess their needs and have identified all vacancy options in our portfolio. We believe we will have everyone rehoused in suitable SHA housing by next week.”
As for donating $, she says they haven’t yet figured out an online option yet BUT if you would like to send a check – there is now a Fire Relief Fund, and the details are here.
(OCTOBER 4TH UPDATE: You can now donate $ online – scroll down for updates)
(WSB photo, Tuesday afternoon)
12:44 PM: We finally have additional information on how to help the dozens of people who lost their homes and belongings in Tuesday’s 3-alarm fire at the Lam Bow Apartments.
Many are continuing to be sheltered, with the help of the American Red Cross, at the Delridge Community Center. However, we learned during a visit there on Wednesday, they cannot directly accept donations, so they ask that you please do NOT go there.
Good news is, there are bins right across the street at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW), thanks to the teamwork of Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association (which owns and operates Youngstown) and the West Seattle Helpline, which has offered some assistance directly to the fire victims, including bus tickets – the type of emergency help that the Helpline is known for.
When we talked with DCC and Red Cross workers helping with the shelter, they stressed that adult items were most needed, but there are some needs for kids and babies too. Here is the list we were given as of late yesterday:
Sweats, shirts 16 XL woman
sweats shirts XXL/ size 40 man
baby clothing 3 months, diapers size 1(the above is for a family of 3)
shoes blouse pants, women’s size 8, medium, medium
shoes blouse pants for 15 year old girl, size 8
blanket that is NOT wool for someone who is allergicboys clothing sizes 6+, 8+, 10
underwear for boys, size 4
girls’ underwear sizes 7, 10
socks/underwear for men, sizes M, L, XL
socks, underwear for women, sizes M, L, XLdiapers sizes 1 and 5
blankets and pillows
LONG dresses and skirts for females sizes S, M, L, XL
shirts for women (long sleeves) S, M, L, XLhygiene products for males and females
pants men’s sizes 32/32 and 34/32
men’s shirts, coats M, L, XL
ADDED: size 28 women’s pants
Note that the 5-week-old baby is a boy
Please donate new, or if gently used, clean items, and again, long sleeved tops and long pants for women.
Youngstown asks that you drop off donations between 10 am and 6:30 pm weekdays.
(One of the donation bins at Youngstown – find them inside the west and north entrances)
Also – as mentioned in comments on our Wednesday followup, there is a collection drive at 24-Hour Fitness in Westwood Village, and Sanislo Elementary is collecting some items from its school community during its Multicultural Potluck event tonight.
And you can support the ongoing American Red Cross sheltering service – which they provide to many victims in all types of disasters large and small.
Meantime, SFD has not yet announced the results of its investigation into how the fire started.
ADDED 1:15 PM: Just as we were publishing this update, SFD announced:
The investigation showed the fire started on the exterior of the building. Fire Investigators were unable to determine a specific cause. The damage was estimated at 3.3 million dollars.
ADDED THURSDAY NIGHT: Thanks to the person who texted that West Seattle High School is collecting items for at least one family. They shared this image of a message from a school-community communication list with the requests and how to drop them off.
We expect to have an updated list sometime Friday with more information on how to help, so please check back.
FRIDAY AFTERNOON: Youngstown Arts Center’s David Bestock says in a comment that what they REALLY need is volunteer help to sort through what’s been dropped off. 4408 Delridge Way SW, until 6 pm today.
FRIDAY EVENING: And a new update – NO MORE DONATIONS, please, as explained here. We’ll continue to follow this so that when there’s word of other needs, we can update.
OCTOBER 4TH: Two ways to donate money now:
-Online (see the PayPal link here)
-Via check (here’s how)
Earlier this month, we brought you the story of 11-year-old Avery Berg, who, in the same week she started middle school, also started radiation therapy for a rare type of brain tumor. She is battling it with good humor and her mom Kristie is sharing that humor with the world via an online chronicle, Step by Step with Awesome Avery. As mentioned in our first report, family and friends are raising money for pediatric-brain-tumor research via tomorrow’s Run of Hope. You still have time to donate to their effort. Kristie, meantime, shares what’s new with her daughter:
… This week Avery shaved her head. Most people think that only chemo makes you lose your hair, but when you radiate your whole brain, that does the trick as well. I desperately wanted to shave my head with her, but she asked me not to. “Mom, the last thing I want to see is you without hair” is actually what she said. I know shaving my head doesn’t really do much, but honestly, I just wanted to feel this loss with her. I don’t know about you, but my hair is absolutely a security blanket for me. I’ve cried on several occasions just from a bad cut!
I was surprised she didn’t have the same reaction as she had to me when she learned four of her friends were planning on shaving their heads too. Let’s just pause for a moment and remember these are middle school kids who all just started a new school! Two of them are girls with gorgeous, long, healthy hair that will take years to return. They did it during her nightly radiation treatment and in tandem with her own shave so she wouldn’t have to walk into school alone the next day. We should all be so lucky to have friends like this. Again, any expression of gratitude falls well short of how I feel. …
In the same post, she also marveled at the Run of Hope pledges for Team Awesome Avery surpassing $100,000. As of today, it’s jumped to $137,000+, yet that is still a drop in the proverbial bucket for an underfunded type of research, so their gratitude continues to grow for every new contribution … on behalf of Avery and other children who have been and will be affected until there’s a cure.
(Family photo, used with permission)
(WSB photo – Longfellow Creek during fall 2014 salmon survey)
Help survey coho salmon returning to Longfellow Creek in West Seattle! Puget Soundkeeper Alliance is looking again this fall for dedicated volunteers. Here’s their announcement:
During the salmon run each fall, a population of coho salmon enters the Duwamish River from Elliott Bay, and then swims up Longfellow Creek to spawn. As coho migrate through urbanized waterways like Longfellow, they encounter a chemical cocktail of toxic runoff from roadways and other paved surfaces. These chemicals severely disorient adult coho and result in “pre-spawn mortality” in many individuals, meaning the salmon die before reproducing.
Previous surveys conducted by the City of Seattle and NOAA on Longfellow Creek have found pre-spawn mortality rates of up to 90% amongst females, an alarmingly high statistic. Examining the number of salmon that return to Longfellow Creek every year and documenting the pre-spawn mortality rate are great indicators of the health of our local waterways. Data gathered from these surveys shared with NOAA, the City of Seattle, Department of Fish and Wildlife and King County.
Volunteers will attend an orientation meeting on Tuesday, October 4th from 6:30-8:30 pm at Chaco Canyon Organic Café in West Seattle.
Requirements/qualifications:
The nature of this work is geared toward adults only.
Surveying is a weekly commitment that takes approximately 1 hour to complete. The salmon run begins in mid-October and finishes mid-December, during which there will be a survey every day. Volunteers will be divided into teams of 2-3 people and assigned a weekday to conduct their survey.
We’re looking for adventurous volunteers! Surveying requires handling fish carcasses found in the creek (with gloves) and dissecting the female salmon to check for eggs.
Volunteers should be in good physical condition. Surveying in Longfellow Creek requires climbing up and down steep muddy embankments and wading through shallow water on uneven terrain.
Surveying is conducted in varying weather conditions. If conditions are dangerous (e.g. a downpour), we will cancel on that day. Otherwise, we survey rain or shine.
Volunteers will be provided with surveying kits and waders (unless you have your own pair). Data collected during the survey will be uploaded by the volunteers into Puget Soundkeeper’s database.
Salmon surveys are a great way to observe one of nature’s most amazing migrations and experience scientific field work. The data we collect from these surveys help us understand the effects of toxic runoff on one of the Pacific Northwest’s most iconic species and determine the best methods to protect them in the future!
Qustions? kerry@pugetsoundkeeper.org – and when you’re ready to register, go here.
| 5 COMMENTS