Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group

The Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group in cooperation with many partners hosted its 9th year of Environmental Explorations at Belfair State Park on May 16th, 2007. This annual program provides interactive and hands-on opportunities for approx. 900 7th grade students from throughout the Hood Canal watershed to participate in a day of environmental learning. The Environmental Explorations event features formal programs and interactive stations which highlight the value and preservation of the Hood Canal Watershed. The funding provided to support this project was sponsored by the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group, Kitsap Bank, Olympia Savings and Loan and the Hood Canal Coordinating Council.

The Environmental Event event coordinated by the HCSEG Education Director Christine Daniel, has been successful due to the help of 137 local and regional resource professionals and volunteers contributing 1096 hours. The 2007 venue had 40 presentations and integrated stations that provided peer teaching and project based learning activities facilitated by North Mason’s Hood Canal Institute students.

The event focus is on Wild Salmon ecosystems and the interconnectedness of all of its biotic and abiotic elements. Paul Dorn, Fisheries Biologist of the Suquamish Tribe gave several presentations throughout the day’s event. Standing in front of a wonderful 24 foot Wild Salmon mural created in 2005 by AmeriCorps team member Sandra Gibbons, Dorn discussed and tied these environmental components together to further student’s understanding of Wild Salmon and their ecosystems.

Department of Natural Resources – Jesse Sims, Joe Labak, Lanie Mason, Heather Cole, Ray Minisch and Sam Jarrett, Seattle Aquarium – Brooke Nelson, Mason Conservation District - Karen Steriloff and Shannon Kirby, Wild Birds Unlimited- Jim Ulrich, Kitsap Audubon Society- John and Dee Finkbiner, Kitsap Stream Team- Macroinvertibrates -Val Koehler, USFS-Karen Holtrop, Woodland Park Zoo- Kathryn Owen, North Mason Master Gardeners- Arp Masley and Sue Texiera, WDFW- Doris Small, Camille Speck and Alex Bradbury, Sea Grant- Teri King & Jim Brennan, Skokomish Tribe- Chris Whitehead, Suquamish Tribe- Paul Dorn, Kitsap Mycological Society- Joan Davis and Volunteers, WSU Cooperative Extension-Emily Piper and Marilyn Brennan, Sardis Raptor Center, Hood Canal School, Hood Canal Institute- Brian Stave and HCI Students, Mason County Health- Seth Book, Amy Georgeson and Wendy Mathews, Kitsap County- Pat Kirshbaum, and Deb Thomas, Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe- Mike Jones Sr. Barbara Jones, George Jones Jr. and George Jones, IslandWood- Cynthia Wingren and Janelle Shafer, Nature Mapping - Dan Hannafious and Mendy Tarwater, Diver- Arline Fullerton, ASEG- Dave Higgins and Bill Worth, and WA State Parks, Joel Pillers, Stacy Roland, Ed Long and Steve Baum.

On behalf of the HCSEG, many thanks to our sponsors and all the folks and who have and continue to participate in helping to bring our youth one step closer to understanding their natural world.

Special thanks to our friend Dave Higgins from the Allyn Salmon Enhancement Group for the pictures taken during this 2006 event. Also a very special THANK YOU to all of the volunteers who have helped to make this event possible including:

George Bjorgen, Cheryl Loddo, Lynn Fisher, Del Armstrong, Lew San and Maye Augustin, Loy McInturff, Sara Simrell, Nick Barrantes, Don Leonardy, Shayne Monahon, Tom Clark, Kim Gower, Ralph Anderson, Pam Zehe, Roger and Jenny Wallace and Anne White

HCSEG VOLUNTEERS ROCK!

Every year fourth grade students from all over Kitsap County have the opportunity to visit Olympic College for a day long series of educational and fun activities to learn about our precious water resources.

Held in the spring of each year, the Festival combines classroom learning with outdoor exhibits, entertainers and story tellers to present water concepts in a variety of ways. Professionals working the field of water quality and education present hands on learning experiences. The HCSEG specifically presents on macroinvertebrates as indicators of good or bad stream quality. The kids involved in this presentation participate in an activity based role playing game. The goal of all entities presenting is to increase student and teacher awareness of the ways of water and how our actions affect the water quality in the watersheds.

The Water Festival is sponsored by Kitsap PUD, UW Sea Grant and Kitsap County Storm and Surface Water Management Program. Many local governmental agencies, businesses and citizens including the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group offer their time and resources to make the event a success.

Oysterfest 2007

Annually during the first weekend of October, the city of Shelton hosts the much anticipated Oysterfest event. Needless to say, Oysterfest is mostly about oysters and oyster eating. However, they do have education booths that contribute to this venue. The HCSEG and the Allyn Salmon Enhancement Group have been working together for years. At the festival we share space and inform the public on our mutual Wild Salmon restoration projects we have been working on throughout the year. This has been a great place to not only inform the public of our goings-on, but also to recruit volunteers to help with our endeavors.

Other outreach events the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group participates in includes; Allyn Days, Dewatto Festival, Tahuya Days, Taste of Hood Canal, Mason Conservation District's Kids with Environmental Knowledge and scheduled presentation and or field trips with Hood Canal Watershed schools.