Orca Recovery Day During COVID-19 A Success
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“Orcatober” is officially in the books!
COVID-19 has been a disruption for all of us, but it couldn’t get in the way of recovery efforts for our Southern Resident Killer Whales. We were fortunate to be able to celebrate Orca Recovery Day with all who participated in our scavenger hunt, rain barrel sale and Eco Challenge.
Combined, we had 44 people take part in our in-person events on Orca Recovery Day. That’s more than we’ve had compared to the last two years!
Kristoferson farm was one of our scavenger hunt sites. The owners were also pressing apple cider that day!
Eco Challenge
This year’s region-wide effort for Orca Recovery Day revolved around the Eco Challenge, a digital platform that allowed individuals to commit to daily and one-time actions that benefit our Southern Resident Killer Whales. Snohomish CD created a team of staff and community members to record our collective impact.
Together, we achieved....
590 miles not traveled by car
521 pounds of CO2 saved
127 plastic bottles not sent to the landfill
61 plastic straws not sent to the landfill
19 pounds of waste composted
340 gallons of water saved
WCC Crew Member Arianna Winkler speaks with community member.
Scavenger Hunt
To comply with COVID-19 restrictions, we hosted a self-guided tour of restoration projects throughout Snohomish County. Each of these projects continue to positively impact our resident orca population in some way, whether it be by limiting stormwater pollution in the Puget Sound, reestablishing health to our streams and rivers, or improving fish passages. Our staff were scattered throughout several of the sites and met (from a distance) with community members.
Jennings Park in Marysville
If you stopped by Jennings Park in Marysville, you had the opportunity to meet with several staff members from our Habitat Restoration team and chat about SCD’s restoration efforts on Allen Creek. Allen Creek is a tributary to the Snohomish River Estuary and runs through the park. Home to several species of salmon and Bull Trout, the creek is overrun by invasive plant species that don’t provide enough shade, which increases water temperatures and reduces oxygen levels. To help out, we are currently restoring 22 acres of Allen Creek by planting the floodplain with native trees and shrubs that will replace the invasive plants and provide the much needed shade to the creek.
Rain Barrel Sale & Pick-Up Event
Our staff had “barrels of fun” in Edmonds with this pre-order, pick-up rain barrel event. Not only are rain barrels a great way to save on your water bill, but they help prevent stormwater runoff by storing it for later use on your gardens and lawn. By keeping potential pollutants in stormwater out of the Puget Sound, fish and wildlife (including orcas) benefit from a healthier, cleaner environment.
In total, we sold 18 rain barrels!
City of Lynnwood
Photo courtesy of City of Lynnwood from Orca recovery day
Our former SCD colleague joined the Stormwater Team with the City of Lynnwood, and for Orca Recovery Day, Cameron Coronado hosted a table in the midst of many rain gardens SCD installed in the city. People who stopped by could learn what their community members are doing to help our orca whales by participating in a self-guided tour of some rain gardens. Cameron was on-site to answer questions about how rain gardens work. He could be found on the corner of 52nd Ave. W. and 189th St. SW. The best part is that someone who picked up a rain barrel in Edmonds then went over to Lynnwood, where they lived, and learned about rain gardens. We appreciate the enthusiasm for stormwater warriors!
