Please Join Us In Welcoming
Jude Rubin - Assistant Director
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We are pleased to announce that
Jude Rubin
has joined the Salmon Coalition as our
new Assistant Director
.
Her expertise in restoration, fundraising, education and community engagement overlay all that the Salmon Coalition does and makes her a valuable asset to our team.
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Jude joins NOSC after 15 years with the Northwest Watershed Institute (NWI) where she served as Director of Stewardship and Public Involvement and was a founding board member.
Rebecca Benjamin, Executive Director for NOSC sees this as an important milestone in NOSC’s growth. “Jude brings the passion, experience and drive necessary to help us advance the projects and programs that advance the Salmon Coalition mission. Her depth of knowledge on every aspect of our programs and projects will allow her to step in, pick up some big reigns, and start supporting our teams.”
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“In my youth I fell in love at first sight with the rivers and mountains of the North Olympics. After fifteen productive years working at NWI to preserve and restore Tarboo Creek and Dabob Bay, I now look forward to providing senior level support for the outstanding staff of NOSC, which so ably serves the entire North Olympic region.”
– Jude Rubin
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From Peter Bahls, NWI Executive Director
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“Jude gives 120% to everything she does.
I am proud of our shared accomplishments through Northwest Watershed Institute’s Tarboo-Dabob Watershed Program, including the permanent protection of 7,000 acres of land, and restoration of over 400 acres of land along fish-bearing streams. Jude’s education programs have helped a generation of children and parents from Jefferson County to become ‘part of the solution’ through the “Plant-A-Thon” and the “Youth Environmental Stewards (YES!)” Programs, which will continue after a one-year hiatus”
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We're excited to hire a Membership and Office Administrator to join our team!
The NOSC
Membership and Office Administrator
plays a core role in the day to day functions and maintains efficient administration of the membership program as well as a variety of program and organizational support. This is an opportunity for a friendly, skilled professional to join a strong and dedicated team. This position is 25 hours per week, with benefits. View the
job description and apply here
.
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Giving Tuesday is December 3rd
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Giving Tuesday
is a global generosity movement created as a simple idea, a day that
encourages people to do good
. Non-profits across the Olympic Peninsula are coming together this year to celebrate each other and our stories. As your local Regional Fisheries Enhancement Group, we’re proud to serve both Clallam and Jefferson County.
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In Clallam County, the
Olympic View Community Foundation campaign
raises funds to build non-profit capacity, grow philanthropy, and make our community stronger.
Please donate here
.
The
Jefferson County United Good Neighbor campaign
raises funds to support organizations that provide basic needs of those who need it most in our community with resources like food, shelter, education, and medical care.
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Donate today!
The
Clallam Campaign runs Nov. 19 - Dec. 3
and the
Jefferson Campaign runs Nov. 1 - Dec. 31
.
Thanks for being part of our community!
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2019 Summer Chum Survey Results
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Volunteers wade through Chimacum Creek where they record and collect data, including scale samples and live and dead fish counts.
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For nearly three decades, our community has geared up, hiked in, and counted fish in Chimacum Creek. We’re monitoring the endangered Hood Canal Summer Chum, specifically the Chimacum Creek run.
From August to October 2019, volunteers recorded 688 live summer chum, 412 carcass, and collected scale samples and biological data from more than 160 fish. The run estimate is not as simple as counting the live fish though. There’s a formula used to consider live fish, carcass, and other conditions. The
official escapement number
for the 2019 Chimacum Creek Summer Chum run is
527 fish
.
Thank you to all of the volunteers that contributed to chum spawner surveys!
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Volunteer with Real Learning Real Work
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Cheri Scalf, WDFW Scientific Technician, presents one of the first coho salmon of the season at the Salmon Creek fish weir as Blue Heron Middle School students observe bankside.
October marked the beginning of
hands-on, field-based restoration projects
for
more than 100 seventh grade students
from Blue Heron and Chimacum Middle Schools. Students will oversee a year-long restoration project at Salmon Creek over the course of classroom visits and field trips.
Check out
this video
made by Isaac, a Chimacum School student, to see the field trip from a student perspective. Thanks, Isaac!
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Volunteers are on site to help students make connections and observations.
We need volunteer support in the classroom and out in the field—rain or shine!
Check out upcoming dates
HERE
and contact
education@nosc.org
or call 360-379-8051 to RSVP and see how you can help.
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Farewell to Nicole O’Hara, Development Manager
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Many of you know Nicole O’Hara, especially if you are a member or donor to the Salmon Coalition. Nicole has spent four years working part time as our Development Manager. The member tours you attended were orchestrated by Nicole, as were our delightful fundraising house parties. She has a flair for event coordination and
bringing people together
to celebrate. You’ve undoubtedly received a thank you note or letter crafted by Nicole with
heartfelt words of gratitude
.
She loves connecting people with our mission and her passion paid off. Nicole led the Salmon Coalitions fundraising on an upward ascent, nearly tripling annual giving during her time with us.
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Nicole planting along Snow Creek.
Photo Credit Charles Espey
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Funds she raised ensure the continuation of the
Real Learning, Real Work
program, our ability to develop new restoration projects and keep you all out in the creeks counting returning chum and coho salmon.
Please join me in a heartfelt ‘Thank YOU!’ to Nicole.
She can be reached at
nohara@nosc.org
through December.
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In the World of WCC: AmeriCorps Updates
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WCC Assistant Supervisor, Elena Smith, assesses a patch of butterfly bush (
Buddleja
) along the Dungeness River before making her cuts
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The Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) restoration crew is starting off the season strong! The crew has been working tirelessly on sections along the Dungeness River and have already cleared over 110,000 sq.ft. of butterfly bush (
Buddleja
), Japanese knotweed (
Reynoutria japonica
), and Scotch broom (
Cytisus scoparius
).
One of the crew's favorite projects of November, says WCC crew member Torin Blaker, was clearing a dump site and an extensive thicket of English ivy (
Hedera helix
) at Tamonowas Rock. Together, the crew removed two trailer loads of trash from the cliffside and more than 50 contractor bags filled with English ivy.
Over at the Isthmus Trail on Indian Island, crew members installed additional steps and railing at a staircase that leads down to Isthmus Beach. Visitors can now safely and comfortably access the sandy shores below.
Big thanks to the WCC restoration crew for all of their hard work out in the field and dedication to conservation! Stay tuned for more updates from the crew.
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Volunteer Spotlight: Anna Young
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The Salmon Coalition is grateful to work with so many inspiring and dedicated members and volunteers. To celebrate the contributions of this community, NOSC selects a volunteer each month to highlight and give thanks.
For November, NOSC would like to celebrate Anna Young for all of the hard work and positive energy she brings to spawner surveys and the Real Learning Real Work education program.
Get to know more about Anna below!
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"I grew up exploring the woodlands and shoreline of Massachusetts. I’m a latecomer to the salmon world but am involved in marine science, specifically plankton, so joining NOSC seemed like a natural thing to do. I’m interested in relationships between plankton and salmon and human impacts on all marine life in the Salish Sea. I’ve always enjoyed working with students and most recently started a pilot plankton art and science project at Blue Heron Middle School along with Rebecca Welti. We have a strong interest in bringing attention to plankton through art!"
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What is your involvement with NOSC?
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"I’ve been involved with the spawner surveys and working with Chimacum 7th grade students for the
Real Learning Real Work Program
helping them design and implement a restoration plan to improve salmon habitat. Seeing kids have that moment of awe or wonder interacting with fish has been fun. My goal is to help foster a sense of empowerment in the students to make decisions that can have a positive impact on their future right now."
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How did you first hear about NOSC?
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"I first heard about NOSC through the Jefferson Land Trust. When I moved here a year ago, I wanted to get to know the Olympic Peninsula and conservation organizations in the community. Given my interest in marine science and not knowing many people here, it made sense to connect with NOSC. I appreciate how they make volunteering so accessible and inclusive. And since I’m in and out of the hospital with an ongoing lung condition, I appreciate their flexibility with scheduling.
There was a screening in Port Townsend last year of the film,
Return of the River.
Seeing salmon return to a wild, protected river after the Elwha dam removal was incredibly moving. Having then learned about NOSC led me to get involved with the chum spawning survey at Chimacum Creek. That was the first time I had ever seen live salmon!"
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What are you looking forward to learning/experiencing/etc. with NOSC?
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"I’ve enjoyed getting to know the NOSC community and look forward to deepening those connections and continuing to learn more about our local watershed from the people that know it well. I’m excited to continue working with students outside the classroom and engaging their senses in the natural world and away from digital screens.
Since the health of salmon is connected to the health of plankton I hope to highlight that relationship and share some of what I’m learning with students and the NOSC community. As my health limitations allow, I’m hoping to become more involved with NOSC projects through the years."
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Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?
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"I feel lucky to be living on the Olympic Peninsula and a part of this great community. It’s inspiring to see so many people care and get involved.
For the past year, I’ve been working on art and education projects to bring awareness to the role of plankton in our climate crisis and the challenges facing these microscopic plants and animals. This crisis can be overwhelming and I can’t imagine what it’s like to be growing up with the awareness of all of this happening. Kids are often not heard or given agency. I think what NOSC is doing by creating opportunities for students to problem solve and make a tangible difference right in their backyard is powerful and feels hopeful.
I’m thankful for the opportunity to get to know and learn from NOSC staff and other volunteers, all of whom are passionate about restoring and protecting this unique environment."
To learn more about Anna, visit her website
Thank You, Anna!
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Base funding for the RFEG program comes from a grant from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, a portion of state commercial and recreational fishing license fees, and excess egg and carcass sales administered by the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife
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Give Us Your Feedback
Questions or Comments? Let us know what you think!
outreach@nosc.org
360.379.8051
www.nosc.org
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