Wildside

Weekly

October 26, 2022

IN THE FIELD

Cocktails & Fishtales

Grab your favorite beverage and settle in on Facebook LIVE to learn all about crab larvae monitoring happening here in Puget Sound. Crabs are often encountered species on our beaches, but the beginning of their life is spent drifting in open water. Tune in at 6:00pm PST to hear what Fran Marvin and Ashley Benson from UWT have been learning about crab larvae.

Salmon Observation Station is up!

If you find yourself walking the trail that connects Donkey Creek Park to Austin Park at txʷaalqəł Estuary take a moment to fill out the log in the box. If you see salmon, or even if you don't, write it down in the log book. This helps us track when the salmon arrive each year and the best time to view them!

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

A HUGE BURST OF GRATITUDE FOR MAKE WAVES 2022

We are overwhelmed with the success of Make Waves, our annual fundraiser. Over 120 people came out in support of environmental education and eager hands raised glasses and bidder numbers alike. The donations are still rolling in, and we raised over $55,000 thanks to the generosity of our supporters and board members. A huge thank you to everyone who helped to make this event a fantastic success.

CREATURE FEATURE

Tailed Siphonophore

Nanomia bijuga

Looking a bit like a drifting piece of cellophane, this animal hunts for plankton as is drifts through the water. Siphonophores use multi-branched stinging tentacles to capture prey, casting them out like a fishing net. When disturbed, the tentacles quickly bunch together. This is technically a colonial animal, comprised of many individual hydroids, each with specialized function. They can be up to 12 inches in length. The largest siphonophore ever measured was 46 meters long and was found off of Western Australia in water over 600 meters deep. Look for the tailed siphonophore off of docks in calm water. This one was spotted off of Jerisich Dock on October 26, 2022.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR*

Cocktails & Fishtales

November 16 , 6pm PST on Facebook LIVE Copepods and Climate Change.

Jr. Naturalist Workshop

November 19, 10am Donkey Creek Park. Students are invited to join us for an educational salmon tour during Chum Salmon Festival

Chum Salmon Festival

November 19 & 20 11-4pm

Celebrate the homecoming of the Chum Salmon in Donkey Creek. This annual event has expanded to TWO DAYS and we couldn't be more excited!

Salmon Walking Tours

View spawning salmon and learn all about the struggles they face on their epic journey from Gig Harbor, to the Pacific Ocean and back. Meet near the new Our Fisherman, Our Guardian carving in txʷaalqəł Estuary Park.

November 26 10am

December 3, 2:00pm

Pier Into the Night

While you stay warm and dry on the dock, our divers use an underwater video camera to live stream what they encounter below the surface. Staff biologists and trained volunteers identify the sea life that appear on the 10-foot screen in real time.

November 5, 6pm @ Jerisich Dock

January 7, 5pm @ Jerisich Dock

February 4, 6pm @ Maritime Pier

March 4, 7pm @ NEW LOCATION TBD

Touch Tanks on the Pier during Christmas Tree Lighting

Skansie Brothers' Park. December 3, 4:30-6:30pm

Skansie Visitor &

Interpretive Center

Open Wed - Saturday, 10-4pm

3207 Harborview Drive • Gig Harbor

Pending Volunteer Availability on Weekends

Salmon Observation Station