The NW Straits Initiative thanks Senator Patty Murray for securing $3 million in federal funding for our marine conservation work in the Northwest Straits in 2022!

Senator Murray is a strong supporter of locally based marine conservation. Her leadership has assured ongoing local engagement in advisory, monitoring, research and restoration actions through the NW Straits Initiative’s seven Marine Resources Committees.

We are excited for this opportunity to improve the Salish Sea by advancing marine conservation actions in our region!

Staff from the Northwest Straits Commission and Padilla Bay Reserve teamed up to train a Washington Conservation Corps crew on trapping invasive European green crab in Skagit County. 

Despite facing strong winds, hail, and knee deep mud during their first week, the WCC crew is excited to remove as many green crabs as possible. Learn more about the WCC program here. Follow our work on invasive European green crab here.

We are excited to attend and present at the 2022 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference coming up this month on a virtual platform. This biennial event brings together scientists, knowledge holders, First Nations and tribal government representatives, resource managers, community and business leaders, and policy makers to share science and stories of the Salish Sea. 

Northwest Straits and Marine Resources Committee representatives will be there to highlight work on bull kelp monitoring, kelp conservation and recovery, addressing invasive European green crab, volunteer engagement, and much more. Click here to check out the full schedule and program.

Skagit MRC, in partnership with Padilla Bay Reserve, are preparing to host 360 students from four schools for their Kids on the Beach program this year, including Sedro Woolley, Conway, Concrete, and Anacortes middle schools.

After the past few years of adapting to various remote and hybrid alternatives, the program team is able to offer a range of options. Participating school involvement ranges from fully virtual to in-person. As always, a dedicated group of volunteers signed up to assist with the in-person field days coming up this spring.

The Kids on the Beach program is designed to increase literacy in marine science in Skagit County middle schools and provide kids with a variety of hands-on marine science activities in the classroom and on the beach. Learn more about the program here.

In honor of Caroline Gibson’s enduring love and commitment to the Salish Sea, the Northwest Straits Foundation is pleased to award three scholarships this year to graduate students in the Salish Sea region. The scholarships support current college students pursuing applied academic studies in marine science, policy, education, and management of the Salish Sea. This year's recipients are: 

We’re happy to acknowledge these scholarship recipients who embody the spark, creativity and drive to be the next generation of marine conservationists. Caroline would be celebrating their work with us.

Caroline served as a member of the Jefferson MRC, as Marine Program Manager at the Northwest Straits Commission, and as Director of the Northwest Straits Foundation. Her spark and passion inspired others to not just talk about marine conservation, but to roll up their sleeves and do it! Click here to learn more about Caroline and the scholarship in her name. 

Photo at right: Caroline Gibson in her natural habitat on the beach.