Summer Nature Camp

Our Outdoor Classroom teacher Lori O’Brien and one of her terrific volunteers, Kat Fritz, are offering a summer nature & science camp at the Outdoor Classroom and other locations including the beach for ages 6 – 10. It will be held August 2-6, 9 am-1 pm daily.

Lori O'Brien and a budding scientist

It’s called “Birds, Bugs and Botany…” and is perfect for kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews to learn about the world around them through projects, experiments, music, art, games, and more! Special guests will appear throughout the week.

Cost: $100 plus a $10.00 materials fee paid directly to the instructors.

Sponsored by SW Parks & Rec Dept. and Whidbey Watershed Stewards.
To register, contact SW Parks & Rec at 360-221-5484 or <programs@whidbey.com>.

Smolt Count for 2010 Completed

Thanks to everyone that helped on this year’s smolt count. We had some high water,  a few snakes, bull frogs and lots of sticklebacks and fry. In the end though there were very few coho smolt. The scientist in me says this is important information, but it would have been inspiring to see the cycle of life moving around the next turn.

We had 18 coho smolt (118 in ’09), 81 cutthroat smolt (same number in ’09), and 200 fry. Let’s go fry! and maybe they will all make it to next year – stay tuned.

Here is the flume with the top and bottom open, and lots of water coming through.

Here are some of our larger cutthroat trout, a fish the used to be frequently caught in Maxwelton, and big enough to eat.

Here are those amazing little sticklebacks for comparison -

So that is is for this year’s count, the trap is back at Gregg and Linda’s place. Keep up the faith and if you’ve got time, come out and help preserve salmon habitat.