Kody Warner Creek

Today in Pacific Coast Salmon Coalition we went to Warner Creek and jumped in with our waders on so we didn’t get wet. We went up the entire creek. We started at the mouth of the creek and we were picking up garbage. So we walked up the creek 2 miles and we picked up trash. We had to climb under multiple bridges. Also we had a ground crew that picked up trash along the creek and road. The reason this is so important to do is because the debris and the garbage can clog the river preventing the fish from getting through. Also the garbage can pollute the water and it will kill the fish.

Kody Hoh River

Today in Pacific Coast Salmon Coalition we went to the Hoh River. We uprooted willow trees along the bank of the river. We broke three pairs of clippers. That just goes to show how many we cut down. Approximately 500 stakes were made that day. We soaked the stakes in the river overnight. We did this to keep them alive while we planted them. A fun fact of the day was we saw a giant orange spider and it was pretty neat. Where we planted them is on project sites to stabilize the bank while the bridge was going in and so the bank wouldn’t erode causing the bridge to go in the natural stream.

Kody Hansen Nutrient Enhancement

So today in Pacific Coast Salmon Coalition we dumped multiple bins of fish in the rivers near us. We do this because we want the existing salmon to have nutrients to feed on. Also their corpses will decompose and provide nutrients in the water they live in. also other animals will feed on these fish such as wild birds and bears. There are eagles and hawks and crows and seagulls. Also there are brown bears and black bears. Most of the time there are roughly 150 fish per tote. We had a grand total 4000 fish Coho fish in the last 3 weeks from the hatchery.

Alexis Vera Introduction

My name is Alexis Vera. I am with the Pacific Coast Salmon Coalition (PCSC). We provide nutrient enhancement, erosion control, and reforestation services on the Olympic Peninsula.

We provide nutrient enhancement by throwing dead fish into local waterways. This provides fertilizer for plants and food for animals, ensuring biodiversity.

We promote erosion control by planting trees, ferns, moss, and grass. The roots from the plants hold the soil in place. This is important because if the soil washes into the stream, it makes the water muddy which is not good for fish.

Our reforestation efforts include cutting willow saplings and soaking them in water. They actually grow new roots while they are being soaked, and can then be planted in areas that need reforestation or erosion control.

Alexis Vera Natural Resources Options Forks

The PCSC helps high school students by teaching about the environment through hands on projects, research, and community service. The high school team meets at 2:30 on Wednesdays. Sometimes the teams go out to do hands on projects. Other weeks, they stay at the PCSC Forks headquarters, and do research and projects that will help teach others about the environment of plants and animals, and what we can do to help take care of it. Students earn a half of a credit for one semester. They also have an opportunity to earn another 1.5 credits for another semester in which they would do an internship and may be able to get a $300 stipend.

It is a great experience to be a part of PCSC!

Alexis Vera Gill Nets

A few times, we caught fish with big gill nets. We then took them from the nets one by one, held them against the ground, and hit them in the head with a bat. This stuns them so that they don’t flop around. We then put them in a fishing toat, which is a huge square plastic bin where all of the fish are kept. We took them to a big table where we took turns filleting them and cleaning them. We then bagged them and took them to the foodbank to be distributed to people that may otherwise not be able to afford salmon steaks.