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The Environmental Science Center operates from the traditional and stolen homelands of Coast Salish Peoples, specifically the dxʷdəwʔabš (“People of the Inside” – Duwamish), suq̀ʷabš (“People of Clear Salt Water” – Suquamish) and Muckleshoot Tribe. We recognize and honor the land itself and all tribal members of the past, present and future, including Indigenous teachers and scientists. We are grateful for the ways Indigenous Peoples continue to be caretakers of this land and all that live here, and we acknowledge how their stewardship was disrupted by the theft and colonization of their land. We strive to build reciprocal and respectful relationships with the land and its Peoples, and to be in partnership and solidarity with local Tribes and Indigenous communities. You’ll hear land acknowledgements at the beginning of ESC programs that differ depending on the location, age group and person delivering them. Find out more here.
ESC is committed to becoming an inclusive, anti-racist, multicultural organization engaging our community in environmental education and creating safe and affirming outdoor programs for everyone. We are in the process of developing our racial grievance policy for staff, volunteers, and program participants which will be shared here shortly.
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Remembering Sheri Barr
Join us in honoring Sheri Barr, who passed away last fall.
We want to send a big thank you and shout-out to foundry10 for their contribution that will help us continue to provide free hands-on environmental science continuing education trainings to teachers in South King County!
Give a teacher a fish lesson, they learn for a day. Teach a teacher to teach a fish lesson, they learn for a lifetime! (Say that three times fast!)
#tbt to one of the coolest marine invertebrates of the summer at Seahurst! This animal is a Hooded Nudibranch which is a colorful sea slug. Named for the large round face-like structure, called an oral hood. This animal wiggles around to swim and smells like watermelon when disturbed.
Have you seen our 2021-2022 impact report yet? Last year was a great year of letting nature teach using online, hybrid, and in person learning opportunities! Check out the whole report on our website: bit.ly/3EQflyd
"I feel like a kid again! I have learned so much and had so much fun on this trip!"
Field trips are not just for kids anymore! Last week ESC took a group of adults from the Renton Senior Center with Renton Parks and Recreation on a field trip to view salmon in the Cedar River. We even had a private tour of the Landsburg Dam to learn about the hatchery and what they are doing for salmon recovery. Participants had the to chance to view salmon scientists work, how salmon travel through the fish passage, and what the dam does to keep Seattle's drinking water safe.
The colors are starting to change at Seahurst! Nature is shifting seasons with its annual color show. Share your best fall nature photos with us in the comments. #meditationmonday
Today is #OrcaRecoveryDay and #stewardshipsaturday! Today is a day of action to across Puget Sound to support and learn about the Southern Resident Killer Whales. Our resident orcas eat salmon, and that is one of the biggest contributors to orca loss. For us, saving the orcas comes down to saving our salmon. During our Salmon Heroes field trips students learn our handy acronym: STREAM.
S-save the trees
T-turn off the lights
R-rain only down the storm drain
E- every poop, you scoop
A-all natural gardening
M-motor less
S-share what you learned
To find more actions you can take, community action projects, and more visit: bit.ly/3VsQZAw
This week was filled with Salmon Heroes field trips to the Renton Community Center! Students had the opportunity to participate in a variety of stations and activities to learn about salmon in the Cedar River and how to take care of them. This view cannot be beat!
#tbt to last year's Big Picture Middle School cohort! These students participate in different experiential learning opportunities of their choice to supplement their classroom learning. One cohort every year comes to Seahurst to participate in restoration projects and choose what stewardship projects they want to pursue for the year. Last year one of their big projects was to paint the mural in our outdoor classroom! Our new cohort started on Tuesday so keep an eye out for their restoration sites and various projects at Seahurst!
Raise your hand if you love how teachers go above and beyond for their students to learn? 🤚
This fall select teachers from Highline Public Schools have been participating in professional development with ESC and NOAA B-WET! These awesome educators are learning about how to teach their students about our watershed and the issues it faces. From water quality, to salmon lifecycles, to orca survival teachers are gaining the knowledge, skills, and materials to bring back to the classroom to implement with students! #WatershedWednesday
The salmon are back! This is the time of year when salmon return to the freshwater streams in which they were born to spawn the next generation. Females will use their powerful tails to clear an area of debris for their nest. This place is called a redd. Can you spots the redds in this video?