Better Ground

Orca Recovery Day

When it comes to the fight for our orcas, we all have something to bring to the table.

In 2018, the world watched as Tahlequah, a Southern Resident Killer Whale, carried her dead calf for 17 days, travelling almost 1,000 miles off the Pacific Northwest coast before letting go. Tahlequah isn’t the first grieving orca mother- unfortunately, hers was one of many calf deaths across the past two decades. According to the Center for Whale Research, approximately 75 percent of newborns in the Southern Resident killer whale population have not survived.

Thank you for joining us!

“Orca-tober” might be over – but there you can still help make the Puget Sound a healthier place by taking action every day.

With just over 70 individuals left, we must act now if we’re going to save the most iconic species of the Pacific Northwest.

Southern Residents rely on their main food source, the endangered Chinook salmon, to survive. Due to habitat loss, climate change and increased pollution, it has become even more difficult for migrating salmon to make the journey home to create new fish. In order to save our orcas, we must start with our salmon.

Planting Trees for Orca
Making a Difference for Salmon
Orca Facts
Salmon in Your Backyard

In response to Tahlequah’s image of grief and the increasing need to help our orcas,  Washington conservation districts created Orca Recovery Day, an intentional day of action to restore habitat, reduce stormwater pollution, and educate the public about things they can do everyday to help one of the most iconic species of the Pacific Northwest.

There’s strength in numbers. With all of us working together, there’s still time to save our orcas. You can plant native shrubs and trees, collect trash along roads and beaches, or expand your green space outside your office building- anything that makes the environment better than how you found it. You can also bring awareness by using the hashtag #OrcaRecoveryDay and donating to organizations that are helping with the cause.

ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE

Actions You Can Take

Bring #OrcaRecoveryDay to your home. You can be a part of the solution by joining countless others who are creating habits and taking steps to make a better, healthier environment than the one we have now.

View free-to-use media and resources to promote your event!

Contact Emma Kilgore at ekilgore@snohomishcd.org to gain access.

Take a Closer Look at Our Previous Wonderful Sponsors!

If you watched the promo video and thought something looked different with the Southern Resident Killer Whales, you have a good eye! That footage is of a Type D Antarctic killer whale.

2020 looked a little different.

In 2020, we brought #OrcaRecoveryDay to your home. We asked that you be a part of the solution by joining countless others who are creating habits and taking steps to make a better, healthier environment than the one we have now.

Every action taken mattered for the Eco Challenge teams, but most importantly they showed our collective impact and inspired others to join the effort. Read the summary on the button below.