Partner Events Throughout the Region
Together, let’s make a difference.
Pledge to Protect Southern Resident Orcas
Are you a boater? Boat noise and disturbance make it harder for Southern Residents to find and catch their prey. Pledge to stay 1,000 yards away from J, K and L pods, and give the whales the space they need to forage, rest and tend their young.
Thank you for participating in Orca Recovery Day 2023!
Tukwila Parks and Recreation | Urban Tree Planting | Duwamish Hill Preserve | October 21
This event is on October 21. Happy Duwamish Alive! Spend the day planting with Friends of the Hill, volunteer Forest Stewards, and keep Duwamish Hill Preserve healthy and sustainable. Join us and hundreds of volunteers at multiple sites, for a day of working in the Duwamish Watershed. All tools and training will be provided.
Duwamish Alive Coalition | Riparian Restoration, Trash Pick-Up | Multiple Events throughout Duwamish Watershed
Duwamish Alive! Saving Our Salmon, Saves Our Orca Join Duwamish Alive! this Fall as our salmon are returning in our Duwamish River, with this watershed wide effort in improving the health of our salmon by restoring their habitat which provides food, shelter and cool, clean water that salmon need. Volunteers will be restoring native habitat on in multiple urban parks and open spaces by removing invasive weeds, planting native plants, removing debris from the river and learning about healthy habitat. This is a family friendly event, all ages welcomed and encouraged. To volunteer, visit DuwamishAlive.org to see the different volunteer opportunities and register for the site of your choice, or email info@duwamishalive.org.
Kitsap County Parks | Multiple Events
October 21 | Invasive Weed Removal | Coulter Creek Heritage Park
We plan on brushing trail and removing invasive plant species. Bring sturdy shoes, gloves, and water. Dress for the weather. Tools will be provided.
October 21 | Invasive Weed Removal | Port Gamble Forest Heritage Park
We plan on brushing trail and removing invasive plant species. Bring sturdy shoes, gloves, and water. Dress for the weather. Tools will be provided.
October 21 | Urban Tree Planting | Newberry Hill Heritage Park
We plan on planting native trees. Dress for the weather. Tools will be provided. Bring food, water, and medications. We will meet at the Holly roundabout gate and all shuttle to the work location.
Clear Creek Task Force | Riparian Restoration along Trail | 9641 Levin Road, Silverdale 9/388
Come “Plant one for the Pod!” Pull some ivy and make the Clear Creek Trail a better place for salmon and orcas.
Snohomish Conservation District | Multiple Events
Family Day at Mukilteo Lighthouse Park | Hands-on Youth Activities, Educational Street FairÂ
Come down to Lighthouse Park to learn about our local Orca pod and how you can support Orca habitat! Plan on a fun family day at the beach. We’ll have booths from local organizations with various educational materials, games, and activities including a watershed model and a poop toss game. We’ll also have a few native plants to plant at a nearby location!
Grab a bite to eat at the food trucks and take home with some fun Orca Recovery Day swag.
Join us for Orca Recovery Day, a celebration of community and what it means to be stewards of our local waterways, supporting our Orcas and their ecosystem. We hope to see you there!
Salmon Habitat Restoration in Marysville
Help us pull invasive vegetation to rescue young trees and shrubs!We’ll be learning about the benefits of riparian buffers as we remove invasive species and plant native species at Jennings Park, how to create wildlife habitat where we live, and how our actions at home can help our Southern Resident Orcas. Our hands-on work will directly benefit Allen Creek and the connected water systems in the area.
Friends of North Creek Forest | Invasive Weed Removal | 20598 112th Ave NE, Bothell, WA 98011
Please join us in removing invasive species from our urban forest. Volunteer work parties provide great teamworking opportunities, an introduction to restoration ecology, and a fun way to spend time in the great outdoors! Tools and work gloves are provided. Dress for the weather. Closed-toed, sturdy shoes required. Boots are highly recommended.
Hazelwood Elementary School | Orca Festival | Lynnwood, WA
Hazelwood Elementary School will be celebrating with an Orca festival for the entire school!
King Conservation District | Riparian Restoration, Invasive Weed Removal | Ayeko Farm 41633 236th Ave SE Enumclaw, WA 98022
Join KCD for our fifth annual Orca Recovery Day! During this volunteer event we’ll be restoring a section of Newaukum Creek by planting native trees and shrubs. Newaukum Creek is vital habitat for Chinook salmon– orcas’ favorite food! The project is in cooperation with King Conservation District and Ayeko Farm, whose mission is to provide a space for BIPOC communities to reconnect with the land through agriculture. We thank Ayeko Farm for their dedication to stewardship and for making this restoration possible. Come join us and support conservation happening in your community!
World Relief Western Washington | Invasive Weed Removal, Cover Crop Planting | Paradise Parking Plots Community Garden | 930 East James St, Kent, WA
Come celebrate Orca Recovery Day by pitching in a hand at Paradise Parking Plots Community Garden! Now that the growing season has ended, we need help amending the soil and planting protective winter cover crop in our 50 growing beds. Planting cover crop returns essential nutrients back to the soil while also preventing erosion during the rainy winter months. Additionally, we’ll also be removing invasive plants to protect our native and food bearing plants. Please join us at Paradise Parking Plots Community Garden on Saturday, Oct 14th from 9am-12pm to help us finish this big task!
Mid Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group | Riparian Restoration | Fenster Nature Park, 2027 4th St SE, Auburn, WA 98002
Join Mid Sound Fisheries, Green River Coalition, the City of Auburn, and your community members as we restore the shores of the Green-Duwamish River! Forests keep water clean and clear for salmon, but blackberry tends to grow in a monoculture, preventing a diversity of plants from forming a healthy forest. At our event we’ll be preparing the bank of the Green River to become a future forest!
Green Kirkland Partnership | Habitat Stewardship at Windsor Vista Park for Orca Recovery Day | Kirkland, WA
Volunteers will help restore critical habitat by removing non-native plants such as blackberry or ivy, planting native plants, and helping with stewardship tasks like mulching and weeding. With your help, this park will have healthy and thriving natural areas for years to come!
Weed Warriors Nature Stewards WA | Rain Garden Restoration | 614 SW 120th St, Seattle, WA 98146, USA
We’ll refurbish the demonstration rain gardens at the New Start Community Garden in Burien. Dress for the weather. Bring your own water bottle. Wear shoes or boots and clothes you can get dirty. No flip-flops!Â
Volunteers needing community service hours: Appointments must be confirmed by Grace. 10 to 2 pm on Saturdays. Contact Grace at 425.228.7927 for details and location.
Whale Scout and Wild Orca | Riparian Restoration, Urban Tree Planting | Former Wayne Golf Course, 16721 96th Ave NE, Bothell, WA 98011
Join Whale Scout and Wild Orca to plant trees and learn about orca science! Dr. Giles will bring her loyal companion and orca poop sniffing dog, Eba. Help improve water quality for salmon in the Sammamish River at the City of Bothell’s largest park.
Orca Conservancy | Riparian Restoration, Invasive Weed Removal | Kent, WA
We will be partnering with the City of Kent, Orca Conservancy, and Duwamish Alive to restore our BEAUTIFUL Riverview Park Site in Kent! We will be learning how the work we do helps the salmon upstream and the orca downstream! We will also be getting our hands dirty and removing some invasive species of plants!
King County Parks | Riparian Restoration, Invasive Weed Removal | Sammamish River Regional Trail, Woodinville
Join us in restoring the health of the forest along the Sammamish River Regional Trail. The Sammamish River Trail runs 10.1 miles, from Bothell to Marymoor Park in Redmond, along the Sammamish River. It is part of the Locks to Lakes Corridor. Projects include removal of aggressive plants that can harm plant diversity and spreading woodchips. A healthy forest along the Sammamish River improves salmon habitat in the river and healthier orcas.
Tukwila Parks and Recreation | Urban Tree Planting | Duwamish Hill Preserve | October 21
This event is on October 21. Happy Duwamish Alive! Spend the day planting with Friends of the Hill, volunteer Forest Stewards, and keep Duwamish Hill Preserve healthy and sustainable. Join us and hundreds of volunteers at multiple sites, for a day of working in the Duwamish Watershed. All tools and training will be provided.
Duwamish Alive Coalition | Riparian Restoration, Trash Pick-Up | Multiple Events throughout Duwamish Watershed
Duwamish Alive! Saving Our Salmon, Saves Our Orca Join Duwamish Alive! this Fall as our salmon are returning in our Duwamish River, with this watershed wide effort in improving the health of our salmon by restoring their habitat which provides food, shelter and cool, clean water that salmon need. Volunteers will be restoring native habitat on in multiple urban parks and open spaces by removing invasive weeds, planting native plants, removing debris from the river and learning about healthy habitat. This is a family friendly event, all ages welcomed and encouraged. To volunteer, visit DuwamishAlive.org to see the different volunteer opportunities and register for the site of your choice, or email info@duwamishalive.org.
Jefferson County Conservation District | Riparian Restoration | Snow Creek Estuary Preserve
Come join us again in celebrating Orca Recovery Day as the Jefferson County Conservation District, the North Olympic Salmon Coalition, and Jefferson Land Trust team up for a planting event at the Snow Creek Estuary! This estuary is important habitat for Endangered Hood Canal summer chum salmon. Recent studies have shown that when Chinook salmon, the preferred prey of Southern Resident Orcas, is in short supply, they’ll supplement their diet with other species, including chum salmon.
Please bring the following:
- Gloves
- Water Bottle
- Snacks
- Layers for fall weather
Northwest Watershed Institute | Riparian Restoration, Invasive Weed Removal | 2151 Dabob Road, Quilcene, WA
Northwest Watershed Institute (NWI) hosts monthly Dabob Days volunteer projects as part of an ongoing effort to restore wild salmon and wildlife habitat in Tarboo Creek and Tarboo-Dabob Bay in Quilcene. This month as part of Orca Recovery Day, Dabob Days volunteers will help prepare a restoration site for planting new trees and shrubs this winter by removing invasive Himalayan blackberry.Â
Kitsap Conservation District & Friends of Nick’s Lagoon | Riparian Restoration, Invasive Weed Removal | 8422 Miami Beach Road NW, Seabeck
Kitsap Conservation District is partnering with the Friends of Nicks Lagoon to educate through action on Orca Recovery. Come join us for invasive weed removal in scenic Nick’s Lagoon.
Kitsap Regional Library – Silverdale | Multiple Events at the Library
October 12 | Kitsap Eco Kids Storytime: Orcas!
Learn about these incredible animals and why we celebrate Orca Recovery Day in October. With special guest, local author Nora Nickum. This storytime is ideal for kids ages 3-6.
October 14 | Puget Sound Orcas with Author Nora Nickum
Join us as we host local author Nora Nickum for stories about our fascinating local Southern Resident orcas, what scientists are learning about their behaviors and relationships, why these whales are endangered, and how we can help.
Kitsap County Parks | Multiple Events
October 14 | Riparian Restoration, Invasive Weed Removal | North Kitsap Heritage Park
We plan on brushing trail and removing invasive plant species. Bring sturdy shoes, gloves, and water. Dress for the weather. Tools will be provided.
October 14 | Trash Pick-up, Invasive Weed Removal | Banner Forest Heritage Park
We plan on brushing trail and removing invasive plant species. Bring sturdy shoes, gloves, and water. Dress for the weather. Tools will be provided.
October 14 | Invasive Weed Removal | South Kitsap Regional Park
We plan on removing invasive plant species. Bring sturdy shoes, gloves, and water. Dress for the weather. Tools will be provided.
October 14 | Invasive Weed Removal | Nick’s Lagoon, Seabeck, WA
We plan on brushing trail and removing invasive plant species. Bring sturdy shoes, gloves, and water. Dress for the weather. Tools will be provided.
October 21 | Invasive Weed Removal | Coulter Creek Heritage Park
We plan on brushing trail and removing invasive plant species. Bring sturdy shoes, gloves, and water. Dress for the weather. Tools will be provided.
October 21 | Invasive Weed Removal | Port Gamble Forest Heritage Park
We plan on brushing trail and removing invasive plant species. Bring sturdy shoes, gloves, and water. Dress for the weather. Tools will be provided.
October 21 | Urban Tree Planting | Newberry Hill Heritage Park
We plan on planting native trees. Dress for the weather. Tools will be provided. Bring food, water, and medications. We will meet at the Holly roundabout gate and all shuttle to the work location.
Clear Creek Task Force | Riparian Restoration along Trail | 9641 Levin Road, Silverdale 9/388
Come “Plant one for the Pod!” Pull some ivy and make the Clear Creek Trail a better place for salmon and orcas.
Clallam Conservation District | Booth at Forever Streamfest | Peninsula College
Come see our booth on October 14 from 10 am – 3:30 pm at Forever Streamfest! We will kick off a month of restoration and educational events we are working with partners to plan.
Skagit Conservation District & Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group | Salmon Sightings Pressentin Park
Join Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group and Skagit Conservation Distict for Orca Recovery Day at Pressentin Park to view spawning pink salmon in the side channels of this recently restored site; Noon-3pm Bring all your fishy questions! No need to register, but if you’d like to be in the loop about changes or cancellations, let us know you plan to attend! Parking is very limited, so please carpool! Questions? Contact us at 360-336-0172 ext 301 or sfeg@skagitfisheries.org
Pierce Conservation District | Multiple Events
Bradley Lake Park | Riparian Restoration, Invasive Weed Removal
Volunteer with us by spending 3 hours at Bradley Lake Park in Puyallup. Activities include caring for existing plants and removing invasive species such as Himalayan blackberry and thistle. This work supports water quality, our local wildlife, and pollinators. Exact meeting location will be provided after signing up.
Pioneer Place II | Riparian Restoration, Invasive Weed Removal
Volunteer with us by spending 3 hours at Pioneer Place II in Puyallup. Activities include caring for existing plants and removing invasive species such as Himalayan blackberry and thistle. This work supports water quality, our local wildlife, and pollinators. Exact meeting location will be provided after signing up.
Silver Creek | Riparian Restoration, Invasive Weed Removal
Volunteer with us by spending 3 hours at Silver Creek in Puyallup. Activities include caring for existing plants and removing invasive species such as Himalayan blackberry and thistle. This work supports water quality, our local wildlife, and pollinators. Exact meeting location will be provided after signing up.
South Prairie Creek Preserve | Riparian RestorationÂ
Come join us for Orca Recovery Day on Saturday, October 14th, 2023! We’ll be planting trees along the creek to improve salmon habitat; the primary food source for orca whales. We’ll also be hosting a bird walk with an expert birder, and will be offering some youth activities. South Prairie Creek is one of the most productive salmon spawning grounds in the area, so come out to see (and smell!) spawning fish!
EarthCorps | Riparian Restoration | Tahoma Salt Marsh
Orca Recovery Day is an opportunity to join EarthCorps, Better Ground, and Pierce Conservation District to work to recover critically endangered Orca whales and restore native Salmon habitat. At this event, volunteers will be planting native trees and shrubs at Tahoma Salt Marsh. The site is part of the Commencement Bay Stewardship Collaborative, an effort to restore habitat function and ecological integrity in the urban waterways of the Puyallup River watershed. The restored emergent marsh and riparian buffer at Tahoma Saltmarsh provides important habitat for migrating salmon which are an indispensable part of the Orca lifecycle. We will meet at Jack Hyde Park along the Ruston Way Waterfront at 10:00 am. We will teach you everything you need to know about tool use, safety, forest health, and the importance of the work you will be doing. No experience necessary, just come ready to learn something new!
Surfrider Foundation, South Sound Chapter | Beach Clean-up | Jack Hyde Park, Tacoma
Wondering what you can do to save orca? Join our beach cleanup on Orca Recovery Day to make a dent in our growing waste problem. We will be at Jack Hyde Park on Tacoma’s waterfront for a Costume Beach Cleanup from 10am-Noon. Dress in your best ocean-inspired costume and have fun picking up some trash and making a difference! Fun giveaways including best costume. Dress for the weather. We encourage you to bring your own bucket and gloves but we will have some spares to share. Please wear boots or appropriate footwear, and bring hydration in a reusable container and reef safe sunscreen. Look for the blue Surfrider tent and flag.
Thurston Conservation District & City of Olympia | Invasive Weed Removal & Urban Tree Planting | Squaxin Park, Olympia, WA
Join Thurston Conservation District and City of Olympia at Squaxin Park (Formally Priest Point Park) for our annual Orca Recovery Day! Volunteers are invited to be a part of the solution for our endangered Southern Resident orca whales. During this restoration event, we will work together to restore forested habitats to their intended state by removing non-indigenous vegetation and planting Pacific Northwest trees and shrubs. The day will also include a guided shore walk, refreshments, and a chance to learn about other organizations helping to better our orcas! Being a part of Orca Recovery Day is an opportunity for you to make a difference for our endangered Southern Resident orca whales!
Whatcom Conservation District, Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association & Whatcom Land Trust | Riparian Restoration | Blaine, WA
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 with us along California Creek to improve Chinook salmon habitat. Chinook salmon are the main food source for the Southern Resident Orcas!
Salish Sea Institute | Educational Workshop | Online
Join us for a discussion with experts about the effects of ocean noise on Southern Resident Killer Whales. Please check the website for the updated date, time and registration details!
City of Bellingham Parks Volunteer Program | Trash Pick-up, Riparian Restoration | Bellingham, WA
Join the City of Bellingham’s Parks Volunteer Program and the Washington Native Plant Society’s Koma Kulshan Chapter at a Community Work Party at the Padden Creek Daylighting Project for this year’s Orca Recovery Day from 9am-noon on Saturday, October 14th! We will be removing invasive species and planting native plants alongside this salmon-bearing urban stream. All ages and abilities welcome. Participants under age 14 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian. Tools, gloves, and instructions are provided. Additional information will be emailed to registered participants.Â
The Salish Sea School | Native Plant Giveaway | 2011 Skyline Way, Anacortes, WA 98221
Join us for a beach clean-up, salmon dissection (donated from a local hatchery), and a native plant giveaway to celebrate orca recovery day!
Coupeville Library, Sound Water Stewards & Washington State Parks | Arts & Educational Workshop | Coupeville Library, 788 NW Alexander St, Coupeville, WA 98239
Celebrate Orca Recovery Day by learning to write Haiku poetry about our friends in the sea and observing sea creatures up close in touch tanks. For all ages. Presented by Jen Gray, Interpretive Specialist for Washington State Parks Central Whidbey Area and Tabitha Jacobs-Mangiafico, Whidbey Coordinator for Sound Water Stewards of Island County. And now for an Orca Haiku description: Ocean fun for you, Design marine theme Haiku, Watercolors too!
Island County Master Gardener Foundation | Sustainable Gardening for Orca and Salmon Populations
12-2pm, Rain Garden Work Party
Please join Sound Water Stewards and Master Gardeners at the Greenbank Farm Rain Garden to clear out some of the noxious weeds and to nurture the native plants and soil so that water runoff is filtered before it makes it into the local wetland and the Salish Sea.
2-4pm, Master Gardeners Educational Talk
Master Gardeners present “Orca and Salmon Health Start Uphill” an educational talk on sustainable gardening practices. It’s not just factories that pollute our waterways. With over 80 million Americans living in single family homes, we have the potential to do much harm to our planet if we do not think about the way we maintain our lawns, gardens and orchards.
- Soils and Compost. Healthy soil structure keeps pollutants out of our waterways.
- Water Quality – Using organic fertilizers. It’s not just factories and sewage that pollutes our waterways. This would include landscaping to keep our runoff from going to the sea.
- Non-toxic Yard Management – How to control pests, weeds, and plant diseases without using chemicals. Ways to discourage plant diseases organically and keeping orcas free from chemicals. Using native plants in our yards to create a healthy, biodiverse landscape that supports pollinators and wildlife, both on land and sea. Replace your lawn with something that benefits wildlife.
Orca Network | Day Camp | Langley Whale Center
Join Orca Network and Whidbey Camano Land Trust for Orca Recovery Camp Action for Salmon (ORCAS). This day camp provides fun and educational activities to help young naturalists and advocates learn about the connections between Southern Resident orcas and salmon, and what we can all do to help them both recover.
Whidbey Camano Land Trust | Invasive Weed Removal | Keystone Farm & Forest Preserve
This event takes place October 10! Help celebrate Orca Recovery Day at this preserve not open to the public yet that’s protected ⅔ mile of shoreline near Coupeville. Come help improve upland Orca habitat by removing invasive blackberries and other weeds.
San Juan Islands Conservation District | Multiple Events
September 30 | Trash Pick-Up | Jacksons’ Beach
The San Juan Islands Conservation District is pleased to promote The Great Islands Clean Up as a kick-off event for Orca Recovery Month in the San Juans. Join us on Saturday, September 30 for beach and road litter pick-up events on Orcas, Shaw and San Juan Islands. See website for details. Orca-tober events will be ongoing throughout October in the San Juan Islands!
October 11 | Invasive Weed Removal | Shooting Star Meadow Preserve
Join the San Juan Preservation Trust on October 11th from 11am to 3pm for a day of weeding and general tree care in a young grove of Garry oaks at one of their newer preserves, the Shooting Star Meadow on San Juan Island. They will dedicate some time to discuss and comtemplate the upland effects of water processes that end up in the Salish Sea and beyond and how orca whales and other marine life navigate changing environments, all as a part of Orca Recovery Day.
San Juan County Environmental Stewardship, San Juan County Marine Resources Committee, & Rep. Debra Lekanoff | Southern Resident Orca Community Coffee Roundtable | San Juan Island
Join Representative Debra Lekanoff, San Juan County, and the Marine Resources Committee as they celebrate Orca Recovery Day with scientists and policy experts working at the local, state, and federal level to share our collective recovery efforts for the endangered Southern Resident Orca.
Mason Conservation District | Invasive Weed Removal
Save the Date! Details about this year’s Orca Recovery Day will be listed on our site.
Palouse Conservation District | Riparian restoration & Urban tree Planting | Pullman, WA
Join Palouse Conservation District for a volunteer planting event to celebrate Orca Recovery Day, a statewide campaign to restore vital habitat for the orca’s food source, Chinook salmon, and work to create better ocean conditions for the orcas. Far from ocean waters, surrounded by a sea of rolling hills, you can be part of the solution on Saturday, October 14th from 9am-12pm. Volunteers will be participating in a stream restoration project along Paradise Creek to address water quality issues. This is a family-friendly event. The water quality of creeks and rivers of the Palouse have a direct impact on the bodies of water downstream. Urban development, agricultural runoff, and soil erosion have changed our creeks creating degraded water conditions. Restoration efforts including planting native plants along stream banks, improves soil and water quality and creates habitat for wildlife. Volunteers will meet on Paradise Creek, along the Bill Chipman Trail. The exact location will be provided to participants prior to the event.
