Over the course of several days in May, students from Glacier Middle School in Buckley ventured to a restoration site on the White River to get some work done. Over 100 native plants had been installed at the site and the blackberries loomed menacingly on the outskirts of the planting area. The 8^th graders dug up those blackberry roots, placed burlap and mulch, and practiced their plant identification skills. 

The 14 classes were quite the workforce and we appreciate their help, just as we're sure they appreciated getting outside for a brief break from state testing!

The Okanogan High School Envirothon team with their team advisor, displaying their beautiful first place trophy.

From across the state, eight high school teams traveled to the Lazy F Camp and Retreat in Ellensburg to compete in the 2022 Washington State Envirothon Competition. Each team had already competed in their respective regional events and won by county, and now had the chance to advance to the national competition in Ohio.

On this beautiful spring day buses and vans showed up to the camp and, one by one, students checked in, grabbed some extra breakfast and brain food, and excitedly (or nervously) prepared for the tests that lay ahead of them. They had studied the main topics of Envirothon for months, learning everything they could about natural resources and environmental science. On top of that, every team prepared a presentation on how to improve recycling systems in the state - a tall order to fill! The morning was spent putting their knowledge to the test, completing each exam and explaining their recycling plans to a panel of judges.

June is Ocean Month! 

The White House has proclaimed June 2022 as Ocean Month to “celebrate the beauty and power of our ocean…(and) remember our shared responsibility to protect and preserve it.” The Puget Sound, connected as a part of the Salish Sea connected to the Pacific Ocean, is our local link to Ocean Month. The ecological, cultural, and economic value of the Puget Sound to our region cannot be overstated. Since time immemorial, Coast Salish people have relied on the natural resources and processes tied to marine waters for their sustenance, culture, and ways of life, including sustaining relatives like salmon and orca. In 2022, we recognize that our marine waters are imperiled, and it is our collective responsibility to steward our shared Puget Sound.