For the first time this year, PCD raised live animals in our very own office-coho salmon! We raised them for Salmon in the Classroom, a partnership between Foss Waterway Seaport (FWS),  (TPS), and our Environmental Education team. We helped FWS teach lessons, provide tank support, and troubleshoot tank issues at 12 Tacoma elementary schools. When all was said and done, we had our salmon for about four months, raised them from eggs to fry and then released them into the wild. There was so much to learn and do to raise our coho, which took a lot of time and attention, but it was completely worth it!

As the students and volunteers gathered at Priest Point Park in Olympia on the morning of April 19th, they kept an eye on their weather apps. Heavy rain and lightning were forecast for the day, threatening to throw a wrench in this year’s regional Envirothon competition - the first in-person competition in the South Sound since 2019.

Salishan ECO Camps Get Kids Outside

In July we resumed our summer ECO Camp with kids from the Salishan neighborhood of east Tacoma. Over the course of two weeks we trekked into Swan Creek Park to look at stream bugs, visited community gardens in the neighborhood, practiced rock climbing near the Eastside Community Center, and went on more outdoor adventures. It was great to get the kids outside in the nice summer weather and explore some of the interesting features that neighborhood has to offer. 

Garfield-Palouse Claims Envirothon Title

Conservation districts from across the state joined forces to host a virtual State Envirothon competition this spring. A total of 11 high schools, including 3 from Pierce County, competed in this new format to test their natural resource knowledge. When the dust settled, Garfield-Palouse emerged as the top finishers (Tacoma’s Science and Math Institute placed 3^rd overall). The team of 5 high schoolers earned the right to represent our state at the North American competition held in July. Congratulations to all those who competed, especially the 2021 champions from the Palouse!

Leika Hansen Completes Memorable AmeriCorps Term

This summer marked the end of Leika’s term with PCD as our Conservation Education Specialist. If you’ve seen some of the videos and pictures we’ve featured over the past year, there’s a good chance it was thanks to Leika. She brought her photography, videography, and storytelling skills during a time when those were especially valuable. It’s safe to say we would not have created a fraction of what we did without Leika’s contributions. She left a huge impact on the environmental education program and we wish her the best in the next phase of her blossoming career.