From the Director:

Over the last year I've given a lot of presentations and written about hopefulness, specifically for the state of the Salish Sea. It's been an important area of focus for me as I've dealt with my own grief and concern for the planet. Concern, anxiety and hopelessness for the future of our region, and the planet is prevalent. While there is plenty of reason for concern, I believe that we are making progress in this region. Investments in restoration is turning results - from big projects like dam removals, culvert replacements and dike breaching to small community-led projects such as planting trees, cleaning beaches and much more. As we approach the new year, it feels more important than ever to celebrate successes and maintain optimism. We have the opportunity to protect what we can and fight for what we love.

Best wishes for a peaceful holiday season,

Ginny

December 11th 4-5pm. The Salish Sea Institute is excited to host a webinar on Climate Change in the Salish Sea Bioregion: Observed and Projected Trends in Temperature and Precipitation featuring Dr. Aquila Flower. Learn how anthropogenic climate change has altered temperature and precipitation patterns in the Salish Sea Bioregion and what global climate models have projected for our region over the next 75 years. In person at WWU and available on Zoom.

The Salish Sea Institute is excited to support the release of the digitized Island Map Explorer version of "Islands in the Salish Sea: A Community Atlas". A culmination of the efforts of artists throughout the Gulf Islands of British Columbia and digitized by Bert Webber, Sheila Harrington, and Olivia Hobson. On the explorer site you can find information about 19 of the northern Salish Sea Islands and virtually explore them as they were at the beginning of the century. View artistic maps made by local artists, residents, and Indigenous communities. The Salish Sea Institute has chosen to showcase a few of the islands to pique your interest and feature a beautiful artistic representation of the Salish Sea and some of the man made issues that reside therein.

We're happy to welcome Weidan Walker as our new Program Coordinator. They are a jack of all trades and a giant computer nerd. Weidan graduated from Whatcom Community College with an Associate in Criminal Justice and brings a variety of work experience including Postal Carrier and Animal Control Officer. They also developed a love of the ocean from being a Sea Scout for 2 years and had the pleasure of climbing Mt. Shuksan. After having experienced everything the Salish Sea region has to offer, Wedian says that they would like to give back.

Thursday afternoons in January - March 2025 we partner with Western Washington University's College of the Environment on an environmental speaker series for students and the public alike. Join us for Salish Sea focused talks about ocean acidification, the shellfish industry, politics and policy, vessel traffic, clam gardens, Northwest Indian College and more! The first talk will be by SSI's Associate Director, Dr. Cindy Elliser, entitled "The Salish Sea Institute - Sharing knowledge across disciplines and borders". You can join these FREE events in person, or virtually.

Salish Sea Institute held a webinar in October entitled: "Reconstructing Ancestral səl̓ilwətaɬ Diets-Archaeology and Ecology for Indigenous Food Sovereignty" by Dr. Meaghan Efford. This talk discussed a unique collaborative, transdisciplinary research project under the leadershif of səl̓ilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation). This research integrates archeology, ecology, historical and archival records, and səl̓ilwətaɬ traditional ecological and cultural knowledge to reconstruct a best estimate of the precontact diet of səl̓ilwətaɬ communities.