2019 was a busy year in the Nisqually Watershed, celebrating milestones and looking ahead to critical needs for the future. This summer, we published a comprehensive report on the Nisqually Watershed Stewardship Plan, documenting the environmental, social, and economic health of our watershed. The report makes two things clear. First, thanks to the strength of our community, the Nisqually Watershed is uniquely positioned as a leader in collaborative c
onservation, with remarkable successes in environmental restoration, education, and inclusive planning that offer models for other regions. Second, as we face the challenges of growing population, a changing climate, and endangered species on the brink, we need your support more than ever to sustain and protect the Nisqually River for future generations.
Among this year’s successes you can help us build on in 2020:
- The Nisqually River Education Project (NREP) received state and national recognition for its hands-on environmental education programs, including teacher training, student field experiences, and new programming for tribal youth.
- Nisqually Stream Stewards logged over 1,000 volunteer hours with citizen science, habitat restoration, and education efforts throughout the watershed. Volunteers and students planted over 2,000 trees, tossed tens of thousands of pounds of salmon, and cleaned up 1,160 pounds of trash at NREP and Stream Stewards events.
- The Foundation and River Council supported the development of the state’s first adopted streamflow restoration plan for the Nisqually Watershed, which outlines a holistic approach to sustainable rural development through ecosystem preservation and recovery.
- We celebrated 30 years of the Nisqually Watershed Festival and the 10th anniversary of the Nisqually Delta Restoration, sharing the natural and cultural beauty of the Nisqually with hundreds of watershed residents and neighbors. We also were honored to present the Daniel J. Evans Nisqually Stewardship Award to Jim Wilcox at a banquet in September.
Our work goes on! Your generous donation helps us build a sustainable future for the Nisqually Watershed and its human and natural communities, from Mount Rainier National Park to Puget Sound. We generate over $150 in grant funding for every dollar that we raise in individual donations, so your generous contribution is leveraged 150:1. On behalf of all of us in the Nisqually River family, thank you for your work, donations, and enthusiasm that keep our watershed working year-round!
