Salmon Protection And Watershed Network - SPAWN

Salmon Protection And Watershed Network - SPAWN We protect endangered, wild coho salmon and the forests and watershed they need to survive. Save our wild coho salmon & streams!

Part of Turtle Island Restoration Network - West Marin County, California. Sign up as a member, volunteer & get involved today.

This is an opportunity to ask: Who pays the price for the AI boom?AI may be the technology of the future, but the envi...
08/30/2026

This is an opportunity to ask: Who pays the price for the AI boom?

AI may be the technology of the future, but the environmental and social costs of powering it are being felt right now — and not equally. As data centers expand, they place new demands on power grids and water systems while generating additional pollution and emissions.

So, which communities are being asked to bear those costs?

Look at Southwest Memphis. The historic Boxtown community has spent generations fighting for clean air, water and a voice in decisions affecting them. The area is already surrounded by polluting industries, including a refinery, coal power plant and pesticide manufacturer.

In 2024, Elon Musk’s xAI announced plans for its massive Colossus supercomputing facility in Southwest Memphis. Residents raised concerns about transparency and impacts on public health, air quality, water and energy.

Today, the facility operates with dozens of natural-gas-powered turbines and consumes hundreds of thousands of gallons of city water daily, with plans to expand. Meanwhile, Memphis has experienced prolonged power outages and an increasingly strained electrical grid.

So, who gets reliable access to that power — and who is left carrying the risk when infrastructure fails?

For KeShaun Pearson, founder of Memphis Communities Against Pollution, this is personal. Pearson has spent years organizing to protect his community, from fighting a proposed crude oil pipeline to pushing for stronger protections against ethylene oxide pollution. He says, “You will never be able to underestimate people power.”

That power is at the heart of environmental justice.

The AI boom should not mean sacrificing the health, resources or voices of communities that have already borne the burden of pollution. Environmental justice is social justice.

Photo 1: “Get Out of Memphis” protest, 2025. Credit: Austin Johnson.

Photo 2: xAI Colossus data center, May 2025. Credit: Stephen Voss/Redux.

Photo 3: PM2.5 pollution plumes from nine emitting sources in Memphis. Credit: Climate TRACE.

Illinois is showing what it looks like to stand up to plastic pollution, and the plastics industry! A new law makes Illi...
08/18/2026

Illinois is showing what it looks like to stand up to plastic pollution, and the plastics industry! A new law makes Illinois the first state in the Great Lakes and Mississippi River watersheds to officially designate industrial plastic pellets - “nurdles” - as pollution. The law requires companies that manufacture, use or transport nurdles to report spills and take steps to keep these tiny plastic pellets out of stormwater and waterways.

And Illinois’ action should be a wake-up call for Texas. Texas is home to more than 30 facilities that produce nurdles, more than any other state, with many concentrated along the Gulf Coast. A recent study found microplastics in 76 of 77 Texas waterways tested - a stark reminder that plastic pollution is already impacting the state’s rivers, bays and coastal waters. Texas lawmakers have proposed legislation to strengthen protections against nurdle pollution, but those efforts have yet to become law.

We applaud Illinois for taking action and putting clean water, wildlife and public health ahead of industry interests.

Texas, it’s time to follow Illinois’ lead. Plastic pollution doesn’t stop at state lines... neither should the policies that prevent it!

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/11/plastic-pellets-nurdles-pollution-illinois-law/?share=cecsgi1op1rrsh0tog2i

If you see the SPAWN team on bikes looking up with binoculars, we are not bird watching ;) We are looking for the green...
08/11/2026

If you see the SPAWN team on bikes looking up with binoculars, we are not bird watching ;) We are looking for the green gold!

That's right, we are looking for green redwood cones. Identifying the mighty redwood trees with seeds that we plan to collect and propagate in our Native Plant Nursery at the Olema Turtle Island Restoration office.

So, if you are out and about exploring the beautiful landscapes in Marin County, help us identify these cones, pin the trees with the green cones and send them to [email protected].

If you have a redwood tree in your property with green cones, we would love to hear from you!

In the second half of July, Representative Michael Baumgartner introduced H.R. 9621, "The Northwest Endangered Salmon Pr...
08/03/2026

In the second half of July, Representative Michael Baumgartner introduced H.R. 9621, "The Northwest Endangered Salmon Predation Prevention Act of 2026" - a bill that would dramatically expand the lethal removal of seals and sea lions in WA under the premise of recovering endangered salmon.

Protecting salmon is essential, but decades of research tell us that killing pinnipeds is not the solution. Scientific evidence consistently points to the primary drivers of salmon decline: habitat loss, hydropower dams, degraded river systems, impaired fish passage, hatchery impacts, and changing ocean conditions.

Pinniped predation is only one piece of a much larger picture, and expanding lethal removals risks diverting attention away from the actions that will actually help salmon recover.

Healthy ecosystems don't require us to choose between salmon and marine mammals. We cab (and should!) protect both through science-based conservation.

In late July, the bill was heard by the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries - next steps to speak up will be coming soon. For the time being, please use your voice in support of healthy rivers, salmon and pinnipeds here: https://seaturtles.org/take-action/action-center/

In honor of , as well as the closing of , we're celebrating one of our incredible interns, Desmond — whose passion for...
07/30/2026

In honor of , as well as the closing of , we're celebrating one of our incredible interns, Desmond — whose passion for bringing humans together for achieve a collective goal shines through in his latest blog: “An Individual Impact and A Collective Hope” available now!

Dive in to reflect on why tackling plastic pollution is about more than swapping a single-use bottle for a reusable one. It's about communities working together to challenge the systems driving the plastic crisis, demand accountability, and protect the wildlife that depends on healthy oceans.

His powerful message reminds us that no one person can solve the plastic crisis alone - but together, our collective actions and advocacy can create lasting change.

📖 Read his blog and join us in building a cleaner, healthier Blue-Green planet: https://seaturtles.org/plastic-free-july-an-individual-impact-and-a-collective-hope/

Graphics credit: Conservation Society 💚

Data Center development is at the forefront of national conversations as society’s insatiable thirst for Artificial Inte...
07/30/2026

Data Center development is at the forefront of national conversations as society’s insatiable thirst for Artificial Intelligence soars. Today, there are more than 4,500 data centers around our country, with upwards of 1,500 additional centers in various stages of planning.

Texas is often viewed as a bellwether because of its size, rapidly growing economy and leadership in energy production – despite the already stretched demands of operating its own electric grid. Thus, the decisions made in Texas will have implications for communities and policymakers across the country.

In southern Nevada, the Trump administration recently approved a massive AI data center on federal land without public notice or environmental review. The proposed facility would consume 167 megawatts of electricity, draw water from the already drought-stricken Colorado River Basin, and destroy habitat for imperiled species.

Learn more about this data center boom in the United States and what Texas is currently up against here: https://seaturtles.org/the-true-cost-of-the-data-center-boom/



Header image of the industrial cooling towers at a Google data center located in The Dalles, Oregon, credit: El País. Image 1 of OpenAI’s Stargate project in Abilene, Texas via Distilled Earth. Image 2 of Amazon’s New Carlisle, Indiana data center via Distilled Earth.

Thank you to the San Francisco Chronicle for publishing a recent Op-ed by our Executive Director, Ken Bouley: "One of th...
07/24/2026

Thank you to the San Francisco Chronicle for publishing a recent Op-ed by our Executive Director, Ken Bouley: "One of the Bay Area’s most stunning parks is ripe for a species reintroduction."

https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/point-reyes-national-seashore-22343768.php

The future of Point Reyes is about so much more than restoring a landscape, it's about restoring an entire ecosystem!

Conversations like these help bring much-needed attention to what's possible when we choose restoration over degradation and invest in a future where wildlife, and people, can thrive together.

With approximately 17,000 acres of former ranch and dairy lands in need of restoration, we have a once-in-a-generation chance to heal a public landscape that has long been degraded by erosion, invasive species, polluted waterways, fencing and decades of industrial agriculture.

But restoration isn't simply about removing old infrastructure or planting native vegetation, it's about bringing ecological processes back to life. Dive into our new report that explores what that could look like by evaluating the potential reintroduction of native species like beavers, sea otters, fishers, pine martens, porcupines, ground squirrels and even pronghorn. These aren't just animals returning home, they're ecosystem engineers!

Healthy ecosystems depend on complex relationships between species. When we lose wildlife, we lose the natural systems that make landscapes resilient to climate change, drought, wildfire and biodiversity loss. Restoring native wildlife means restoring nature's ability to heal itself.

Point Reyes is already a refuge for nearly 100 threatened and endangered species. Imagine what it could become if we commit to restoring not just the land, but the full web of life that once thrived there.

Photo credits: An otter swimming in Morro Bay, California by Ken Bouley - A burrowing owl at Point Reyes National Seashore by Ken Bouley - Tule elk are seen at Point Reyes National Seashore in Inverness, California by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images.

On July 21st (tomorrow), the House Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing on H.R. 9621, the Northwest Endangere...
07/20/2026

On July 21st (tomorrow), the House Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing on H.R. 9621, the Northwest Endangered Salmon Predation Prevention Act of 2026, legislation that would significantly expand the lethal removal of harbor seals, California sea lions, and Steller sea lions throughout the Pacific Northwest.

While recovering endangered salmon is a shared goal, the best available science shows that pinniped predation is only one of many limiting factors impacting salmon recovery, including dams and habitat degradation. Expanding lethal removals without addressing these underlying threats will do little to restore salmon populations while putting marine mammals at risk of being killed.

Pinnipeds and salmon are only behaving as nature intended while navigating obstacles that humans have created. We can solve these issues without killing pinnipeds by prioritizing science-based restoration efforts.

Sign onto the letter below to oppose H.R. 9621. The letter will be delivered to members of the House Natural Resources Committee!

https://secure.everyaction.com/-NzRQrjMcU2jPAIdHh59bg2

America's public lands are under attack, again... Yesterday, President Trump announced the removal of protections from n...
07/14/2026

America's public lands are under attack, again... Yesterday, President Trump announced the removal of protections from nearly 3 million acres of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments, opening these irreplaceable landscapes to mining, drilling and other destructive development.

And these aren't just beautiful places - they're sacred Indigenous homelands, vital wildlife habitat, critical watersheds and world-renowned outdoor rec areas. For generations, Tribal Nations have stewarded these lands, and they led the effort to secure lasting protections for Bears Ears. Those protections were built through years of collaboration amongst Tribal governments, local communities, scientists, businesses and conservation advocates.

Stripping these protections threatens thousands of cultural and archaeological sites, puts wildlife and clean water at risk, and jeopardizes local economies that rely on protected public lands.

Join us in speaking out 📣 Tell Trump and your members of Congress to oppose this attack on America's public lands and stand with Tribal Nations in protecting Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante before it's too late.

Photo Courtesy of DWR

Dive in to the new piece about integrated pest management by SPAWN Nursery Manager, Kristen Hopper, titled 'Pesky Pests ...
07/06/2026

Dive in to the new piece about integrated pest management by SPAWN Nursery Manager, Kristen Hopper, titled 'Pesky Pests and What To Do About Them' in seaturtles.org/blog!

"In the larger context of recognizing our home gardens and landscapes as habitat for all of us biological organisms, we begin to see that there are important connections between organisms. Once we can identify the snake as non-venomous, we may decide that its services reducing the mouse population around the home may make it a tolerable addition to an outdoor space. On the other hand, if the home owner has a deep fear of snakes, maybe that garter or gopher snake and its family should be moved on – hopefully somewhere away from the home and possible harms from living close to the road."

If you like the idea of pulling up a chair and watching the busy life of insects, check out May Chen’s Pollinator Posts (where these beautiful photos are from) at https://bringingbackthenatives.net/pollinator-posts 🪲

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