Nisqually River Council

08/13/2026

DERT is thrilled to be working with the Squaxin Island Tribe to present the 2026 Festival of the St̓əč̓as (Steh-Chass)!

The Festival of the St̓əč̓as is a community event centered around Squaxin culture and connection to the area, public education, estuary restoration, environmental stewardship, and envisioning the future of a restored Deschutes Estuary. We will include a thoughtful educational and outreach area featuring organizations doing meaningful work throughout the Deschutes Watershed and South Sound region, as well as live cultural performances and local vendors.

This festival is free to attend, but we appreciate RSVPs so we can gauge interest for future events!

https://secure.anedot.com/deschutes-estuary-restoration-team/2026-festival-of-the-steh-chass

Sponsors:

Squaxin Island Tribe
PARC Foundation of Thurston County
Inspire Olympia - City of Olympia

08/05/2026

Join us for a rescheduled tour of the Nisqually Community Forest on Wednesday, September 2nd!

Hello Everyone, due to recent air quality concerns we have decided to reschedule our summer tour of the Nisqually Community Forest for Wednesday, September 2nd @ 10am - 1pm. We apologize for the inconvenience, but hope you will be able to join us for a clear day, with fresh mountain air later this summer.

Learn more & sign up here: https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/BHwIMGNqTCSuXyAyBuKURQ

07/27/2026

We are excited to announce "The Colors of Anna’s Hummingbird” by Rylan P. (2nd Grade) as "Festival Feature" for this year's Nisqually Watershed Festival Poster Contest! Thank you to all the students who submitted their incredible Native Birds of the Watershed artwork and make sure to check out all of 2026's winning entries at the Nisqually Watershed Festival on Saturday, September 26th @ 10am - 4pm at Billy Frank Jr Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge!

07/23/2026

Join us next month for this incredible opportunity to see a working community forest in action! We'll be learning all about the work going on in the Nisqually watershed as we travel up breathtaking mountain roads and walk amongst the trees - refreshments provided!

Sign-ups are now open for our Summer 2026 Nisqually Community Forest Tour! Join us on Thursday, August 6th at 10am - 1pm as we journey through forested mountain roads learning about ecological thinning practices, snowpack retention surveys, cultural harvests, and much more. Refreshments provided!

Learn more & sign up here: https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/cxP9gMpucKPOyBag9Ci7zQ

07/22/2026

We are excited to announce the 1st Place Winners (K-5th) for the Nisqually Watershed Festival Poster Contest! Thank you to all the students who submitted their incredible art illustrating “Native Birds of the Watershed” 🐦🦅🦆 Come see these pieces and more at the Nisqually Watershed Festival on Saturday, September 26th @ 10am - 4pm at Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge!

🎨1: "Yellow Warbler" by Jeanna F. (Kindergarten)
🎨2: "Hummingbird" by Everlee W. (1st Grade)
🎨3: "Yellow Warbler Neighborhood" by Elly A. (3rd Grade)
🎨4: "Great Horn Owl" by Eliza J. (4th Grade)
🎨5: "The Anna's Hummingbird and the Fuchsia" by Mia D. (5th Grade)

07/21/2026

Invasive Species Removal! Nisqually Stream Stewards were busy this weekend helping to restore critical prairie habitat in the watershed by removing Tansy Ragwort from NLT’s Conservation Easement on the Nisqually Valley Farm in Yelm!

Tansy is toxic to the cows that work to do conservation grazing on the property and removing it from the area will help bring back native plants and grasses that contribute to a healthy ecosystem.

Thank you to our partners at Tracking Y Ranch & Nisqually Land Trust who helped make this possible and find out how you can join upcoming Nisqually Stream Steward events here: nisquallyriver.org/stream-stewards

07/20/2026

Nisqually Indian Tribe is hosting Canoe Journey 2026 taking place this summer from Friday, July 31st - Wednesday, August 5th! If you are interested in participating as an observing community member or as a volunteer make sure to check out all of the information located on the Nisqually Indian Tribe's website. It is sure to be an incredible celebration!

07/16/2026

Prehistoric Alien World or Modern Day Puget Sound? 👀 Local educators at this years Summer Institute for Teachers explored the marine ecology of our nearshore environment for a day as wildlife expert Gray McKenna dove and brought to the surface an incredible array of species including:

- Opalescent Nudibranch
- Leather Star
- Kelp Crab
- Ochre Star
- Prickleback
- Egg Yolk Jellyfish
- Giant California Sea Cucumber
- Red Rock Crab
- And So Much More!

This diverse world exists just out of sight in our watershed and while we don’t always think about what goes on under the surface, our actions have a huge impact. Which is why we’re focusing on teaching the next generation how to conserve and steward the lands and waters of Nisqually!

07/14/2026

Help Restore the Nisqually Watershed this Saturday! Join us as we journey to Nisqually Land Trust’s Conservation Easement on the Peterson Family Farm in Yelm to help pull invasive Tansy Ragwort, Scotch Broom, and more in an effort to restore essential prairie habitat! It’s sure to be a wonderful summer day out in nature with refreshments provided. So what are you waiting for - sign up today!

Learn more & register here: https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/G9m3j-AGiC4osjtbtKiDaQ

06/18/2026

Science, collaboration, and environmental education! As we reflect on the busy Spring we've had here in Nisqually, we wanted to share the event that kicked off the season - Student GREEN Congress! This youth science summit brings together hundreds of local students each year at The Evergreen State College for a day of sharing water quality data, engaging in natural resource workshops, and brainstorming actions our communities can take to become better stewards of the environment.

Thank you to South Sound GREEN & Chehalis Basin Education Consortium for partnering with us on this event as well as all of the incredible community partners who help make this an unforgettable day of hands-on learning. Check out the video and let us know what you think!