Upper Nehalem Watershed Council

05/13/2026

Nature shapes childhood in powerful ways.

From tree-lined sidewalks to school gardens to nights under the stars, outdoor experiences help kids grow healthier, happier, and more connected to the world around them.

We also know that young people are closest to both the crisis and the answers.

That’s why we’re excited to partner with Sierra magazine to launch a national essay contest for youths. The contest, made possible by the generous support of Nocs Provisions, encourages young people to get outdoors and invites them to put pen to paper and tell a story about the experience. The winning essay will be published in the upcoming special edition of Sierra Seedlings for kids and families.

✍️ 📸 Jackie Ostfeld
🔗 https://bit.ly/4uOedC7

05/13/2026

05/13/2026

05/13/2026

05/13/2026

05/13/2026

The Spirit of the Silver Leap

Through currents of deep and ancient blue,
A silver traveler rises, born anew.
In patterns of crimson, teal, and night,
It dances through bubbles of frothing light.

Formed by the hands of the cedar’s kin,
With stories etched deep beneath the skin.
The ovoid eye and the u-shape curve,
A timeless spirit with strength and nerve.

From the rushing stream to the restless sea,
A symbol of life and of ancestry.
The Salmon leaps where the waters roar,
A bridge to the past on a spirit shore.

Great provider in the river’s flow,
Your journey is one that the elders know.
In every ripple and painted line,
The soul of the water and earth entwine.

05/13/2026

05/13/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1B5UtPyBzJ/

Why are the most resilient ocean wanderers on Earth suddenly starving to death on our beaches? 🚨🐋

A deeply sobering reality is unfolding along the Pacific coast right now. The Cascadia Research Collective has released a heartbreaking update detailing a massive ecological crisis. By early May an astounding eighteen gray whales have been found deceased in Washington alone. This devastating count includes fifteen males and three females highlighting the extreme biological tightrope these majestic animals walk every single year.

The root cause of this massive starvation event actually began months ago and thousands of miles away. Unlike other baleen whales gray whales are primarily bottom feeders. They travel to the Arctic during the summer to scoop up massive mouthfuls of mud and filter out tiny crustaceans called amphipods. However warming ocean temperatures and the drastic loss of Arctic sea ice have severely disrupted this delicate food web. Without the ice edge to support the ecosystem the amphipod populations have completely crashed leaving the whales unable to pack on vital blubber.

The reason we are seeing this tragic spike in late spring comes down to the brutal mathematics of their journey. Gray whales undertake a massive 12000 mile round trip migration from the Arctic down to Mexico and back. During this entire journey they essentially fast and rely entirely on their stored fat. By the time they swim past Washington in May they have not had a full meal in over six months! If they did not secure enough calories the previous summer this exact stretch of the journey is where their fat reserves completely run dry.

Every single stranding provides marine biologists with critical data about population health and mortality factors. If you ever encounter a stranded whale please leave the area completely undisturbed and contact local wildlife officials immediately so researchers can continue this vital scientific effort safely!