Bravo Team has been meeting weekly online since September. While we’d all prefer to be on the water, we are enjoying this time to learn more about where we live- the Salish Sea.
If you haven’t heard that term used before, the Salish Sea refers to the ecological habitat that includes the Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Strait of Georgia. It crosses the political border between the US and Canada.
There are 42,000 square miles of watershed that drains into the Salish Sea (that’s over 20 million football fields worth!) . This includes the major rivers: Fraser, Nisqually, Nooksack, Puyallup, Skagit, Snohomish, and Squamish, as well as hundreds of smaller rivers and streams. This flow of fresh water is why many people describe the Salish Sea as an estuary, a place where fresh and salt water mix.
We have been really enjoying the Salish Sea Wild series from The SeaDoc Society as we explore this topic. Check them out for an engaging underwater experience from the comfort of your own home.
The Salish Sea is an important habitat for hundreds of species of plants and animals. As we study the Salish Sea in our Bravo Team class this year, we are currently brainstorming how we want to narrow our study focus. From there we will develop some study plans and investigations to learn more and eventually come up with a stewardship project.
Stay tuned as we continue on this journey to learn more about our home, the Salish Sea.