Now that the legislative session is over, where do the Orca Task Force recommendations stand? Has progress been made? The BOLD team has the answers in this easy-to-read scorecard.
Thank you to everyone who’s been following and engaging with their legislators to help critical bills get passed! There is still more work to be done in a lot of areas as you will find out in this report particularly in funding salmon habitat projects.
Come stroll the former Wayne Golf Course with Whale Scout Director and Founder, Whitney Neugebauer. Whitney will educate on Whale Scouts work at the park and how with the work of staff and thousands of volunteers have transformed with previous golf course into a salmon refuge.
Location: Former Wayne Golf Course, Bothell WA
16721 96th Ave NE, Bothell, WA 98011
Time: 9am – 10am
Join Whale Scout to celebrate PNW Climate Week! We are celebrating by protecting salmon habitat along the Sammamish River.
“Join PNW Climate Week for a week+ of community-powered events that shine a spotlight on the Pacific Northwest’s role in climate leadership and innovation.
Together we’ll spark new ideas, forge lasting partnerships, and empower each other to take action.” – PNW Climate Week
This year Orca Action Month is putting on Orca Fest on June 21st at the KEXP Gathering Space in Seattle, WA at 11am – 2pm!
Whale Scout has been a proud member of the Orca Salmon Alliance or OSA for a few years now. OSA and all its members are putting together this event to culminate the month of June to celebrate our beloved Southern Resident Killer Whales that need our help.
Come join Whale Scout and other amazing organizations for:
Take a stroll with local Killer Whale Biologist and learn about our local orca populations and ways you can protect them!
Dr. Bain has studied killer whales since 1978. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California at Santa Cruz, did a post-doctoral fellowships at UC Davis and the National Marine Mammal Lab. His work has addressed many aspects of their biology and behavior. In recent years he has focused on the effects of disturbance. David received a Puget Sound Hero Award from People for Puget Sound for his work protecting the nearshore habitat of Maury Island from development.
Dr. Bain is a co-author of Canada’s Resident Killer Whale Recovery Strategy under SARA. In addition to his research, he is active in protecting and restoring habitat for killer whales and their prey.
He has lived in Bothell since 1998.
Date: June 27th, 2025
Time: 5pm – 6pm
Location: Former Wayne Golf Course, Bothell WA
Get Tickets Here! — Hurry spots are limited!
You’re invited to witness A Majestic Matriarchy. The event is being held during the 19th annual celebration of Orca Action Month and will focus on Indigenous women to comfort, celebrate, and bring attention to our Southern Resident orca relatives. Native peoples have a deep affinity with the matriarchal lifeway of our majestic Resident relatives who rely on the older females for stability, especially in times of crisis. A grave crisis is now upon them and their existence is imperiled.
Join us to listen, learn, and be inspired by the heartfelt words, visions, and voices of Indigenous women leaders.
Whale Scout and many other local organizations dedicated to protecting SRKW’s will be in attendance
Come paint in the park with a local artist and Whale Scout staff Rachael Kutz! She will be guiding a lesson but you are free to paint whatever you would like!
All painting material will be provided and you are free to take your painting home with you!
July 11th
4:00pm – 5:30pm
Former Wayne Golf Course, Bothell WA
Meet at the gravel parking lot, look for the large blue “Whale Scout” banner
Storybook Walk with Whale Scout! 🐋🌿
Join Whale Scout for a storybook walk adventure at the former Wayne Golf Course! We’re inviting kids and their families to explore nature while reading the beautifully illustrated and powerful book “We Are Water Protectors” by Carole Lindstrom.
🌊 As you walk along a 20-page path through the park, follow the story displayed on yard signs, with each page bringing you closer to the message of protecting water and our environment. A Whale Scout intern will guide the group, reading the book aloud in both English and Spanish to make it a fun and inclusive experience for all!
📅 Date: June 14th
🕘 Time: 9am – 10am
📍 Location: Former Wayne Golf Course, Bothell
This is a great opportunity for young readers and their families to connect with nature, learn about environmental stewardship, and celebrate the importance of protecting our planet’s water.
Bring your walking shoes, your curiosity, and your love of stories! 🌎📚
Join us to restore habitat along the Sammamish River!
Endangered Southern Resident killer whales depend on salmon as a critical prey resource from watersheds in Puget Sound and beyond. Salmon use the Sammamish River as a migratory corridor. Improving the water quality in the river will help both struggling salmon populations and orcas. Join us to care for new native plantings at the former Wayne Golf Course. Vegetation will help shade and cool and clean a small stream emptying into the Sammamish River. Healthy riparian forests control erosion of riverbanks and host insects’ young salmon need early in life. The former Wayne Golf Course features nearly a mile of shoreline and is the largest City of Bothell Park. Activities will take place on the west side or “front nine.”
Consider signing up your household for a fun, educational, family outing. Those under 16 must be accompanied by an adult, under 18 need a signed release form by a parent. Meet at the clubhouse parking area (16721 96th Ave NE, Bothell, WA 98011). Please sign up. A confirmation email will be sent to you 2-3 days prior to the event.
Whale Scout is partnering with Orca Salmon Alliance and Orca Network for Orca Action Month for the month of June!
Orca Awareness Month, started by long-time orca education and advocacy group Orca Network, was created to bring together researchers, advocates, and orca lovers everywhere to raise awareness of the threats facing these magnificent animals and provide a community to celebrate orcas of the Salish Sea. It has since evolved into “Orca Action Month,” as awareness has gained traction and rallying of community action is necessary to recover Southern Resident orcas. For 18 years, June has been proclaimed Orca Month by the Governor of Washington, and for the first time in 2016, Orca Month was celebrated in Oregon and British Columbia.
Canceled!
Check out our other upcoming Volunteer Events to get involved in salmon and orca recovery work!
