Whatcom Digital Commons

276 items

• Shape Our Water Community Vision
  Booklet on the community involvement shaping the 50-year plan for Seattle’s water resilience called Shape Our Water. In collaboration with Seattle Public Utilities, it provides goals for creating a water-resilient and equitable future in Seattle with infrastructure that supports community needs and addresses underlying issues.
• Sharing Knowledge Across Disciplines and Borders
  
  "This talk will introduce you to the Salish Sea Institute, the work we are doing, and discuss the importance of a transboundary perspective on the conservation of the Salish Sea."
• Shore Friendly Living - Coastal Beaches and Bluffs
  
  Video by Northwest Straits Foundation and The Shore Friendly program shows how the geology and physical processes that form Puget Sound beaches impact those who live on them.
• Sierra Club BC Campaigns
  Conservation group Sierra Club of BC has campaigns pressuring policy makers to protect old-growth forests from logging, prioritize biodiversity, combat climate change, and protect farmland.
• Sources of corrosive bottom water to Bellingham Bay, Washington State
  Research article in Estuaries and Coasts by Western Washington University Professor David H. Shull aimed at understanding the processes leading to Bottom water acidification in Bellingham Bay relating to Pacific Ocean upwelling and Nooksack River circulation.
• Southern Resident Orca Task Force: Final report and recommendations
  Report from Cascadia Consulting Group discusses the purpose and progress of the task force to develop recommendations addressing the decline of the Southern Resident orca population and the threats of extinction due to less Chinook salmon, disturbance from traffic, toxic contaminants, and climate change and population growth.
• Sparrow Case
  Indigenous Foundations at the University of British Columbia presents information on the Supreme Court of Canada R v. Sparrow [1990] decision. It discusses the history of the Case, the “Sparrow test,” and governmental infringement on Aboriginal rights.
• Squamish Estuary
  Ocean research from the 1970s to present is featured on the website for Ocean Wise, a global conservation organization that creates community action to protect and restore the ocean.
• Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre
  The Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, created in partnership between the Squamish and Lil’wat Nations, aims to preserve and share cultural knowledge. This page on the Squamish Nation’s website contains a link to the cultural center’s website.
• Stand.earth
  The Stand.earth website. Stand.earth delivers large-scale solutions to climate and environmental problems worldwide by using research, building equitable power with frontline communities, and leveraging mass movements to make a real impact on the health and wellbeing of the planet.
• Survivors of the Flood Story
  Lummi Nation Elder Chief Ts’ili’xw (Bill James) shares the story, 'We are survivors of the great flood.' He explains the origin of the “-mish” people (Samish, Dwamish, etc.), who come from the Lhaqtemish people who survived the flood on two canoes.
• Sustaining Marine Bounty In The Modern Age: Creative Solutions For Restoration Of Salish Sea Species And Habitats
  
  At the core of marine resilience is a thriving portfolio of marine species and habitats and our strong connections to them. At Puget Sound Restoration Fund (PSRF), this tenet drives our work - collaboratively spearheading a diverse set of in-water projects throughout the southern Salish Sea. Our main focus is restoring living marine habitat and species, using structure forming species (Olympia oysters, bull kelp) and habitat enhancing species (pinto abalone), but also with a keen eye to species of paramount importance to Tribes (heart cockles) and other communities Sound-wide (Dungeness crab). These species are critical to the food web, too, and maintain the living marine architecture that supports the marine ecosystem in Puget Sound and beyond. Robust restoration of these core elements has ripple effects, boosting function and providing direct and indirect support to fish and marine mammals throughout the food web as they face compounding effects of climate change. In this talk, I will highlight the work that PSRF and partners are doing in service of: improved water quality, increased abundance of native species, additional acres of restored habitat, enhanced ecological benefits, and re-forged connections with healthy marine resources.
• Terminal
  Podcast episode from Future Ecologies discusses the implications of urbanization in British Columbia’s Fraser River Estuary to the Orca pod, salmon, and other wildlife. The episode focuses on the creation of a new ferry terminal, the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 (RBT2), on Tsawwassen First Nation's traditional territory.
• The 13 Moons of the Wsanec
  List for curriculum lesson by Gary Fletcher from the booklet “The Saanich Year” by Earle Claxton and John Elliott. Calendars of the 13 Moons of the Wsanec (Saanich people) are listed with information, connections, background, weather, and economic activities related to each.
• The Active Volcano in Washington; Mount Rainier
  Video by Geology Hub talks about Mt. Rainer, an active volcano that would cause major destruction if it were to erupt. Video features the geological history of the volcano and lahar hazard mapping.
• The Bellingham Bay & British Colombia Railroad Company
  Article from The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin on railroad history in Bellingham Bay and British Columbia from 1852 to 1951. The article also contains relevant maps, photographs, and data.
• The Birch Bay Water & Sewer District Through the Years: Water Unites Us
  ArcGIS map series of the history, timeline, and future of the Birch Bay, Washington water and sewer district.
• The Cowichan River - A Canadian Heritage River Story
  Story map of the Cowichan River that maps natural, cultural, and recreational heritage.
• The effect of climate change on glacier ablation and baseflow support in the Nooksack River basin and implications on Pacific salmonid species protection and recovery
  Research article about the effect of climate change on the hydrology of the Nooksack River. It focuses on how glacial melt changes river flow and water temperature and affects salmon. It discusses the collaboration between the Nooksack Indian Tribe near Deming, Washington, government agencies, and scientists to plan for habitat restoration.
• The Elwha’s Living Laboratory: Lessons From the World’s Largest Dam-removal Project
  This article explains how the removal of two dams from the Elwha River is an example of a successful restoration project. The dams devastated salmon populations and local communities, and the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and conservation groups advocated for their removal. Since their removal in 2011 and 2014, the keystone species has been returning, and research shows improved biodiversity and environmental health.
• The Fraser River
  
  Rivershed Society presents a film highlighting the history and challenges of salmon in Vancouver, British Columbia’s Fraser River.
• The Fraser River - A Canadian Heritage River Story
  ArcGIS StoryMap by the Fraser Basin Council and BC Parks about The Fraser River’s (in British Columbia, Canada) natural heritage, geographic features, cultural heritage of the First Nations people, and recreational heritage.
• The History of Northwest Refineries
  Sightline Institute presents an article on how the history of oil refining in the Puget Sound is linked to colonialism. It discusses how refineries were built on Lummi, Swinomish, and Puyallup peoples’ land.
• The Living
  Historical fiction novel set in late 19th century Bellingham Bay, Washington follows three men navigating pioneer life among European settlers and a group of Lummi natives.
• The Most Doomed City in Canada
  Article about how Victoria, B.C. is especially vulnerable to earthquake damage. The city is threatened by several types of earthquakes, and its historic buildings are unprepared for the projected destructive impact.
• The Mountains and Rocks are Forever: Lithics and Landscapes of Skwxwú7mesh Uxwumixw Territory
  An archaeological dissertation about stone tools and other lithic materials found in the Squamish Nation territory, and how they are connected to culture, place names, and oral histories, particularly the oral history themes of Transformation and Mythical Beings.
• The Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program: Success And Challenges On The Path To Linking Monitoring To Decision-Making
  
  Consistent information on ecosystem health is critical to inform actions that will ensure the long-term health the Salish Sea’s ecological functions and the human communities that depend upon them. Dedicated scientists and practitioners serve as the region’s eyes and ears to assess ecosystem status and trends, progress toward recovery, and effectiveness of recovery actions. The Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program (PSEMP) collects, organizes, synthesizes, and communicates the best available science to protect, preserve, and enhance Puget Sound’s vitality now and for future generations. The result of PSEMP’s approach of bringing together diverse partners and information is a more fully informed and broadly shared understanding of how the ecosystem functions. This talk will provide a high-level overview of the PSEMP program, highlight the successes of transdisciplinary collaboration, and note current challenges and barriers in meeting its goals.
• The Really Big One
  Article about the major earthquake projected to occur on the Cascadia subduction zone and the unpreparedness of the region. Explains the region’s history of earthquakes, increased scientific understanding and seismological predictions, and the casualties, destruction, and economic collapse that may result. Highlights the danger of the discrepancy between scientific information and the region’s preparedness.
• The Role Of Shoreline Restoration In Marine Ecosystem Recovery: Lessons From The San Juan Islands
  
  With over 400 miles of marine shoreline located in the heart of the Salish Sea, nearshore habitats in the San Juan Archipelago play a key role in local and regional marine ecosystem recovery. Learn more about collaborative shoreline research, protection, and restoration efforts in the islands, including successes, challenges, and opportunities for the future.
• The Serviceberry: An Economy of Abundance
  Episode of Emergence Magazine Podcasts features an essay written and spoken by Robin Wall Kimmerer (Citizen Potawatomi Nation) about reciprocity in the gift economy and learning from Indigenous wisdom about currencies of exchange while harvesting serviceberries alongside birds.
• The Story of 13 Moons: Developing an Environmental Health and Sustainability Curriculum Founded on Indigenous First Foods and Technologies
  Journal article about the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community’s development of an informal environmental health and sustainability curriculum for teaching science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics with a basis in Swinomish beliefs and practices. The curriculum focuses on free-choice learning and increasing awareness.
• The Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Salish Sea, pictured from the International Space Station, separate the western-most border of the United States and Canada.
  
• The Waterlines Project Map
  Map by the Burke Museum shows an aerial view of the landscape of the area that now is Seattle in the mid-19th century before colonial settlement. It contains Coast Salish place names, ecosystems, and tours between locations.
• This Living Salish Sea
  
  Documentary on Salish Sea underwater biodiversity and the resistance of diverse communities and First Nations to the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Pipeline, who call attention to fossil fuel industrial development projects affecting local ecology, the worsening climate crisis, and the lives of future generations.
• Tied US Supreme Court decision means Washington must remove barriers to salmon migration
  Seattle Times article on the result of the 9th Circuit ruling to leave in place a lower court order requiring state governments to pay for the removal of culverts blocking fish migration. The decision is a victory for recognizing Treaty-protected fishing rights and salmon recovery in Washington State.
• To fish as formerly: A resurgent journey back to the Saanich Reef Net Fishery
  According to W̱SÁNEĆ oral history, the W̱SÁNEĆ people have lived on their territorial homelands back to the time of creation. The W̱SÁNEĆ way of life has been passed on to each succeeding generation through an educational way, centered in large part on the W̱SÁNEĆ Reef Net Fishery. This fishing practice formed the backbone of W̱SÁNEĆ culture and society. Despite being protected by the Douglas Treaty of 1852, over the next 163 years of colonization, the knowledge, ceremony, practice, and educational way of the SX̱OLE (Reef Net) was nearly lost. Using a framework for Indigenous Resurgence, this dissertātiō or path focuses on the revitalization and restoration of the SX̱OLE. This resurgent path described herein tells the story of how the “researcher” pulled together the disappearing knowledge of the SX̱OLE, reinvigorated cross border cooperation between the W̱SÁNEĆ and their Xwelemi relatives, and how after being named ȻWENÁLYEN, or the Reef Net Captain through ceremony was able to coordinate the community based creation and fishing of the first SX̱OLE on Canadian waters in 100 years. This resurgent path is just the beginning of a long and endless journey forward by looking backward, where the W̱SÁNEĆ people can be a proud people of the SX̱OLE once again.
• To Fish As Formerly: W̱SÁNEĆ Nation Brings Reef Net Fishing Back After 100 Years
  
  Short video of Nick Claxton (XEMŦOLTW̱), Tsawout community member and PhD. Candidate in UVic’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction, talking about W̱SÁNEĆ Nation reef net fishing traditional practices and revitalization. It discusses recognition of nationhood and the Douglas Treaty signed by the Saanich people in 1852.
• Top 10 Principles for Designing Healthy Coastal Ecosystems Like the Salish Sea
  
  Like other coastal zones around the world, the inland sea ecosystem of Washington (USA) and British Columbia (Canada), an area known as the Salish Sea, is changing under pressure from a growing human population, conversion of native forest and shoreline habitat to urban development, toxic contamination of sediments and species, and overharvest of resources. While billions of dollars have been spent trying to restore other coastal ecosystems around the world, there still is no successful model for restoring estuarine or marine ecosystems like the Salish Sea. Despite the lack of a guiding model, major ecological principles do exist that should be applied as people work to design the Salish Sea and other large marine ecosystems for the future. We suggest that the following 10 ecological principles serve as a foundation for educating the public and for designing a healthy Salish Sea and other coastal ecosystems for future generations.
• Toward a Vision for Salmon Habitat in the Lower Fraser River
  Raincoast Conservation Foundation presents a report describing the historical context of the Lower Fraser River, the state of salmon and their habitat, current and emerging threats to this habitat, the value of salmon, and the shifting political landscape in which these habitats must be protected and restored.
• Treaty of Point Elliott, 1855
  The complete text of the Point Elliott Treaty, signed by Isaac Stevens, Governor of Washington Territory, and by Duwamish Chief Seattle, Snoqualmie Chief Patkanim, Lummi Chief Chow-its-hoot, and other chiefs, subchiefs, and delegates of tribes, bands, and villages.
• Treaty Texts - Douglas Treaties
  The Government of Canada presents texts of the Douglas Treaties signed with fourteen Indigenous tribes on Vancouver Island. Texts include Teechamitsa Tribe - Country lying between Esquimalt and Point Albert; Kosampsom Tribe - Esquimalt Peninsula and Colquite Valley; Swengwhung Tribe - Victoria Peninsula; South of Colitz, Chilcowitch Tribe - Point Gonzales; Whyomilth Tribe - North-West of Esquimalt Harbour; Che-ko-nein Tribe - Point Gonzales to Cedar Hill; Ka-ky-aakan Tribe - Metchosin; Chewhaytsum Tribe - Sooke; Sooke Tribe - North-West of Sooke Inlet; Saanich Tribe - South Saanich; Saanich Tribe - North Saanich; Queackar Tribe - Fort Rupert; Quakeolth Tribe - Fort Rupert; and Saalequun Tribe - Nanaimo.
• Trucking industry working to get around catastrophic B.C. highway closures
  Canadian Broadcasting Corporation news presents a story about the impacts of British Columbia, Canada highway closures due to flooding and landslides. Truckers work to reduce supply chain disruption.
• Tsunami wave simulation for the San Juan Islands, Wash.
  
  Video simulation of tsunami waves in San Juan Islands following a hypothetical magnitude 9.0 earthquake on the Cascadia subduction zone.
• Tsunamis and Seiches - Emergency Management
  Seattle’s Office of Emergency Management provides basic information about tsunamis and seiches. Explains characteristics, historic occurrences, and potential effects of each.
• Tulalip, From My Heart: An Autobiographical Account of a Reservation Community
  Autobiographical account of Harriette Shelton Dover’s (Snohomish) life in the Tulalip Reservation Community and her stories of the hardships of resettlement and traumatic experiences in an Indian boarding school. Dover describes her tribe’s strong community and connection to land.
• Two Possible Futures for Northwest Oil Refining
  Sightline Institute presents an article on possible futures for oil refining in Washington State as climate change shifts energy demands away from oil.
• Undamming the Elwha, the documentary
  
  A documentary about the removal of two dams from the Elwha River. Follows the history of the river and the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe; the building of the dams, their impact on the environment and local communities, and their removal; and the positive cultural and ecological impacts of returning salmon.
• Using Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Science: Methods and Applications
  An article advocating for integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) into ecosystem science and management. It emphasizes the value of TEK in enhancing ecological understanding, informing impact assessments, and supporting co-management strategies.
• Vancouver Island Coal Strike
  Vancouver coal miners went on strike in the 1910s for safety issues and union recognition. This encyclopedia article discusses how companies retaliated by hiring strikebreakers and sending in militiamen. Efforts were unsuccessful and union recognition did not come until 1938.
• Vancouver Smart City: Parks in 25 Years?
  
  Engineer Melina Scholefield and ecologist Steven Apfelbaum discuss what the ecology and nature of Vancouver B.C. parks and recreation spaces looks like now and what it might look like in the future.