Forterra is proud to announce that it is awarding a Community Restoration Grant to Whale Scout. Whale Scout channels the public’s interest and passion about whales into salmon habitat restoration projects to protect the primary food source of struggling orcas in Puget Sound.
With the funding, Whale Scout will provide equitable career training in habitat restoration and community engagement through leadership experiences for BIPOC and underrepresented student interns.
At the former Wayne Golf Course in Bothell, the community is rebuilding connections to the land and the Sammamish River. In collaboration with the city of Bothell, Whale Scout’s restoration efforts will focus on riparian habitat, improving water quality and tree canopies that benefit salmon, wildlife, and people. These efforts will be led by traditionally underrepresented students who will receive career training in restoration while being paid fair living wages, increasing their understanding and appreciation for native trees and plants.
A volunteer force of 190 diverse, local youth plus 180 adults will participate in hands-on stewardship and educational experiences, planting and caring for wide riparian buffers along the Sammamish River and a small stream. This team will plant more than 350 native trees and shrubs and maintain more than an acre of habitat through regular weeding and bi-weekly watering.
Congratulations to Whale Scout! We are so grateful for the work you do.
