Orca Recovery Day @ Lower Kenney Creek

Volunteer for Orca Recovery Day!

Orca Recovery Day is a regional day of action that aims to improve conditions for the critically endangered Southern Resident orca whales. To support their recovery, we can volunteer to restore habitat for their food source, Chinook salmon. Learn more about Orca Recovery at betterground.org.

Join Whatcom Land Trust, Whatcom Conservation District, and Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association on October 18th at Lower Kenney Creek to get native plants in the ground to help build a riparian buffer — trees and shrubs situated along the bank of lakes, rivers, and streams — to keep the creek cold, clean, and clear enough to support healthy salmon populations. As we work, the care we bring to this creek becomes part of a larger, region-wide effort to restore the food source Southern Resident orcas depend on. Once we’ve planted the area, we’ll mulch the plants and remove invasive species that might hinder their growth.

Event Details:

• Registration is REQUIRED for this event: Sign up here!

Once you register, our Volunteer Coordinator, Lauren Ralbovsky, will send additional details a few days before the event. If you have questions in the meantime, email lauren.r@whatcomlandtrust.org.

• What to expect: Walking a short distance on uneven and sometimes steep ground, bending, stooping, digging. Tools, snacks, water, coffee, and tea will be provided.
• How to get there: 5862 N Fork Rd Deming, WA 98244 From Bellingham, take 542 East for approximately 17 miles. Turn right on Mosquito Lake Road and continue for 1 mile, then turn left onto North Fork Road. Continue for 1 mile and pull in on the right-hand side of the road.

We highly encourage carpooling to this event, as the fewer cars we park, the more area we can plant with native species! You can utilize this resource to share your ride or find a ride!

Site Info:

Lower Kenney Creek is a 16-acre site along a North Fork Nooksack River tributary that supports spring Chinook, winter steelhead, coho, chum, and pink salmon, along with eagles and other wildlife. In 2025, Whatcom Land Trust permanently conserved this land, opening the door for partners to carry out long-term restoration work. Since then, partners like NSEA, Whatcom Conservation District, and Whatcom County have worked together to enhance this critical habitat. That same year, a culvert blocking salmon passage was removed, and a new bridge was constructed to make way for a wider, natural channel. Now, salmon can travel up the restored creek, with plenty of large woody debris in place to create natural stream habitat as they return to spawn. Seven acres of grass field are being converted into streamside riparian forest (5,000 native plants and trees) with the help of volunteers like you!

Watch and learn about the collaboration protecting and restoring Lower Kenney Creek.

This work is far from finished, and there’s still plenty of work to do to build a resilient future for Kenney Creek. We can’t wait to see you out on the land!