"the mountain and the sea are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books." -john lubbock
Meet Our Team
The Salish Sea School is committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of diversity, inclusion, and connectedness. We are able to grow and learn better together with a diverse team. We welcome the unique contributions that one can bring in terms of their education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, color, religion, disability, sexual orientation and beliefs.
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We are stronger together with the collective sum of individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, innovation, self-expression, and talent which ultimately brings about a healthier planet.
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Click on the pictures below to learn more.
Salish Sea Coffee Club
A Salish Sea School fan favorite! Open to anyone over 18 years old, come enjoy a morning of free coffee and donuts while diving into a monthly sea themed topic. From Geology of the Salish Sea, to the story of an often overlooked Sea Snail, Salish Sea School Naturalists and guest local experts will guide you in an exploration of some nerdier sea topics that will leave you hungry to learn more! What to bring: Please bring your own mug, RSVPS Appreciated
Dock Detectives - Dock Walk
Join us for an evening walk on the dock to see what creatures are hanging out at our local marina!
Salish Sea School educators will guide the walk as we search the structures for life (life jackets required).
The first hour we will search for and observe creatures at the Skyline Marina docks. As the sun sets, we will also be looking to see if different organisms come out at night!
The last half hour will be an optional microscope observation in the Salish Sea School Discovery Center office.
What will we find?! We never know and that is the BEST part!
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Skagit Audubon and Salish Sea School Bird Hike!​​​​
Calling all birders and birding curious! Come experience the best birding season in Skagit County (fall and winter!) with The Salish Sea School Naturalists in partnership with Skagit Audubon. Perfect for birders of all experiences and ages, we'll explore the beautiful Guemes Channel Trail in Anacortes while learning birding techniques, bird identifications and the importance of marine and coastal habitats for our winter bird species. Please meet at Guemes Channel Trailhead 5-10 minutes before 10AM.
Community Campfire
As the weather gets chilly and dark, it is the perfect time to enjoy a coastal beach fire with The Salish Sea School. With stories of the sea and conservation, a sip of forest tea, and the coziness of community along a wintery seaview, our monthly Community Campfires are the perfect way to embrace the darker months of the PNW, enjoy some time outside, and connect with community.
Salmon Egg Viewing​​​​​
During open Discovery Center hours, drop by to learn about the amazing life cycle of salmon, their incredible role in our ecosystems, and why they are so important for Southern Resident Orcas. Additional activities will include Salmon and Orca coloring sheets, a Salmon Safe Ranger Activity, and fish feeding (when salmon are ready for feedings).
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Time: During open Discovery Hours - click here
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RSVPS not required - just show up!
Environmental Art Night with Guest Speaker Jillian Ballas
Come enjoy an evening of art, creativity, and connection with the Salish Sea School and guest speaker Jillian Ballas! You will explore the interconnection between art and conservation in The Salish Sea Region and beyond - and even create your own environmental art piece to take home!
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About Jillian:
Deeply rooted in the natural landscapes around her, Jillian's artwork focuses on the complex relationships between humanity and nature. Through her work, she studies and discovers the threads that connect us to nearby ecosystems. Finding inspiration from the environmental art movement as well as her own experiences, she creates works that aim to provoke a dialogue about how we interact with landscapes and the impact we leave upon the earth. Working primarily in charcoal and oil paint, Ballas chooses her mediums systematically, deciding on whatever technique will tell her story.
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Alongside her environmental art practice, Ballas holds a BA Honors Fine Art from Norwich University of the Arts and has taken part in the creation of numerous exhibitions and projects. Most notably, she is the co-founder of the international arts and music festival, Natural Resonance and is the current director of the Alki Art Fair.
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Date: December 4th, 2025
Time: 6pm-7pm
Location: The Salish Sea School Discovery Center
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Winter Solstice Rewilding
We will celebrate the solstice with a multi-sensory rewilding walk to connect to "the soft animal of our body" so beautifully described by Mary Oliver in her poem, Wild Geese. We will take time to explore our senses as we remember we are nature and part of the magnificent Salish Sea ecosystem during the turning of this season. Our ancestors anticipated the return of the light and we still find our bodies innately responding to the circadian rhythms that guide the natural world. During our walk we will slowly explore some quiet trails in Washington Park stopping along the way for some nature meditation practices. We will close our time together around a beach fire with a cup of Douglas Fir tea and some brief solstice readings and reflections.
Winter Solstice Luminaria Walk
​On the longest night of the year, The Salish Sea School invites the community to join us for a beautiful and symbolic Winter Solstice Walk in honor of the endangered Southern Resident Orcas. This unique event will take place on the winter solstice, offering participants of all ages the opportunity to contribute to a collective light display that reflects our shared commitment to the survival of these magnificent creatures.​​​ The Winter Solstice Walk serves as a beacon of hope for the Southern Resident Orcas and an enduring testament to the power of collective action in preserving the wonders of our natural world.​ This year’s Winter Solstice walk will be held on Sunday, December 21st, 2025. Meet @ 4:15PM, walk to Green Point together at 4:30PM.
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** rain date Monday, December 22nd, 2025 **
Friends of the ACFL + The Salish Sea School Hike!
Join us for a morning of trees and the sea, where we’ll explore the world of… (drumroll please!) Marbled Murrelets! Discover the connection of old growth forests and the Salish Sea through the eyes of this endangered species. Start your morning with a walk through some of the best remaining Puget Sound lowland old growth forests and hear the story of how these adorable seabirds rely on this special habitat.
Afterwards, head over to Green Point in Washington Park for the opportunity to see these birds in person Learn how TSSS’s Marbled Murrelet Research Program is helping protect this species, and to take part in a citizen science survey
Join us for one or both legs of this two-part program, and spend your Saturday immersed in the world of trees, sea, and marbled murrelets!
Part 1: Old Growth Hike in the ACFL, 10am to 12pm
Part 2: Marbled Murrelet Survey, 12:20pm to 1:30pm
Fourth of July Parade!
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Launched in 2018 by Washington Conservation Districts, Orca Recovery Day is designed to be an intentional day of action to advocate for orcas, restore habitat, reduce stormwater pollution and learn more about everyday actions we can take to better the Salish Sea environment.
We will be learning how rivers, neighborhoods, and forests are connected to orcas. We will also be handing out native plants, displaying a salmon dissection, and handing out salmon-shaped cotton candy!
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This is a drop-in family event - please come at any time between 10AM-1PM and celebrate together with your family.
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The event is held at The Salish Sea School's Discovery Center near Skyline Marina. The event is on the first floor of the second red-roofed building.
Orca Recovery Day
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Launched in 2018 by Washington Conservation Districts, Orca Recovery Day is designed to be an intentional day of action to advocate for orcas, restore habitat, reduce stormwater pollution and learn more about everyday actions we can take to better the Salish Sea environment.
We will be doing a beach clean up on Cypress Island! ​​​
