NW Fish Passage

In Episode 30 of NW Fish Passage, Annika Fain interviews Christine Longjohn. She is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. She is an avid outdoors woman and fish biologist for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Spring. Her family comes from the Red Mesa area of the Navajo Nation in Utah. She graduated from Utah State University in 2020 with her undergraduate degree in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences...

Annika Fain interviews Amy Bowers Cordalis in Episode 29 of the NW Fish Passage podcast. Amy is a mother, fisherwoman, attorney, and a member of the Yurok Tribe.  She published an amazing memoir last year titled "The Water Remembers: My Indigenous Family's Fight to Save a River and a Way of Life." She is the co-founder and executive director of Ridges to Riflles Indigenous Conservation Group. In t...

In Episode 28 of NW Fish Passage, Annika Fain interviews Heather Cantua. Heather is an attorney, business owner, and is the president of the board of directors for the Pacific Coast Salmon Coalition (PCSC). She moved to the Olympic Peninsula in 2021 and joined the PCSC board on 2023. She shares her love for salmon and the environment.   Heather and Annika discuss the Morganroth Springs restoration...

In Episode 27 of NW Fish Passage, Annika Fain interviews Santana Rabang. Santana is a podcast producer for the Young and Indigenous Podcast Children of the Setting Sun Production, youth tribal leader, and canoe paddler. Santana is Lummi through her mother and Nooksack and First Nations Shxwhá:y Village through her father. She shares her childhood and experience at Children of the Setting Sun Produ...

In Episode 26 of NW Fish Passage, Annika Fain interviews Josie Kamkoff. Josie is a tribal water utilities operator program development lead at Northwest Indian College (NWIC). She is of Lummi and Yupik descent. She mostly grew up in Anchorage, Alaska and spent summers in Lummi, Washington. She is passionate about the environment and received a Bachelor's of Science in Native Environmental Science...

In Episode 25 of NW Fish Passage, Annika Fain interviews Bethany Fackrell. Bethany is a Tribal Gaming Commissioner, Snoqualmie Indian Tribe member, artist, and veteran. She participated in the Tribal WaterCorps program. Bethany talks about what salmon means for her, her experience participating in canoe journeys, habitat restoration, and the WaterCorps program. She also talks about her art work, h...

In Episode 24 of NW Fish Passage, Annika Fain interviews Kayeloni Scott. Kayeloni is an enrolled Spokane Tribal Member with strong Nez Perce ancestry. From 2017-2022, she served as the Communications Manager for the Nez Perce Tribe, then American Rivers as the Communications Director for the Northwest Region for over a year. She has continued her work with the Nez Perce Tribe, providing communicat...

In this episode, Annika Fain interviews Gabe Ng. Gabe is a Fish Passage Design Manager for the WSDOT NW Region Fish Passage Program. He is passionate about improving the environment and collaborating with a variety of people and disciplines. Gabe provides insight into important aspects of fish passage. Annika and Gabe discuss their experience in the fish passage realm and future opportunities. Gab...

In this episode, Annika Fain interviews Karin Strelioff. Karin is the Conservation Programs Manager with the Thurston Conservation District. She specializes in marine shoreline stewardship, green stormwater infrastructure, PNW native plants, and conservation focused land management. Karin talks about her motivation, conservation districts, Shore Friendly, and provides advice to young professionals...

In this episode, Annika Fain interviews Rena Priest. Rena Priest is an enrolled member of the Lhaq'temish (Lummi) Nation. She served two years as Washington State's 6th Poet Laureate (2021-2023). Her work has been recognized with awards and fellowships from the Allied Arts Foundation, Academy of American Poets, Indigenous Nations Poets, University of Washington Libraries, and Nia Tero. She is the...

In this episode, April McEwen, River Restoration Project Manager at American Rivers, talks about a variety of dam removal projects she is involved in. She discusses projects she has done since our last podcast about the Middle Fork Nooksack Fish Passage in 2020 (Episode 7).   She talks in detail about the Barrel Springs and Kellogg Creek dam removal projects. April talks about the importance of pa...

In this episode, Annika interviews Emily Howe, an aquatic and estuarine ecologist at The Nature Conservancy of Washington.    She holds a Ph. D. from the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at the University of Washington, with a focus on estuarine restoration and food web ecology in tidally-influenced ecosystems.   Emily's work integrates across ecosystem boundaries, investigating how landscap...

In this episode, Annika Fain interviews Darrell Gray. Since 1995, Darrell has been a project manager at Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA). The NSEA team enhances river, creek, and riparian habitat while educating people of all ages to provide Pacific salmon and Steelhead the best chance at survival. Since 2005, Darrell has facilitated the removal of 132 culverts that were partial or f...

In this episode, Annika Fain interviews Debra Lekanoff, a Washington State Representative. Debra represents the 40th legislative district and is currently the only Native American woman that serves in the Legislature. She is part Tlingit, salmon people, and part Aleut, seal people, from Southeast Alaska, and has lived in the Skagit Valley for over 20 years. She has over 20 years of government expe...

In this episode, Annika interviews Savannah Smith and Ebony Welborn, marine scientists and founders of Sea Potential. Sea Potential is a program that connects BIPOC youth to marine environments and maritime industry. Savannah and Ebony talk about what motivated them to study marine science, join EarthCorps, and start SEA Potential. They provide insight about some ideas about what businesses can do...

In this episode, Annika interviews Courtney Baxter, Program and Communications Specialist for The Nature Conservancy. For over three years she has been a strategic communicator for Floodplains by Design.  Floodplains by Design is a public-private partnership designed to re-think how we manage our river floodplains, and better prepare for flooding exacerbated by a changing climate. She talks about...

In this episode, Annika interviews three people involved in the Coldwater Connection Campaign. Mara Zimmerman, Executive Director for Coast Salmon Partnership and Foundation; Luke Kelly, Washington Coast Restoration Project Manager at Trout Unlimited, and Jess Helsley, Wild Salmon Center Washington Program Director. These three are working together to prioritize the removal of barriers on the west...

In this episode, Austin Rose and Eleanor Hines from Whatcom County Marine Resources Committee (MRC) talk about the goals and projects of the MRC. Austin Rose is the MRC Staff and Planner at Whatcom County Public Works. Eleanor Hines is the MRC Chair and North Sound Baykeeper, Lead Scientist at RE Sources for Sustainable Communities. They discuss challenges and successes related to the many MRC pro...

In this episode, Dr. Marisa Litz, lead of the Coast Ecology and Life Cycle Monitoring Unit focused on Pacific Salmon and Steelhead at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). She shares her academic journey from a B.S. in Anthropology to a M.S. and PhD. in Fisheries. Her graduate studies were supported by the NOAA Educational Partnership Program with Minority Serving Institutions (EP...

In this episode, Liz Schotman, talks about her experiences working at Surfrider Foundation, a grassroots activist network dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world's ocean, waves, and beaches for all people. She supports Washington's 5 volunteer-run Surfrider chapters in their efforts to improve our water quality, stop plastic pollution, and fight climate change through programs like...

In this episode, Brian Footen, president and co-founder of EarthViews talks about his motivation for starting EarthViews (formerly FishViews) in 2013. Prior to co-founding the company, he had served as a Fish Research Biologist for over 20 years. Earthviews vision is to connect people to critically important aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. EarthViews has developed technology to bring 360 inter...

In this episode, James Rasmussen, a Duwamish Tribal member and the superfund manager with Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition (DRCC)/Technical Advisory Group (TAG), talks about the history of the Duwamish Tribe and the Duwamish River Superfund Site. For over 30 years, he has been an important advocate in environmental, habitat, and community issues along the Duwamish River. He talks about many of the...

In this episode, Karen DuBose, Pollution Identification and Correction (PIC) Coordinator at Skagit County Public Works, talks about her work with the County looking for poop in the water and coordinating with many different organizations. She spearheaded the "Poop Smart" campaign for Skagit County that is focused on keeping water clean for people, pets, agriculture, and fish and wildlife. Karen ta...

In this episode, Karen DuBose, Pollution Identification and Correction (PIC) Coordinator at Skagit County Public Works, talks about her work with the County looking for poop in the water and coordinating with many different organizations. She spearheaded the "Poop Smart" campaign for Skagit County that is focused on keeping water clean for people, pets, agriculture, and fish and wildlife. Karen ta...

In this episode, April McEwen, River Restoration Project Manager at American Rivers, talks about the Middle Fork Nooksack Fish Passage Project and other Pacific northwest dam removals that occurred during the summer of 2020 to restore over 100 miles of habitat. She emphasizes the importance of partnerships and collaboration to make these successful projects. She worked closely with the Paul G. All...