Riparian (ripe-air-eon) simply refers to an ecosystem that brings water and land together. In general, this refers to habitat in and around rivers and streams. Besides being fun to say out loud, Riparian areas are even more fun to explore. In fact, here are some rip-roaring ideas that are ripe for summer sampling:

Crawdad fishing - The fun of seeing crawdads up close cannot be overstated. Catch and release, please! Find them in the big pool between two falls, or the creek near the hatchery in Whatcom Falls Park. This is a favorite activity during our summer camps. As a matter of fact, we have a few camp openings for grades 1-8 in July and August camps.

Frog counting - Attention citizen scientists! Register to count invasive species frogs with the Whatcom County Amphibian Monitoring Program on Saturday, July 8th, 10:00AM - 4:00PM near Birch Bay State Park. Adults and youth ages 12-up (with parent) can join. Email Vikki Jackson at vikki@whatfrogs.org by June 30th.

Salmon observation and stewardship - There are so many ways to watch, learn, and support salmon! You can find lots of places to observe salmon locally. Children of the Setting Sun Productions YouTube channel has many amazing videos about the relationship of the Salmon People with every aspect of local ecosystems, including history, culture, current conservation efforts, and future plans. For stewardship opportunities, connect with our wonderful partner Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA). Want to learn about the science of salmon habitat? Listen to our committee volunteer Annika Fain's NW Fish Passage podcast.

Read more in the July issue of Wild Connections