Salmon Steward

W hat are my connections to salmon? There are too many to fit in a few short paragraphs, but some memories rise above the rest. When I reflect on my salmon stories, I realize that these amazing fish helped form the bridge that connects me to nature and my family. My grandparents loved fishing and I spent long, warm summers with them and my younger siblings at their cabin on the Sunshine Coast. Lazy days building forts were punctuated with exciting trips visiting the fishing banks of Thormanby and Texada Islands. I caught my first spring salmon on one of these trips and connected with that fish from the second it was hooked (likely on my generous grandfather's rod) through catch, dispatch and the gory act of cleaning. It was in these intimate interactions with the natural world that, as a five-year-old, I became more aware of my connections with the environment. I grew up in a large and close family: I am the eldest of five. Some years ago, my family went on what ended up being our last family trip before spouses and kids came along. Somehow we arranged travel from our many homes across Canada to Langara Island Lodge on Haida Gwaii for three very special days. The fishing was supreme and it was poignant seeing firsthand how salmon are not an isolated species, but intimately connected to British Columbians and the ecosystems that rely on them. My parents now live on Bowen Island and the rocky point where their house stands was once the site of the great Collingwood Channel salmon derbies. I have heard many stories of people scooping up salmon simply by standing on the edge of this rocky bluš with a net. While those days are long gone, I ask myself: what is my role in stewarding positive change now? How can I ensure a future for our Salish Sea salmon populations? I develop relationships with envi- ronmental change-makers like the Pacific Salmon Foundation through my work at the Sitka Foundation. Since 2008, the Sitka Foundation has provided $390,000 in grants to the Foundation. We have been longtime supporters of the community-based grant-making that is the core of the Foundation's work, and are proud to see the dišerence they are making by partnering with the many streamkeeping groups across the province. In the past four years, we have also become keenly involved with the Foundation's Salish Sea Marine Survival Project because it is driven by strong science and shared knowledge, which results in more ešective conservation practices. That's one reason we helped fund the Strait of Georgia Data Centre, a central repository on everything about the Strait, which is accessible to everyone (sogdatacentre.ca). No one orga- nization or person can save wild salmon alone, so I value the Foundation's pragmatic and inclusive approach of engaging the many diverse people that care for salmon including First Nations, private companies, educational institutions, non-profit groups, all levels of government, and commercial and recreational anglers. Now that I am expecting my first child, my connection to the sea and land is all the more important as I look forward to making new memories with my growing family. There are many people who share a connection with oceans, rivers and salmon. I believe the future of salmon depends on those people supporting the Pacific Salmon Foundation and its laudable work. When I reflect on my salmon stories, I realize that these amazing fish helped form the bridge that connects me to nature and my family. salmon Steward magazine 13 Carolynn Beaty DEVELOPMENT AND FUNDING COORDINATOR, SITKA FOUNDATION Above: Young Carolynn Beaty (R) with family and friends at her grandparents' Sunshine Coast cabin. Below: Carolynn and her family at Langara Island Lodge. working together to saFeguard Fishing MeMories For our Children who CareS about sAlmoN?

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