NEWS & EVENTS -Spring 2010

ACTION ALERT !! Whales in a Sea of Trouble Tell President Obama to STOP THE PROPOSAL TO SUSPEND THE BAN ON COMMERCIAL WHALING! Now more than ever, whales need us – ACS and you - to partner and act on their behalf to ensure that protection measures remain intact throughout international waters. A fortified moratorium on whaling protects whales... commercial whaling protects whalers! Every one of us can do something to help! See the Action Alert on the ACS national web site for a list of actions that you can take to help prevent the resumption of commercial whaling. The annual IWC meeting is in June, so if you care, don't delay. A73 "Springer" spyhopping near Vashon Island, photo courtesy Mark Sears, © 2002, All Rights Reserved Drink good coffee and help the whales a percentage of sales from Orca blend coffee from the Vashon Island Coffee Roasterie benefit the American Cetacean Society Puget Sound Chapter's Vashon Hydrophone project view more info on Orca Blend from the Vashon Island Coffee Roasterie (www.tvicr.com)

The Puget Sound Chapter of the American Cetacean Society's Speaker Series, a free fun educational activity, occurs once a month from September through June.

Don't miss the last Speaker Series event until the Fall of 2010. Join us on Wednesday June 16th to mingle with ACS/PS members and friends, and for a fun, free, educational presentation.. Sally Mizorch , NMML biologist will talk about her recent paper on the long term survival of humpback whales who were tagged in the early 1970s, including age estimation on individuals still alive today. See our Speaker Series informational page for more information. We look forward to seeing you!

If you'd like to see what you've missed, see any of the past Speaker Series pages, such as 2009-2010 Speaker Series. The ACS/PS Speaker Series programs are all completely free to the public (although donations to help pay for the venue are always appreciated).

Orca Sing 2010: Can you believe that it's already almost the summer solstice? Once again, ACS/PS will co-sponsor Orca Sing along with the Whale Museum, People for Puget Sound, Friends of the San Juans, and the City Cantabile Choir. Orca Sing 2010 will take place on June 19 at Lime Kiln Whale Watch park on San Juan Island. The choir will sing for the whales. Sponsors will be on hand with booths.

Meetings are 3rd Wednesday of the month at the Phinney Neighborhood Center, Room 6, 6532 Phinney Ave. N., Seattle, just north of the Woodland Park Zoo. Directions to meeting

We now have a storefront on Zazzle, with custom postage stamps, mugs, mousepads, t-shirts, and tote bags which feature artwork from Bonnie Gretz and Uko Gorter. View our merchandise page or go straight to our storefront: www.zazzle.com/acspugetsound.

The City Cantabile Choir, directed by Fred West, and accompanied by Odin Lonning and Ann Stateler, performed their beloved Orca Sing on the Saturday closest to the summer solstice at Lime Kiln State Park on San Juan Island. Join ACS/PS to receive access to the August 2008 Whulj to see photos. A retrospective and photos of the 2006 Orca Sing are publicly available online.

ACS/PS was very well represented at the Springer Reunion Summer 2007. It was hard to believe that 2007 marked five years since she was reunited with her family! Join ACS/PS to receive access to the August 2007 Whulj to read about it and see photos (or wait until winter 2009 when we make that issue publically accessible in the Whulj archives).

Listen to K Pod recordings from the VHP

What makes ACS/PS unique? and Why Help?

The Puget Sound Chapter of the American Cetacean Society (ACS/PS) is centered in Seattle, Washington, where members from all parts of the Northwest join together to work to protect whales, dolphins, porpoises, and their habitats through research, education, and conservation. [more About ACS/PS]

Whale Friendly Lawns: Campaign for Clean Waters

note: the Whale Friendly lawn signs are temporarily out of stock

Every time it rains, chemicals wash off our lawns and driveways, into the stormwater drains and into local rivers and streams.

Chemicals can harm birds and fish, and fertilizers promote the growth of algae that choke streams and rob fish of valuable oxygen.

This growth restricts the abilities of salmon and other prey fish to reproduce, and ultimately the whales that live in this area will not have the food sources available to keep them alive and thriving.

You can make a difference! As an environmentally-friendly home owner, you can help by pledging to limit the use of toxic chemicals and dangerous herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers, in your lawn and garden.

Join the Whale Friendly Lawns campaign and receive great tips on environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional chemicals and fertilizers. You can share this information with your friends and neighbors and educate them about the vibrant connection between lawns, the surrounding rivers and streams, and the wonderful whales, salmon and other marine wildlife species inhabiting Earth's waters.

Read the 2006 Puget Sound Georgia Basin Ecosystem Indicators Report, created via a partnership between the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Canadian Government. This report is composed of nine environmental indicators specific to this ecosystem:

• Population Health,
• Urbanization and Forest Change,
• Solid Waste and Recycling,
• River, Stream and Lake Quality,
• Shellfish,
• Air Quality,
• Marine Species at Risk,
• Toxics in Harbor Seals, and
• Marine Water Quality.

The EPA's online report also contains many links and references that help navigate priority work on both sides of the border. Each indicator is structured around essential questions like

• "What is Happening?"
• "How Does This Affect Me?" and
• "What Can I Do?"

For more information about the Puget Sound Chapter of the American Cetacean Society, contact us at .