salish_150A recently-released indicators report compiles some of the best scientific evidence on the health of the watersheds of Washington’s Puget Sound and British Columbia’s Georgia Basin. It’s remarkably insightful, detailed, and well-organized. And in a departure from projects of this sort, it’s not written solely for data-bots:

“We are defined by water in this place we call home. We can see it, sense it, smell it almost everywhere we turn… Before re-named by western European explorers, these inland fjords, straits and estuaries together were known by Tribal and First Nations peoples as the Salish Sea—the traditional name for the great inland waterway stretching from Puget Sound to the Johnstone Strait. Humans have inhabited the Salish Sea for over 10,000 years, living richly from an almost indescribable bounty of salmon, berries, elk, bear, marine mammals and forest resources. Today, this diverse and productive ecosystem still provides for both the basic needs and quality of our lives, and for the long-term viability of our communities.”

Find it here.

Elisa and I advised during the project’s development.