Storming the Sound
Educating for the Environment
— ideas, problems, solutions and resources to restore our world —
Storming the Sound is a conference for environmental educators in the north Puget Sound region, including the counties of Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, Island, Jefferson and San Juan. Every January teachers, environmental organizations and students gather to share their interest and expertise in environmental education.
Storming the Sound Conference 2025
Friday, January 24th
This event will be in-person.
Now Accepting Presentation Submissions for 2025
The planning team is ready to receive your session proposals for this year’s Storming the Sound. Sessions will be 70 minutes, with plenty of time for discussion and reflection.
What excites you? What concerns you? What would you like to share or discuss?
This is your regional conference, centered around you, the participants. We’ll set up the space for discussion, thinking, inspiration and sharing. We’ll feed you wholesome, local food. We’ll move chairs and tables and displays. You’ll provide the ideas, issues, and excitement.
Want to talk about diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice? Excited about something you’ve learned this year? Interested in hearing what your colleagues are doing? Want to share music or art or poetry? Consider formats that avoid PowerPoint and focus on interaction and sharing.
Please submit your session proposal here. Please send any questions to Susan Wood.
Storming the Sound invites educators who are involved, interested and passionate about the environment to come learn from and share with one another. Formal and informal teachers, students, and regional organizations enjoy interesting and relevant workshop sessions, networking opportunities, and lively discourse at this annual, one-day conference.
Teachers can get substitute teacher reimbursement by applying here.
Storming the Sound has brought environmental educators together for inspiration, hope, and professional development for over 20 years at almost no cost to participants, thanks to contributions from kind sponsors in our community.
Become a proud sponsor of the 2025 conference and help keep this heart-warming event an ongoing success.
THANK YOU 2025 SPONSORS!
Friends of the Salish Sea
Friends of the San Juans
Lautenbach Recycling
Mount Vernon Parks and Recreation
National Wildlife Federation
Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association
North Cascades Institute
Orca Network
Pacific Mammal Research
Padilla Bay Foundation
Padilla Bay National Estuarine Reserve
Puget Sound Energy
Recycling Is Like Magic
Salish Current
Salish Sea School
Skagit Audubon
Skagit Land Trust
Skagit Valley Clean Energy Alliance
Skagit Valley Co op
Snohomish Conservation District
Sound Water Stewards
Washington Dept of Resources – AQR Job Corps
Washington Native Plant Society, Salal Chapter
Whatcom Waves
Whidbey Camano Land Trust
Wild Whatcom
Wolf Hollow Rehabilitation Center
Storming the Sound will be held at Skagit Valley College in Skagit County.
WHAT TO BRING
- Knowledge of what’s on the agenda. Be prepared to select the sessions you wish to attend.
- Name tag
- A mug or cup for beverages
- Conference stuff (t-shirts, mugs, ect. that you have received from other conferences but don’t need) for the “SWAG Swap” (you put your unwanted stuff on the table and take something you want).
GETTING THERE
In the spirit of the nature of this conference and our commitment to reducing our footprint, we highly encourage people to arrange carpools or ride the bus to the event. See below for helpful info on how to do this!
Arrange/Connect with carpools:
https://app.caroster.io/e/
Get the SKAT! Ride the Bus!
Cost: The 205 costs $1 (50 cents for those over 60 years) and the County Connectors (80X and 90X) cost $2 ($1 if over 60)
To confirm the information below or to arrange other arrival or departure times, Go to:
https://www.skagittransit.org/ or call 360-757-4433
Bussing from the South
To get to Skagit Valley College:
Catch the 90X bus from Everett at 7:50am, arrives at Mount Vernon Station at 8:30, transfer to the 205 departing at 8:30, arrives at Skagit Valley College at 8:42. When you get on the 90X, be sure to tell the driver that you want to transfer to the 205 so they will hold the 205 for you.
Returning home:
Catch the 205 from Skagit Valley College at 4:12pm, arrive at Mount Vernon Station at 4:30, transfer to the 90X departing at4:30, arriving at Everett at 5:25. Be sure to tell the driver when you get on the 205 that you want to catch the 90X so they will hold the 90X for you.
Bussing from the North
To get to Skagit Valley College:
Catch the 80X bus from Downtown Bellingham Station at 7:40am, arrives at Mount Vernon Station at 8:25, transfer to the 205 departing at 8:30, arrives at Skagit Valley College at 8:42. When you get on the 80X, be sure to tell the driver that you want to transfer to the 205 so they will hold the 205 for you.
Returning home:
Catch the 205 from Skagit Valley College at 4:42pm, arrive at Mount Vernon Station at 5:00, transfer to the 80X departing at5:10, arriving at Downtown Bellingham at 5:55. Be sure to tell the driver when you get on the 205 that you want to catch the 90X so they will hold the 90X for you.
2025 Storming the Sound
Featuring Keynote Speaker – Abe Lloyd
Northwest Coast Ethnobotany and Lessons for Food Systems Sustainability : Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest traditionally enjoy rich dietary diversity from many different ecosystem. Many of these foods are actively managed for increased yields and environmental sustainability. What can settler Americans learn from these practices?
About Abe: Abe Lloyd is an ethnobotanist and Senior Instructor at Western Washington University. He teaches courses in natural history, mycology, plant identification, and applied ecology as well as field schools that focus on biocultural diversity in Nepal and the Salish Sea. His principal academic interest is in Indigenous foods. You can find his publications in Douglasia, the Journal of the Washington Native Plant Society. He is also an active iNaturalist user.
Also featuring Endnote Speaker – Dr. Gerry Ebalaroza-Tunnell
Dr. Gerry Ebalaroza-Tunnell, affectionately known as Dr. G, embodies the Aloha Spirit and champions connection, compassion, and mutual prosperity. As the Founder and CEO of Co3 Consulting: Co-Creating Cohesive Communities, she is dedicated to nurturing transformative leadership and driving systemic change to empower cohesive communities.
Born and raised on O’ahu, Hawaii, specifically Palolo Valley and Pearl City, and now residing in Bothell, Washington, Dr. G’s deep roots enable her to tap into her ancestors’ wisdom and cultural heritage. Her unwavering commitment to a better world shines through all her pursuits.
Dr. G holds a doctorate from the Department of Transformative Studies and Consciousness at the California Institute of Integral Studies. Her dissertation, “The Evolution of AloHā: Systemic Change through Personal Transformation,” reflects her dedication to positive change. She also earned a master’s degree in Whole Systems Design from Antioch University, Seattle, and completed a Social Science major with a focus on Psychology and Anthropology at Washington State University.
As an author, Dr. G penned the award-winning children’s book Let’s Live Aloha, a captivating story that promotes empathy, adaptability, and emotional intelligence for young readers from PreK to 5th grade. Through the acronym A.L.O.H.A (Ask, Listen, Observe, Heart, Adapt), children learn valuable life lessons and develop a love for reading.
Agenda
8:30 Doors Open
9:00-9:15 Welcome – Phil Tarro Theatre
9:15-10:15 Keynote – Abe Lloyd
10:30-11:40 Session 1
11:50-12:20 Lunch – Cardinal Center.
12:20-12:50 Poster Session – Cardinal Center.
1:00-2:10 Session 2
2:25-3:35 Session 3
3:45-4:30 Endnote – Phil Tarro Theatre
4:30 Cleanup
A PDF of the map and session grid can be found here.
Session Descriptions
Session 1 10:30-11:40
L124 – Herons in the Classroom, Presenters : Stacy Dahl & Oceanna Boulanger, Skagit Land Trust
Skagit Land Trust is piloting a new Conservation Classroom Kit that uses birds to teach students about animal adaptations, life cycles, food webs and community science. Focusing on a great blue heron breeding colony in the Trust’s March Point Heronry Conservation Area in Anacortes, this kit provides books, biofacts and activities for a wide range of student and teacher outcomes. Classes can watch through wildlife cameras high in the colony, observing herons from their return to the colony and throughout the nesting season. Elementary through High School classes can utilize the cameras to observe, reflect, question and investigate a wide variety of bird behavior and can contribute to an ongoing community science project monitoring the productivity of this persistent and important heronry. Join Trust staff for an introduction to the kit and community science project and get a birds-eye view into the March Point Heronry, one of the largest on the West Coast.
L126 – Community Art Project, Presenters: Annie England, Chandler Colahan, Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
Join Padilla Bay educators in a community arts project! When it’s all too easy to get overwhelmed by the environmental issues that pervade our world, we need to take a step back and remember what we love. In this class, you will work together to create a nature-inspired artwork using acrylic paint on re-purposed material. The final image will be a celebration of our natural world and will be put on public display.
L227 – Engaging Youth in Environmental Leadership, Presenters: Jess Newley, Kaia Olson, Friends of the San Juans
Do you have experience in leading Youth Leadership programs and want to share your experience with others? Do you want to hear what others are doing- what works and what hasn’t and look for collaboration opportunities?
Friends of the San Juans and a student from Western Washington University will be facilitating a sharing workshop on engaging youth in environmental leadership. We will share our experiences from high school and university eco-clubs, activism in WA State legislation, and more. The goal of this workshop will be to learn from each other of our experiences, gain insights to opportunities, and hopefully come away with some collaboration ideas too.
L311 – Igniting Curiosity: An Introduction to OpenSciEd for Elementary Classrooms, Presenter,: Bethany Yuly, Skyline Elementary school
Get ready to ignite excitement and curiosity about science in your elementary classroom! OpenSciEd’s new elementary science curriculum, soon to be available statewide, is designed to seamlessly integrate with ELA and mathematics while providing built-in supports to meet the needs of all learners. Whether your district is just beginning the adoption process or planning ahead, this session will offer an engaging overview of the purpose, materials, and implementation of this innovative curriculum.
Join to:Explore the core philosophy and purpose of OpenSciEd.
Review curriculum materials that foster hands-on learning and student-driven inquiry.
Learn practical strategies for implementing OpenSciEd in your classroom.
No matter your science teaching background, OpenSciEd equips any teacher to be a confident and effective science educator. Leave inspired, informed, and ready to bring curiosity to life!
L324 – Salmon Spotters – Connecting the Community to Salmon in their Backyard, Presenter: Avery Garritano, Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association
“Where can I see salmon?” This question, posed to Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA) staff year to year, is what sparked the idea for Salmon Spotters, a participatory science program where community volunteers are trained to identify the five species of pacific salmon and then observe creeks across Whatcom County as salmon return to spawn. Join NSEA staff as we share lessons learned during the first year of the Salmon Spotters program and detail the key changes made for the 2024-2025 season to improve data collection and the volunteer experience.
L330 – Transition to a Clean Energy Future, Presenter: Betty Carteret, Skagit Chapter – Citizens Climate Lobby
Talk will discuss the need to transition away from fossil fuels to clean energy sources such as solar and wind. It will look at the rationale for moving towards electrification of our residential, business and transportation systems and legislation that supports the advancement of these actions.
F (Ford) #102 – Exploring Indigenous Knowledge Through the 13 Moons Curriculum and Planetarium Experiences, Presenters: Kusemaat – Shirley Williams, Kwastlmut – Sadie Olsen, Jorell Jefferson, Cameron Kolk. Whiteswan Environmental (Note, the second part of this session will move to the multipurpose room in Cardinal Center.)
Join Whiteswan Environmental (WE), a Native-led nonprofit and co-founder of the Washington State Charter School, Whatcom Intergenerational High School (WIHS), for a 70-minute immersive session exploring the integration of traditional ecological knowledge into modern classrooms. This initiative features the 13 Moons: Knowing Who I Am and Where I Come From curriculum, uniquely delivered through a portable planetarium. Participants will engage in an intimate planetarium session. Discover how this groundbreaking project fosters broader engagement through partnerships and opportunities to lease the planetarium for educational programs.
Be inspired by how traditional ecological knowledge, place-based learning, and advanced educational tools are reshaping classrooms to create meaningful and culturally enriched learning experiences.
Session 2 1:00-2:10
L124 – Skagit River Salmon: Why are they important, what challenges do they face, and what are we doing to help? Presenter: Holli Watne, Skagit Watershed Council
This interactive presentation will attempt to answer the following questions: Why are salmon important? What difficulties do they face? What kinds of work is being done to restore salmon is the Skagit Watershed?
L126 – Exploring Nature with Picture Books, Presenter: Natasha Zimmers, Sky Valley Education Center
Participants will examine a variety of recent picture books and collaborate to explore ways they could be used to meet educational goals, including getting learners outside. Bring your creativity and curiosity.
L227 – Poetry Writing for Socio-Emotional Development, Presenter: Hannah Andersen, Whidbey Island Conservation District
L311 – Supporting Emerging Environmental Leaders Through Internships, Presenter: Sarah Brown, Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association
NSEA’s Future Leaders of Whatcom Waters is an internship program that provides paid opportunities that strategically connect with academic learning and professional development. This session will focus on program challenges and successes we have experienced over its 20-year history, partnerships and funders that have helped evolve this program to what it is today, and an audience discussion on how to best support the emerging environmental education and science leaders of tomorrow.
L324 – Garden for Wildlife, Presenter: Guinevere Unterbrink, National Wildlife Federation
This talk will cover how to garden for wildlife in your space, whether that is at your house, local school, park, or other green space. You will learn about different components of habitat, how to register your space with the National Wildlife Federation, along with schoolyard habitats.
L330 – The Nuts & Bolts of Creating Strong School / Community Partnerships for Outdoor Learning, Presenters: Susie Richards, Kristin Codda – 2nd grade teacher, Andrea Mitchell 6th-8th ALE teacher and Ann Linnea, South Whidbey Elementary
South Whidbey Elementary School was named one this year’s OSPI STEM School of the Year – based on their powerful outdoor learning programs and strong community partnerships. At this session, you will be provided resources, insights and strategies from SWES Principal Susie Richards, who brings 30 years of outdoor learning experience, along with teachers and community partners who currently develop and implement powerful outdoor learning programs. In addition, you will receive access to no cost “hands on” professional learning workshops in the spring of ’25 and funding for substitute costs to attend those programs.
Cardinal Center C, Multipurpose Room – Building Professional Learning Pathways and Coherence for Environmental and Outdoor Educators, Presenter: Elizabeth Schmitz, OSPI
This session focuses on implementing the Washington Environmental Literacy Plan. We will review data collected to date, offer time for additional data gathering and discussion from participants, and share opportunities to get more involved in future work to support a more sustainable career path and broader diversity in the field of ESE and outdoor learning.
Session 3 2:25-3:35
L124 – Teaching Climate Science and Inspiring Hope in the Outdoors, Presenters: Nathan Zabel and Grace Max, Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, Emily Hie, Common Threads Farm, Chris Peñuelas, Wild Whatcom
In this interactive workshop, participants can expect to learn from the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA), Wild Whatcom, and Common Threads Farm about how they partner with the local Tribes, other non-profit community-based organizations, and their Educational Service District to facilitate professional development opportunities for K-12 teachers. This workshop will showcase hands-on examples of outdoor STEM activities that incorporate Indigenous knowledge, climate science, and human action. Participants can expect to learn how partners have implemented a unique and progressive statewide climate initiative to provide culturally appropriate climate education and resources for K-12 educators, centered on hope and resilience, while also equipping teachers to be successful in bringing students outdoors on school grounds and in local parks. Additionally, participants will learn how collaborative models for professional development can lead to successful funding proposals, increased outreach, and more broadly reaching teachers and their students.
L126 – The Watershed Game, Presenters: Alexander Krejci & David Paynter, Federal Way High School
How can educators weave together the diverse ways water is used in society, giving students a social, a historical, and a policy perspective? We present the watershed game – a board game that gives three teams of students the chance to develop their own town in single watershed. Each team works to grow their population and economy, all the while taking care of their water resources. Teams must work together for their towns to survive, while upstream teams can easily irritate their neighbors as their pollution runs downstream. And, at any time disaster could strike, so they must be prepared. Join us as we play through the game and discuss implementation strategies in the classroom.
L227 – Skagit Audubon Education and Outreach, Presenter: Jeff Osmundson, Skagit Audubon
Introduction to Skagit Adububon with information regarding out education programs and outreach. Round table discussion to share information, ideas and techniques for environmental education
L311 – Learning Beyond Boundaries: Solutions from Place, Presenters: Suneeta Eisenberg, Michael Toomes, Whatcom Waves
An interactive presentation to decarbonize and decolonize the built environment using natural building materials such as HEMP.
L324 – Diving into Conservation with Scuba Jess, Presenter: Jessica Alexanderson, Recycling Society
Join Scuba Jess, also known as Jessica Alexanderson, for an engaging and inspiring session focused on ocean conservation and sustainability. With over 1,400 dives in Puget Sound, Jessica has captured the breathtaking beauty of the underwater world and documented the trash she encounters during clean-up dives. Through her work, she highlights the importance of protecting marine ecosystems and reducing waste.
As the President of Recycling is Like Magic and founder of the nonprofit The Recycling Society, Jessica is on a mission to educate and inspire the next generation about recycling and environmental stewardship. She’ll share insights about the Million Cans Recycling Contest, a national competition that empowers schools and teachers to make a tangible impact by recycling aluminum cans. Washington schools and educators can learn how to participate in this exciting initiative, which benefits both the environment and local communities.This session will focus on:
The wonders of cold-water scuba diving and Jessica’s favorite local marine life.
Practical steps schools and individuals can take to reduce trash in waterways.
How the Million Cans Recycling Contest creates a win-win for schools and the planet.
Leave inspired to take action and discover how simple recycling efforts can make a big difference for our environment!
L330 – STEM Education through Art, Music, and Indigenous Frameworks, Presenter: Thayne Yazzie, Energy Pyramid
Over the past two years, I have been performing with an ecology based art and music project called Energy Pyramid. This project is a collection of artists, musicians, dancers, and performers that provides a unique and immersive stage performance that engages audience members into the wonders and brutal elegance of the natural world. I have recently turned this project into a 501(c)3 so that I may continue my mission of art & science outreach for the greater community. My presentation would describe the history of this project and provide an engaging outreach art component for the audience.
Cardinal Center Multipurpose Room – STREAMing into Action: Engaging Students in Environmental Issues through Hands-On Activities, Presenters: MIddle and High School students at Sky Valley Education Center
Join us for an interactive presentation led by the middle and high school students of Sky Valley Education Center’s Environmental Studies School. They will discuss their program and guide participants through hands-on STREAM (Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) activities that connect them to their local environment while also offering strategies for use in a range of educational settings. This is a great opportunity for educators, environmental leaders, and anyone interested in connecting students to the natural world through interactive, and meaningful hands-on experiences that foster environmental stewardship and critical thinking.
The first Storming the Sound was held at Padilla Bay Reserve in 1999. The idea caught on and now Storming the Sound attracts about 150 professionals. The conference primarily attracts environmentally minded educators and professionals from around the central Salish Sea region.
Check out our photo archive of past Storming the Sound conferences!