Coho Salmon Run Returns To West Marin

Late fall and winter are the time to witness the return of endangered coho salmon to their natal streams in west Marin. After many years of declining populations, this spectacular fish finally received listing as an endangered species in 1996. It has also received enormous help from the passionate advocacy and hands-on restoration work of local citizens’ groups, such as California Trout and SPAWN (Salmon Protection and Watershed Network). If you’d like to see the returning salmon for yourself, join one of SPAWN’s weekly naturalist-led creek walks, which run from November through February on Lagunitas Creek (www.spawnusa.org, or (415)488-1090). Or volunteer to be a member of the Coho and Steelhead Restoration Project’s “Stream Team,” which helps with spawner counts and creek restoration efforts. (Contact Kacy Kobrin at (415) 663-8522 ext. 286 or kacy_kobrin@nps.gov.)