Presentation to Nisqually River Council, March 15, 2019

1. Kayak Nisqually
Sea-kayaking eco-tourism in the Nisqually Reach and south Puget Sound

2. What’s in a name?
Legal name: Nisqually Kayak Adventures, DBA: Kayak Nisqually Puget Sound
Adventures

3. Raised in Louisville,
Kentucky
Canoed frequently
with my family.
Was recognized in
2005 by the Kentucky
Human Rights
Commission for youth
leadership.

4. Attended TESC
Concentrations:
Conservation biology,
Animal behavior,
Evolutionary biology,
Buddhist psychology
Start of sea kayaking with Harbor
Seal research
Interest in Orca culture as a spring
board for guiding in San Juans

5. 5 Seasons with Sea Quest Expeditions, ardorous training, well received

6. Biological Field Technician for
USGS Western Ecological
Research Center
P.I. Was John Takkekawa later Isa
Woo, overlapped with Lisa
Bellevue and friedly with
Melanie Davis
Deltas across the state
from Willapa to Padilla

10. Caretaker for Nisqually Reach Nature Center along with Cris Peck

11. Authorship and Fulbright
Conservation research used by
Ngobe-Bugle Comarca, USFWS
as well as legal non-profit AWI
2012 `Kaviar, S., Shockey, J., &
Sundberg, P. (2012).
Observations on the Endemic
Pygmy Three-Toed Sloth,
Bradypus pygmaeus of Isla
Escudo de Veraguas,
Panamá. (A. R. Evans, Ed.)PLoS
ONE, 7(11), e49854.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0049
854
Strong local collaborations with people on-site and
the Comarcal government, difficult national politics.

12. Why Nisqually?
Nisqually River Council
legacy, collaboration.
Connections to partners
NRNC, NLT, need,
opportunity.
Orca, salmon connection.

13. True Eco-Tourism not just
kayaking.
Natural history
Human history
Conservation
Fun

14. Partnership (conscription) with BFNWR, kayaking education, sanctuary
area, MMPA.

18. Pinnipeds feature in our tours. Respect expertise of local leadership on management.
Encourage a long view of ecological relations.

19. Why use a guide? Tide level is not even half of it.

21. Porpoise and whale
recovery.
Entrance of Californian
species.
Can reliably show porpoises
in certain locales.

22. Show off the restoration as well as prime bird habitat.

30. What could we do for you?
Group tours, team building
3-5 hr activity. Safety orientation depending on group and conditions can
take an hour, hard to provide high quality experience with less than 3 hrs.
Current max group size is 10, looking to grow to 20
Messaging / education- Have a message you want conveyed to the public?
Captive audience.
Research- Open to collaboration, looking for co-authorships
Looking for: Space & revenue (putting out to the universe)
It appears we have the business for a second fleet, which would allow us to
accommodate large groups as well as employee more local naturalists.
Currently operating out of garage, very expensive local market. Would lease
or buy if we could swing it.