One of the most exciting markers of the change of seasons is the anticipation of the first autumn rains, and with them, the returning salmon to our island creeks.

You may have noticed there’s been a lot of fish talk from your friends at the Land Trust — for good reason. The health of our forests and streams depends on nutrients derived from the sea. When salmon return to our creeks, the spawned-out adults are carried into the forest by river otters, eagles and coyotes. Their remains act as fertilizer for the surrounding trees and ferns as they decompose. If you’ve ever used fish fertilizer in your garden, you know what a powerful punch these nutrients can grant to growing plants.

While we have seen a general uptick in salmon returns over the past 10 years, thanks in part to restoration e

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