Rick Doty
Long Live the Kings, Volunteer
Can you share a little bit about yourself?
I was born in Missoula, Montana. I moved to Orcas Island with my family in 1971 and finished high school at Orcas Island High. I started Orcas Homegrown Market, helped in the preservation of Madrona Point, served on a committee for the Parks Board, and helped successfully preserve the Eastsound Square. When asked if I grew up on Orcas my reply is “I’m still working on that.”
Tell us a little bit about the organization you volunteer at?
I have such deep respect for Jim and Kathy Youngren for their creation of Long Live the Kings, that I have volunteered seasonally off and on for them since 1986. The whole aspect of what the Glenwood Springs Hatchery offers resonates with me — creating gene pool preservation in a non-competing system feels like a great answer to the hatchery situation we find ourselves in on the West Coast. Enhancing local fishing opportunities and Orca food makes me feel good about what our little island community is doing. The learning opportunities for our local schools literally gives kids hands-on experience. I hope this creates future fish biologists that will continue the dream of preservation and restoration that is a primary focus of Long Live the Kings.
What does volunteering do for you?
It helps relieve me of some of the gilt of having been an avid fisherman of Chinook salmon for the past 50 years. I have fond memories of the abundant years of the recent past. I have great hope that we have time to give this back to future generations.
Visit the Long Live the Kings to learn more. Reach out to them if you would like to get involved.
If you would like to learn about other volunteer opportunities on Orcas, please email Ed. He would love to get together for tea/coffee to chat about your interests.