Page 5 - Kind News, March/April 2025

Hannah Cooper
works for all
animals. That
includes the
wildlife she shares
the park with and
the dogs at her SALMON
local shelter. SAVER

Austin Picinich [pi-SIN-itch] has
spent his summers paddling around
the Puget Sound, a waterway in his
home state of Washington. But he
completely missed one creek that
was in his own backyard. A family
friend told him that only three
salmon returned to it to spawn, or
leave eggs. And it was right under
his street! How did he not notice it?
Many salmon streams flow
through culverts, structures that
channel water underground. “I
wanted to make this one super
visible,” says Austin. There was a
wall on the road above it. Austin
got the idea to put the message of
‘save our salmon’ there. And that’s
where his love of art comes in.
With the help of Urban Artworks
and 150 volunteers, Austin created
a 100-foot mural of salmon in all
their beauty. A mural is a painting
THIS SPREAD: KARA COOPER; SIDEBAR: AUSTIN PICINICH. neighbors see the creek’s residents
on a wall. Now, hundreds of

each day. Austin would like more
people to sign up as “salmon
watchers” and do things like
building egg boxes and planting
trees along the creek. “When
people care,” he says, “they may
help the creek and salmon in
their own way.”

Mar/Apr 2025 | 5