Chinook salmon returned to Hylebos Creek early last week, perhaps knowing their friends were gathering upstream.

One hundred ninety-seven friends of the Hylebos turned out to the King County Weyerhaeuser Aquatic Center Saturday evening, September 27 to celebrate the annual fall run of Hylebos Creek salmon and to raise funds to support Hylebos conservation efforts.

More than $30,000 was raised for Hylebos Creek conservation at the Friends' 4th annual Ruby Dance Stewardship dinner (no fish were on the menu).

The name Ruby Dance refers to the flash of red seen as Hylebos Creek's coho salmon spawn during the fall spawning season.

"The best part of Ruby Dance is the demonstration of community support for conserving natural areas in our cities," said Friends of the Hylebos Executive Director Chris Carrel. "The turnout and the support generated grows every year. That's a great indication that people want to keep forests and streams alive in their community."

Carrel noted that the money raised would support the Hylebos Creek Conservation Initiative, the Friends' program for preserving and restoring 745 acres of stream and wetland habitat in Federal Way, Milton, Fife, Edgewood and Tacoma.

In the past 8 years, the Friends has planted more than 83,000 native trees and shrubs in the watershed. In the past year, the group introduced a forest health program to conserve the native forest at the West Hylebos Wetlands.

This year's Ruby Dance was emceed by KING-FM 98.1 Host Sean MacLean. FWPS Superintendent Tom Murphy presented a powerful keynote speech, in which he talked of the importance of conserving natural areas in building a quality community.

The evening was capped by awards given to outstanding volunteers and activists. The 2008 award winners are:

Innovation in Conservation Award

NOAA and the Commencement Bay Trustees

The coalition of state and federal resources agencies and the Muckleshoot and Puyallup Tribes have shown great commitment to innovative approaches to preservation and restoration of Hylebos Creek habitat. The Trustees, supported by NOAA, have preserved and restored the 13-acre Lower Hylebos Marsh, and have supported non-conventional mitigation projects such as the upcoming General Metals' Karileen Project and the Port of Tacoma's marsh restoration project.

The Francis and Ilene Marckx Wetland Award

Bob Roper

Federal Way resident Bob Roper was one of the Friends' first Stream Team volunteers and has contributed more than 180 hours over the past 8 years, helping monitor stream water quality and count returning salmon to Hylebos Creek. The award is given in the name of the Friends' founders, Francis and Ilene Marckx, who devoted their energies - and donated their property - to saving the West Hylebos Wetlands.

The Founders Award

Elaine Cahill, Ed Dorn, Bill Gates, Mary Gates, John Metcalf

In honor of the Friends' 25th anniversary, the Friends presented a special Founders' Award to original board members Elaine Cahill, Ed Dorn, Bill Gates, Mary Gates and John Metcalf. Ed Dorn, the Friends' first president and Bill and Mary Gates were in attendance to receive the awards.

Event attendees included Friends' members and volunteers, Representatives Skip Priest, and Representative Mark Miloscia, Federal Way City Councilmembers Jeanne Burbidge and Dini Duclos, and past award winners Mark and Adele Freeland, Teri Lenfest, Skip Priest, Mike Hrachovec (Natural Systems Design) and Lisa Klein (AHBL) and David Presley (REI).

The event was sponsored by several local businesses: Boeing, Schnitzer Steel, Floyd/Snider, Glacier Recycle, Weyerhaeuser, Marlene's Market & Deli, HomeStreet Bank, Evergreen Eye Center, the Port of Tacoma, Murray Pacific Management and Troy Schneebeck.

Friends of the Hylebos is a nonprofit conservation organization working to protect and restore the environmental quality of Hylebos Creek, the West Hylebos Wetlands and the surrounding watershed. More information about the Friends can be found at the group's website www.hylebos.org