Once a month, for the last decade, the First Monday Fiction Club has gathered at the Barnes and Noble in Issaquah for lively discussions on that month’s chosen book. Redmond resident Shirley Biccum, who only responded to her nickname Shirl, was one of the original members and brought a unique perspective to the conversations.

With her death in November, Shirl’s exceptional voice was silenced and the other club members felt an acute void left by her absence.

“We didn’t want her to be here one day and then gone the next,” said fellow book club member Lynda Wimbush. So the club decided they needed to do something to honor her memory.

Shirl was a long-time environmentalist who loved all creatures, and one of the ways she showed her passion was as a volunteer salmon watcher with King County. Through the program, volunteers are trained at how to identify the different salmon species. Twice a week during spawning season, from September through December, the salmon watchers count the number of salmon in their assigned creek. The information these volunteers gather gives the county specifics on where the fish are spawning and alerts officials to any barriers that might be inhibiting the reproductive process.

After much discussion, the First Monday Fiction Club members chose to honor her efforts to help salmon by sponsoring a scholarship to the Salmon Science Camp put on by Friends of Issaquah Salmon Hatchery (FISH).

“It just seemed appropriate,” said Wimbush.

FISH operates several sessions of the week-long educational program throughout the summer. Children learn about the salmon life cycle and how to become stewards of the watershed. They conduct studies on water quality and aquatic insects, perform experiments, and hear Native American legends.

The book club gathered $422 in donations, mostly from members, and the scholarship program will receive matching funds from Boeing. Tuition for the camp ranges from $175 for members to $205 for non-members. In its first year, the Shirley Biccum Scholarship will likely fund three children’s participation in the camp.

“Shirl was an interesting person,” Wimbush said. “She had experienced so much in her life. We miss her.”