A Wonderful Earth Day at Wild Birds Unlimited
Jefferson Beach Watchers had a joint booth with the Marine Resources Committee on Earth Day at Wild Birds Unlimited in Gardiner on April 26. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful setting! The attendees were very interested in our messages about eelgrass, crab pots, pet waste, bluff erosion and more. About 30 people signed the Eelgrass Protection Pledge!
Many thanks to Beach Watcher Andreas Niesen (pictured at left wearing the crab hat) for operating the Enviroscape and to Tony Petrillo and Caroline Gibson of the Marine Resources Committee for helping to staff the booth. And of course thanks to Gabrielle LaRoche of the MRC for organizing the event.
Water & Beach Watchers Join Together
Four generations of Jefferson County Beach Watchers gathered on May 5 to socialize and share information. Representatives from the 2009 class were joined by members of the 2006, 2007 and 2008 classes. We had a great potluck and good discussions on past and future class projects. An informal survey was conducted to see if there was interest in holding regular "All Beach/Water Watcher" meetings. The survey showed that everyone present wanted to meet again and would like to go on field trips and have speakers. See the next item for more!
To the Dump, To the Dump, Dump, Dump! (well, the Transfer Station)
Mark your calendars for Tuesday, June 2 when we will be going to the Jefferson County Transfer Station to learn how our solid waste is handled - including recycling and composting. The 2009 class requested a trip to the County's transfer station after their trip to the City's Sewage Treatment Plant. They really want to see the process all the way through. Al Cairns, Jefferson County Solid Waste Manager will lead the field trip. Time and carpooling info to come soon. For those of you wanting to do some advance homework, there is a lot of information on solid waste on the County's website at: www.co.jefferson.wa.us/publicworks/solidwaste/solidwasteinfo.aspEel Grass Class
There is still time to register for the “Planning for Protection and Restoration of Eelgrass Habitats” class. It will be held in Mt. Vernon at the Padilla Bay Research Reserve on Thursday, May 21, 9 am – 4 pm. Registration is open until May 14. The cost is $60. Please register at http://www.coastaltraining-wa.orgThis class is only offered every two years and is packed full of practical information. You’ll get to hear directly from marine scientists and eelgrass specialists and hear step-by-step cases studies, as well as advice from state agencies about how to work within the parameters of state regulations. Instructors include Jeff Gaeckle, Seagrass Ecologist (DNR), Amy Borde, Senior Research Scientist (Pacific NW National Laboratory), Kathy Taylor, Senior Marine Ecologist (Ecology) and Barry Wenger, Senior Environmental Planner (Ecology).
Love Those Native Plants
Native Plant Appreciation Week is May 3rd – May 9th 2009! Below is the scoop on a couple of local events. For other events around the state go to: www.wnps.org/npaw Friday, May 8, 9:30am - 2:30pm Quimper Peninsula Wildflower Hotspots Begins at Kah Tai Prairie at the Port Townsend Golf Course Contact: Dixie at 385-6432 for information
Saturday, May 9, 10am to noon Kul Kah Han Gardeners, HJ Carroll Park in Chimacum. Talk by Ron Sikes: The Relationship between NW Native Plants and our Local Songbirds and Hummingbirds. Contact: Linda Landkammer at wild4nature@isomedia.com
Low Tides Are Coming!
Joint WSU Water/Beachwatchers and PTMSC volunteers low tide walk at Indian Island, Tuesday May 26th, 11am. Join fellow PTMSC volunteers and Beachwatchers to enjoy a minus 3.5 foot tide and a brown bag picnic lunch. Directions and meeting place will be provided.