Clallam County Beach Watchers

~~~ OUR MISSION IS ~~~

…. To support sustainable stewardship of fragile coastal ecosystems through education, research, and local action.

WSU Beach Watcher volunteers attend approximately 100 hours of classroom and field training in a wide range of topics including forestry, coastal geology, marine biology, watersheds, septic systems, beach monitoring, estuaries and more. Volunteers will then share their knowledge with the public and spend at least 100 hours in community outreach programs over at least two years.

The 2007 training session will begin in September, and run eight weeks, with a one week break in the middle.

2007 Training dates

September 4, 7, 11, 14, 18, 21, 25, 28

October 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30

November 2

Classes will be held Tuesdays and Fridays at the Clallam County courthouse (unless it’s a field trip), from 9:00 AM to about 4:00 PM, with a lunch break at 12:00 PM. To cover the cost of materials & supplies, participants will be charged $35, with some scholarship assistance available.

Field trip and project locations often present slippery, rocky, uneven, and steep terrain, so applicants should be comfortable walking on soft sand, climbing over rocks or logs, and moderate hikes up to ½ mile or more.

Program Goals

• Help protect Clallam County’s valuable marine resources.
• Increase the public’s knowledge about our marine environment and their sense of stewardship for it.
• Educate top notch volunteers for community outreach & education.
• Increase the amount of useful data about our marine resources.

Possible projects

• Northwest Marine Mammal Stranding Network
• Water quality monitoring
• Beach profiling
• Mapping forage fish habitat and spawning areas
• Olympia oyster reintroduction
• Monitoring for oil spills
• Invasive species monitoring
• Leading interpretive beach walks
• Classroom presentations
• Sponsor workshops or speakers
• Develop and maintain a web page
• Washing oiled seabirds