WSU Beach Watchers

     Whatcom County is home to a growing number of committed volunteers who work to preserve our fresh and marine waters through education, research, and stewardship. It’s a tall order and encompasses virtually everything wet in Whatcom County. Lakes, streams, estuaries, and shorelines are just some of the places you’ll find the expanding ranks of WSU Extension’s Beach Watchers. Since the program’s beginning in Whatcom County in 2004, volunteers have monitored beaches, taken water quality samples, created tours and workshops, hosted talks, walked miles of shoreline in search of creosote-infused logs, and talked to thousands of people about taking care of our most precious resources.

Information Sheet (pdf)

     The Beach Watchers program provides an extensive education in freshwater and marine topics relevant to Whatcom County. Water is central to agriculture and fisheries, the environment, and our towns and cities. In the Northwest, where salmon and shellfish are such an important part of our history and economy, understanding the threats is vital, but learning about solutions is even more important.

     The program attracts a wide variety of people. Some are newcomers to the area, while others are native born. Many are newly retired professionals, some are students, and others are environmental professionals. What they have in common is a love of learning and a desire to give back to the community. The program helps volunteers make local connections and give them support so that they can be successful with projects that are meaningful to them.

     Fifty-five Whatcom County residents have been trained through the program so far. Each class is limited to 20 participants who are charged with being part of the solution and sharing their knowledge. Each volunteer commits to 100 hours of work over 2 years. Spring training began March 17, 2009.

- Whatcom County Beach Watchers Web site

excerpt from Bellingham Co-op Newsletter, Feb. 2009

WSU Whatcom County Extension
1000 N. Forest Street, Suite 201, Bellingham, WA  98225 USA
Contact us: e-mail | 360-676-6736 | Office Hours M-F 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
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