People are curious about the whales, salmon and plankton in the Salish Sea that surrounds us. Through shoreline events, local people learn what’s in the water.
When you give via SCGive.org on Nov. 29 (24 hours only), Giving Tuesday, your donation supports events to connect local people with local beaches and marine life there.
This map indicates where Sound Water Stewards (trained volunteers) do community science, stewardship or education events on Camano Island.
Based on the beach, events will highlight these species and more
- grey whales, ghost shrimp
- invasive green crabs, native shore crabs, Dungeness crabs
- marine birds, pigeon guillemots, and many more
- forage fish, eelgrass, bull kelp
- plankton, diatoms
- sea stars, sunflower stars
- clams, mussels
- northern giant hornets
- bluff erosion and beach processes
The Salish Sea faces intense challenges. Port Susan, Skagit Bay, Stillaguamish River and Saratoga Passage are ecologically sensitive waters.
We will teach sustainability actions and give out a hand lens to all participants to take a closer look, plus a Junior Steward booklet for youth.
When people connect with nature, they become eager to protect it.
Everyone can play a role in stewardship.
Please give online on Nov 29 in support of Sound Water Stewards
The more we raise, the more beach events we can present.
If you would like to be notified when the Camano-based “learning events” are scheduled, please contact Camano-Coord@SoundWaterStewards.org
Pictured below, whale bites are divets or pits left by gray whales when they take a bite in the sand, then filter out the ghost shrimp (sand shrimp) to eat, leaving behind a pit. Pictured here on the west side of Camano Island. (See also sand dollars in the foreground)
^ See a recent news article on ghost shrimp
Below: click on any image to open full size and see the caption
Locations and what YOU can see there (depending on the season and tides):
Camano Island State Park
- bluff erosion
- native trees and plants: Pacific Madrone, Douglas Fir, Western Red Cedar, Big-Leaf Maple, mosses, ferns, Salal, snowberry, kinnickinnick
- plankton
- snail eggs on rocks
- eelgrass beds with brownish diatoms
- Bald eagles and eagle nests
Cama Beach State Park
- minus-tide species (tides below 0.0 feet) in the eelgrass and under rocks
- Cranberry Lake wetlands with water plants and water birds
- bluff erosion
- Bald eagles and eagle nests
- native trees and plants: Pacific Madrone, Douglas Fir, Western Red Cedar, Big-Leaf Maple, mosses, ferns, Salal, snowberry, kinnickinnick
- sand dollars
Maple Grove Boat Launch AND Utsalady Boat Launch
- forage fish – at high tide
- barnacle eating nudibranch – at minus tide
Camano View Road
- Pigeon Guillemot
Leque Island
- Heron rookery
- marine birds
- salmon habitat restoration
Iverson Spit Preserve
- varnish clams, Eastern soft-shell clams
- ghost shrimp (sand shrimp), sculpins
- driftwood
- freshwater pond, former beaver dam
- seasonal marine birds: herons, hooded mergansers, eagles, green-winged teals, mallards, buffleheads, seagulls
Barnum Point
- bluff erosion
- holes in bluff that various birds use for nests
- freshwater pond, ducks
- native and invasive plants
- whale bites: in season, on minus tides
- marine birds: goldeneyes, herons, mergansers, eagles, cormorants, grebes, surf scoters, buffleheads , hawks, and seagulls
Thank You Sponsors!
