July 10, 2002 News Release Beach Naturalists get ready to educate a record number of beach-goers as weekend approaches Beach-exposing low tides along with summer vacation means the upcoming weekend of the 2002 Beach Naturalist program could very well be its busiest. Volunteer Beach Naturalists are expecting big crowds on King County beaches for three consecutive days, partly due to low summer tides. Beginning on Friday, July 12, Beach Naturalists will visit seven local beaches to provide fun, useful information about the fragile sea creatures and plant life left unprotected during low tides. "This weekend will mark some of the lowest tides of the summer. People can catch a rare glimpse of underwater marine life -- but low tides also mean that beach plants and animals are extremely vulnerable," says Polly Freeman, Beach Naturalist Coordinator for King County. "It's the perfect time to teach people that the seaweed, shells and rocks on our beaches are home to thousands of delicate sea creatures." Beach Naturalists are volunteer citizens who care about Puget Sound beaches and want to teach others how to protect them. Wearing khaki vests and crab-emblazoned hats, they teach beach-goers important beach etiquette, show off sea stars and anemones, and reveal the answers to such mysteries as why barnacles stand on their heads and what kinds of food sea stars eat. Look for Beach Naturalists this weekend at Richmond Beach, Carkeek Park, Golden Gardens, Constellation Park (Alki Point), Lincoln Park, Seahurst Park in Burien, and Des Moines Beach Park on July 12 (11 a.m.-3 p.m.), July 13 (noon-4 p.m.), and July 14 (1 p.m.-5 p.m.). Beach Naturalists are on pace to reach a record-breaking number of people this year with two weekends still ahead of them. As of June 23, they have already made contacts with over 13,000 members of the public and educated more than 2,400 students. In 2001, Beach Naturalists made over 16,000 contacts and provided learning experiences for over 4,800 students. The upcoming Beach Naturalist weekend is unique in that Friday, July 12 is the only summer weekday of the program. "Friday will be great day to bring children to the beach in order to avoid the weekend crowd and learn about sea life," Freeman notes. Several camps and school groups have already scheduled visits to the beach. For proper beach etiquette, remember these tips: Walk carefully. Look where you are stepping and avoid eelgrass beds, which are near-shore nurseries for many animals. Leave dogs home. Dogs are not allowed on Seattle beaches. So instead, take them to parks with designated "off-leash" areas. Leave it at the beach. Don't take away rocks, shells, seaweed, logs and other beach items that are food and shelter for critters galore. Let it be. Don’t pull on animals like anemones and barnacles that are tightly attached to rocks or pilings. If you move rocks to look underneath, gently put them back the way they were. Rocks protect critters - many too small to see - that live under and on top of them. Fill in dug up holes to protect the critters that live buried in the damp sand and need cover. Remove trash. Remove trash you bring and trash you find, especially fishing line and plastic six-pack holders. The Beach Naturalist Program is co-sponsored by the Seattle Aquarium, King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, Forum for WRIA 9 (the Green-Duwamish and Central Puget Sound Watershed), King Conservation District, Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation, Washington Sea Grant, Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, Puget Sound Water Quality Action Team, People For Puget Sound, Seattle/King County Department of Public Health, and Washington State Department of Health. For more information about the Beach Naturalist Program or to get directions to the beaches, contact the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks at (206) 296-8359, the Seattle Aquarium at (206) 386-4344, or visit the program Web site at: http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/pi/beach-naturalists.htm>. Related Information Other Volunteer Opportunities News Releases

King County | Natural Resources & Parks | News | Services | Comments | Search Links to external sites do not constitute endorsements by King County. By visiting this and other King County web pages, you expressly agree to be bound by terms and conditions of the site. The details.