Wildside

Weekly

June 13, 2022

FEATURED EVENTS

June 25: Jr. Naturalist Workshop

9-10:30am Fox Island Sand Spit:

Plants, Plankton & Algae

The goal of our monthly Jr. Naturalist Workshops is to inspire young people to be good stewards of the environment. Students will study various ecosystems and their connections to humans through STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) activities.

These workshops are ideal for students who show a high level of interest in science and do well in a team setting. Students must be age 6-12 and each workshop has a fee of $25. Workshops will take place at various local parks. Dates and times vary, so check the schedule carefully. (Discover passes are required for Washington State Parks.) Parents are welcome to attend alongside their children, or drop them off to learn with our biologists. Students may sign up for individual workshops or all 8. Spots are limited, so sign up today!

For more information, contact our Education Director, Rachel Easton.

Jr Naturalist Registration

IN THE FIELD

June 13-18: Beach Monitoring

IT'S HAPPENING! Join us on the beach for some community science AND the lowest tides of the YEAR-ya don't see -4.45ft very often! These events are an in depth look at the intertidal life at various beaches in the south sound. They typically last 3-4 hours, so don't worry if you can't stay the whole time.Check our Facebook events for more details about each event:

Penrose Point State Park - meet at the scheduled time in the parking area near the grassy field. 6/14 at 9:15am, 6/15 at 10am. Discover Pass required. As you walk out towards the spit, monitoring sites are to the left.

Thursday, June 16, 10:15am, Old Ferry Landing-meet in the very small parking area at the end of Harborview Drive (ideal to park in the angled parking area across the street from 7 Seas in Gig Harbor and then walk towards the mouth of Gig Harbor).

Friday, June 17, 11:45am, Kopachuck State Park -meet in the upper parking lot before walking down the hill. If you arrive later, hike down the hill and head to the left once you get to the beach.

Saturday, June 18, 12:30pm, Maple Hollow-meet in the parking area at the scheduled time. If you arrive later, hike down the hill following signs to beach access, once you're down the stairs, you can't miss us.

CREATURE FEATURE

Staghorn Sculpin, Leptocottus armatus

Summertime beach monitoring events include a fish seine. This is where we drag a weighted net through the water to get an idea of the nearshore fish populations. A common find in our net is the staghorn sculpin, often called a bullhead which is a common name used to describe a variety of intertidal fish species. What sets the staghorn sculpin apart from the other bottom dwelling fish is it's three pronged spine, smooth scales, olive brown color, and the black spot on their dorsal fin. AND, if you're Mike Behrens, you might notice that this is a fish tends to be particularly smootchable! Because the stag hor sculpin can be mistaken with the plain fin midshipman which has a venomous spine, we generally recommend that you avoid handling fish. If you do want to take a closer look (or kiss) a sculpin, please make sure that you handle them with wet hands for only short periods of time and of course return them to the water.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Cocktails & Fishtales

6/22: 6pm, See the salmon, see the trees, see how your PCD protects the land and the sea! with Dana Coggon, Pierce Conservation District Executive Director Facebook Live, 6pm

Lowtide Beach Walks

6/16: 10-1pm, Salt Creek - $250 per person. This special event will help us raise funds for more marine educational programing. Email Rachel to Register for this special fundraiser!

6/19: 3pm, Titlow Beach Park - We're teaming up with Ocean Fest for.a collaborative beach walk in Tacoma! Join us for some low tide fun! Join this FREE 60-90 minute tour of the intertdal zone!

Skansie Visitor &

Interpretive Center

Open Wed-Saturday, 10-4pm

3207 Harborview Drive • Gig Harbor

Jr. Naturalist Workshop

6/25: 9-10:30am, DeMolay Sand Spit

Plants, Plankton & Algae

Spots are limited, $25 per student (scholarships available).

Summer Beach Monitoring

Join us on the beach for some community science! These events are an in depth look at the intertidal life at various beaches in the south sound. They typically last 3-4 hours, so don't worry if you can't stay the whole time.Check our Facebook events for more details about each event:

6/14: Penrose Point State Park, 9:15am

6/15: Penrose Point State Park, 10am

6/16: Old Ferry Landing at the mouth of Gig Harbor, 10:15am

6/17: Kopachuck State Park, 11:45am

6/18:Maple Hollow, 12:30pm

6/28: 9:30am Fox Island Sand Spit

6/30: Sunrise Beach Park, 10am

7/1: Tacoma Narrows Beach Park, 11am