Beach Watcher's met last Tuesday at Skagit College on San Juan Island for a light lunch and an informative, interactive talk on the complex geological history of the San Juans by Michael Yeaman, geologist. Beach Watchers from all classes were represented, and Shann Weston posted a list of BWs who had logged more than 100, 500 and 1,000 hours. (Congratulations to Dennis Linden, Geneva Mottet, and Chuck O’Clair in the top category!)
Members of the Beach Watcher Advisory Committee, a very impressive group representing the major environmental organizations in the community, gave updates on their activities and expressed their appreciation for the Beach Watchers volunteers. Among them were Cindy Hansen from the Whale Museum, Russel Barsh from Kwiaht, Fiona Norris from the San Juan Nature Institute, and David Lloyd from the Waldron community, to name just a few.
Shann talked about the business plan currently being developed for WSU Beach Watchers; more information on this will be available in the future. Shann also shared ideas regarding sustaining the San Juan County Beach Watcher program for the future. Obtaining funding in the current economic climate continues to be challenging, and volunteer hours are a very important component of this process. Volunteers are strongly encouraged to post their hours on an ongoing basis, and especially to catch up within the next month or so, so that Shann can submit these impressive numbers in grant applications. If you need any help with the posting process, please contact Susan Muckle at swmuckle@rockisland.com.
Shann reminded everyone that Beach Watchers will again have a booth in the “Green Village” at the San Juan County Fair – contact Shann if you can volunteer.
Thanks to Shann for providing the opportunity to learn more about the work that everyone is doing. Our collective love for our unique marine community shone throughout the meeting. We just wish there had been more time to talk with each other before the ferry called.
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