Diario del proyecto Skagit Marine Shoreline Summer Observation

Thanks again to everybody that has worked hard to gather so many great observations! We are over the halfway mark and have already had some really great discoveries.

We’ve loved seeing all of the observations pour in and can’t wait to see what else everyone finds. It’s important to ensure that everyone is still practicing safe social distancing while visiting these beaches.

*If it is too crowded, find a new spot or go back another day. You can always participate by checking out other observations and providing ID’s for some of the critters.*

With just over a month left here are a few suggestions for local beaches to check out:

• Sunset Beach
• Cabana Park
• Washington Park (Green Point & Fidalgo Head)
• Kiwanis Waterfront Park
• Deception Pass State Park

If you have a great location of your own in mind, go out and enjoy discovering what calls that beach home! Be sure to check that any site you plan to go to is still open before you head out.

So get out there, and keep on:

Observing

Identifying

Having fun!

Everyone is doing an amazing job taking photos and collecting valuable data on what is out there. A big BIG thanks goes out to all those who have participated, whether you are taking photos, suggesting ID’s, or both, your effort is appreciated.

We currently have a total of 31 observations, and we've documented 27 different species on our shorelines.

All of you have helped in tremendous ways and we want to give a special thanks to our top observer!

Top Observer

• shoh with 25 observations

Another special thanks goes out to our top identifiers!

Top Identifiers

• pointrond

• resources

• hazelgrouse4

Without help to identify some of the species iNaturalist can’t identify, and for some of the trickier ones, the project wouldn’t have the same success. So to all of you who are helping with identifications...thank you!

It’s been fun to see what everyone has observed. Below are just a few of the observations our community has posted.

Photos (left to right)

1. kaylener, True Limipts

2. pgypsy, Pale Swallowtail

3. shoh, Japanese False Clam

We encourage you to also take a peek at the main project page to check out the rest of the observations, there is some pretty great stuff! And we would love many more observations, so please get out there and start observing!

Here are some tips and tricks to check out intertidal critters on the beach, whether you’re collecting project observations or just hanging out.

Tides

Check out the tides before you go!

Typically, a tide in Skagit County below a +1 ft tide will let you start seeing cool intertidal critters, but a tide closer to -1 ft or -2 ft is even better. Some places to check tides online that are suitable for at least tide pooling include:

1. Bowman Bay Tide Station
2. Swinomish Channel Tide Station

Guidance

Some general guidelines to keep in mind as you're enjoying your beach experience.

• Be sure to follow all health and safety guidelines, such as staying home if you aren’t feeling well, maintaining 6 or more feet distance from others, consider wearing a cloth face mask for extra protection, and consider visiting another beach if the one you plan to go to turns out to be crowded.
• Wear appropriate clothes and footwear- check the weather before heading out and make sure that you wear shoes that will be appropriate for the beach you’re heading to- will you be okay getting sand and water in your shoes? Will they be okay walking on slippery or sharp surfaces like rocks covered in algae and barnacles?
• We want to make sure that we protect intertidal critters so we can keep enjoying them at the beach! We want everyone to have a fun and educational beach going experience when doing observations for our iNaturalist Marine Shoreline Summer Collection project, and we'd also like to make sure you are following proper beach etiquette. See this link on how to be a responsible beach visitor.
• Check out this link to see some of our field guides and past intertidal presentations on intertidal critters to help you ID what’s out there.