November 17, 12 – 6 p.m., Orcas Island Library
— from The Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team —
On November 16, 2019 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST) will deliver a free training session in Friday Harbor. Another training session will also be held on November 17 from 12 to 6 p.m. in Eastsound. COASST participants help make a difference for the environment by collecting data on beach-cast carcasses of marine birds on a monthly basis to establish the baseline pattern of beached bird mortality on North Pacific beaches.
Through an interactive, hands-on workshop, trainees will become acquainted the custom COASST field guide, Beached Birds, and have a chance to try out their newly acquired identification skills on seabird species common to the North Pacific. The COASST training provides participants with the tools to monitor for potential changes in the marine environment and promote stewardship of local marine resources.
COASST is a citizen science project of the University of Washington in partnership with state, tribal, and federal agencies, environmental organizations, and community groups. COASST believes citizens of coastal communities are essential scientific partners in monitoring marine ecosystem health. By collaborating with citizens, natural resource management agencies and environmental organizations, COASST works to translate long-term monitoring into effective marine conservation solutions. Currently, nearly 1000 volunteers survey beaches in Washington, Oregon, California, and Alaska.
The training session on the 16th will be held at Friday Harbor Laboratories – Commons, 620 University Road, Friday Harbor. The training session of the 17th will be held at Orcas Island Library – Community Room, 500 Rose St Eastsound. Both trainings are free. There will be a short break in the middle of the session for lunch, so please bring your own sack lunch, or money to purchase food in the area. Volunteers need NO prior experience with scientific data collection, just a commitment to survey a specific beach at least once a month.
Reserve your training spot by calling COASST at 206-221-6893 or by emailing coasst@uw.edu. For more information on COASST visit coasst.org.
