Earth Day | Low tide on Eastsound waterfront

||| FROM SAN JUAN MAKERS GUILD |||

Come explore the minus low tide! On Saturday, April 22, Island residents are invited to pick up colorful laminated wildlife guides at the Earth Day Orcas base camp at the Emmanuel Episcopal labyrinth. Enjoy the eco fair, kids storytelling (10 a.m.), art and music, and then head on down to the shoreline to explore an exceptional rare mid-day minus 1.3 tidal flat exploration.

Join a naturalist for a Salish Sea tidal walk. Families and friends can reserve a laminated Wildlife Guide, donated by SeaDoc, and go on a guided walk with a scientist at 11am or 1pm. Reservations are recommended as wildlife guide supplies are limited to first 40 sign-ups.  Tide walk and guide are offered at no cost by going to: https://earthdaylowtide.eventbrite.com

Friends of the San Juans are hosting the guided low tide and Salish Sea talks at the waterfront at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. led by scientist Tina Whitman. Meet at the Earth Day Base Camp table at the eco-fair at 11 or 1 to check-in and pick up your printed guide and then enjoy the low tide walk. Access to the shoreline will be via the stairs across from Outlook Inn or through the Waterfront Park at the entrance to town.

An invocation to All Our Relations will be led by Erin Quies Wild along the shoreline at noon. And, if accessible, the ‘tambolo’ spit may be walkable out to Indian Island, a fragile wildlife habitat, where shoreline-only walks are appropriate.

Special Waterfront Feature for Earth Day. Scientists, students and volunteers of the conservation laboratory Kwiaht will be at Indian Island conducting start-of-season habitat and wildlife surveys that help federal and state agencies evaluate the impacts of visitors and changing climate on this unique seabird island just a short distance from Main Street. If you visit, please stay on the beach and do not turn over rocks or handle marine life. Members of the Kwiaht team can provide a brief overview of Indian Island ecology and answer questions when they are not preoccupied with counting and measuring!

For the full Earth Day Orcas schedule, see https://sanjuanmakersguild.com/eday23/ .

Childrens’ and family storytelling with Jenny DeGroot and Caleb Summers is 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. in Benson Hall at Emmanuel.

If you are interested in renewable energy and blue technology projects in the San Juans, join us at the Earth Day Island Innovation Lab at Odd Fellows, 9 a.m., and then join the 1 p.m. low tide walk. https://sanjuanmakersguild.com/islab2023/ .