Sea star wasting syndrome

By Adria Magrath A shorter version of this blog article appeared in the Christmas issue of the Vashon Beachcomber. It seems that you can always count on seeing sea stars when you visit a rocky beach – the Pacific Northwest boasts the largest diversity and...

Citizen Science Connects Students with Real-World Lessons

A shorter version of this article recently appeared in the November 13th issue of the Beachcomber.  “I got another one!” “Look at this!” “It’s a mayfly — see the tails!” “I don’t understand why kids don’t like science… This is the best lab ever.” These comments echoed...

Salmon Watchers Toast Big Year

The 2012 Salmon Watchers gathered for soup and stories last weekend to celebrate the best salmon return since 2003. A grand total of 202 live and dead fish were recorded by 23 enthusiastic volunteers of all ages (from 4 years old to over 65). The fish were mainly coho...

Paying attention to subtle changes in nature

The following piece was published as a guest editorial on the environment in the November 28th Beachcomber issue. It discusses the subtlety of environmental change and why the Vashon Maury Island Groundwater Protection Committee’s newly released environmental...

Permission to go into the woods

I’m salmon watching at Baldwin Creek this fall, a rivulet just north of Shinglemill that also empties into the Fern Cove Estuary. My teen-aged daughter was dubious when I first showed her the little stream and has reminded me ever since, “There won’t be any salmon in...