Among the big-picture goals for the Ikkatsu Project, data collection and analysis is right at the top. This is a numbers world – so they say – and for good reason: without empirical input, we are mostly left with hunches and intuition. (While both of those things are incredibly valuable to each of us on a personal level, it is the data that we can assemble and the way that we read it that allows us to make informed decisions. More on the personal connections in the next post.) Beach cleanups and data gathering tend to happen together, and both are important to what we do.

The South Kuiu Cleanup is on the calendar again for this July. It’s a chance to survey remote Alaskan beaches, sample water for microplastics and pick up thousands of pounds of debris. In an amazing and stunningly beautiful location, with wildlife constantly around, and we get to stay in a lighthouse. It’s a good time making a real difference.

The Tacoma Shoreline Survey is scheduled for May 18th. It’s a chance to get a one-day look at what is on city beaches and along the waterfront, for volunteers to survey various sections and for the debris that is collected to be disposed of properly. The first survey, done this past November, had 78 volunteers tracking 13 miles of shoreline and resulted in almost 700 pounds of garbage removed.

The coastal monitoring program will also continue in 2019. Several beaches on the Olympic Peninsula have been on Ikkatsu radar since the 2012 Roadless Coast expedition, and the twice-yearly visits are planned again for April and September.

In addition to these programs, the Ikkatsu Project will be collaborating with South Sound Surfrider on monthly cleanups on beaches all over South Puget Sound. It’s an excellent organization with great people involved and has been an integral partner for years now in a variety of different programs. Looking forward to what this year has in store!

I’m sure I’ve left some things out but these programs here are the main events. Posting on these will be ongoing throughout the year and I’m looking forward to trying new ways to streamline the data collection process while generating information that is as usable and accessible as possible.

In the next post I’ll try to itemize the different education efforts that will be happening in 2019, from the classroom to the surf zone and everywhere in between. Stay tuned…