First of all, thanks to all who wrote in with comments and kind words after the last 2-Minute Meeting went out. Who would have thought that a short introduction to a few of the rocks found on Puget Sound beaches would generate so many positive reviews? They are some pretty cool rocks though. If you haven’t seen the clip yet, check it out here. (And send in a comment while you’re at it… I’m always looking for ideas.)

In other news, the 2020 Tacoma Shoreline Survey. Originally scheduled for May, the date was changed to accommodate the social distancing and lockdown efforts that were in place at the time. The new date for the cleanup is September 12 and while we expect that there can be a significant level of participation by that time, there is still a very real chance that “normal operations,” whatever that may mean, will not yet be truly in effect.

So we’re working on some different ways of making it all come together. There is always a solution… sometimes it is just more labor-intensive than others. For now, here’s where we are:

• The date is a sure thing. Put it in your calendar and plan on going to a Tacoma beach sometime on September 12th with a bag or a bucket in your hand.
• You will be using the NOAA Marine Debris app to document your efforts. Take some time to download the app now, if you don’t already have it, and get familiar with how it works. Try it out a few times for real before the survey.  That familiarity with the technology will pay dividends.
• Despite the virus and the precautions that go along with it, there’s a very good chance that this year’s participation levels could be even higher than last year. We’ve learned a lot about making the survey accessible to more people, an important part of how the Ikkatsu Project continues to strive to integrate people with their environment.
• There will be other incentives for participation this year, something that we haven’t done in the past. A prize, reward, you know, something cool that you are going to probably want. I’ll stop there for now, but you can expect to hear more on all of these points as the day gets closer.

South Kuiu Cleanup update tomorrow. Maybe.