Getting Small

Losing the Seafood Wars

January 15, 2022 Comments (0) journal

Getting Local

Stewardship (n) stoo-erd-ship:
the responsible overseeing and protection of something considered worth caring for and preserving

Trying something different this year. Not completely different, just a bit, another tack to get more folks out in the real world here close to home. While the Tacoma Shoreline Survey has been a great way to get volunteers out and get the beaches of this town cleaned up, it only happens once a year. Likewise, the South Kuiu Cleanup is a volunteer’s dream, hanging out at a lighthouse in southeast Alaska and working on science and debris on otherwise pristine wilderness beaches as whales breathe their greetings just offshore.

Both of these volunteers opportunities, however, have their limitations. This year, the Ikkatsu Project is trying something new. Once a quarter, there will be opportunities for stewardship activities at the Puget Creek Natural Area, starting this coming Monday. The MLK holiday is often presented as a day of service and we’re going to go with that, taking this opportunity to do a deep clean in the gulch, from the bottom to the top. Water samples will be collected, looking for biological contaminants as well as plastic. Along with the manual labor, we’ll have a short information exchange with a stormwater expert about where the water in Puget Creek comes from, where it’s going and how it fits in with the rest of the local ecosystems. Here’s the applicable details:

Where: Puget Creek, Tacoma (Parking is limited in the immediate area but there are plenty of places a couple of hundred yards down on Ruston Way.)
When: Jan. 17, 9:30-noon.
Be sure to wear boots; it will be muddy. Work gloves are recommended. Also, don’t forget to wear boots. (I know, I said that already. Definitely worth saying twice.)

Thanks to South Sound Surfrider and Tacoma Metro Parks for the collaborative effort… see you there!