Olympia oysters – the only oyster native to the West Coast - can be found throughout most of their historic range, but current populations represent less than 4% of historic core populations and are mostly limited to remnant aggregations where habitat characteristics remain favorable. The goal of Olympia oyster rebuilding efforts is to restore the ecosystem benefits associated with larger assemblages.
The first step to rebuilding native oyster habitat and restoring ecosystem services associated with dense, consolidated beds is to find remnant populations and identify the right habitat conditions. A comprehensive effort is underway to expand native oyster enhancement in the North Sound. The purpose of the workshops is to train and recruit a cadre of people who can conduct presence/absence surveys in specific North Sound embayments. The workshops are co-sponsored by Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, Puget Sound Restoration Fund and the Northwest Straits Foundation (with funding from the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation).
Schedule:
1. Bywater Bay Lagoon, Jefferson County May 31, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Meet at Seven Sisters Rd parking lot. From the Kitsap Peninsula, travel west across the Hood Canal Bridge and take the first right onto Paradise Bay Road. Proceed north for about three quarters of a mile and turn right onto Seven Sisters Road. Follow Seven Sisters Road to the parking lot at the end of the road. The access to the beach is at the east end of the parking lot. Wolfe Property State Park is to the left of the access and Shine Tidelands State Park is to the right.
2. Semiahmoo Spit, Whatcom County June 2, 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Meet at Semiahmoo Marina, 9540 Semiahmoo Parkway, Blaine, WA 98230 http://semiahmoomarina.com/location.html
3. Fidalgo Bay, Skagit County June 14, 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Meet at the March’s Point Park and Ride just north of Highway 20 and south of the refinery tanks on March’s Point. http://washington.hometownlocator.com/maps/feature-map,ftc,2,fid,2608134,n,march's%20point%20park%20and%20ride.cfm
4. Seal Rock, Jefferson County July 13, 8:30 – 11:30 a.m. USFS campground located on the west shore of Hood Canal, 2 miles north of Brinnon, WA on U.S. Highway 101.
Registration:
To register for the workshops, please contact Tracie Johannessen with the Northwest Straits Foundation, (360) 756-5024, johannessen@nwstraits.org
