Beach Naturalist program 2015 Accomplishments and successes Evaluation

The beach journal page is designed to record At the end of each beach shift, we ask the naturalists as a group the number of conversations each naturalist to gauge public beach etiquette using the following criteria: has while on the beach, to provide a chance • Excellent = Almost all visitors exhibit careful beach to debrief about the day’s shift, and to capture etiquette: replacing rocks; if picking up animals doing so 55,238 conversations anything unusual we see. gently and staying in place; returning animals to where they were found. on 22 beach dates. • Good = Almost all visitors exhibit careful beach etiquette, with a few exceptions that respond well to information and reminders. • Needs improvement = Mixed etiquette: 50 percent good; 50 percent rough exploration. Beach naturalist summary of contacts • Poor = More than 50 percent of the people/family groups 70,000 not replacing rocks; rough handling of animals; not returning animals where they were found; digging up 60,000 the beach. 50,000

40,000

30,000 Beach etiquette by beach 20,000 Good to Good to Needs Needs Beach Excellent Good Poor 10,000 Excellent Improvement improvement

0 Richmond Beach: 32% 36% 19% 20002001 2002 2003 2004 2004 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Carkeek Park: 18% 4% 59% 13% 4% Golden Gardens 23% 14% 36% 13% 14% • Twelve beaches served (with five dates on a new • 1,713 public response cards given to beach visitors; Olympic Sculpture Park 77% 8% 15% beach, Dash Point State Park): Richmond Beach, 499 returned to date. S. Alki/Constellation Park 27% 50% 18% Carkeek Park, Golden Gardens, Olympic Sculpture • We provided classroom beach prep classes Park Beach, Blake Island State Park, S. Alki/ Lincoln Park .5% 65% 15% 2% and beach field trips with transportation for Constellation Park, Lincoln Park, Seahurst Park, traditionally underserved students. We taught Seahurst Park 32% 42% 11% 11% Des Moines Beach Park, Saltwater State Park, six classes at Viewlands Elementary Summer Des Moines Beach Park 31% 54% 15% Redondo Beach, and Dash Point State Park. Staircase program, three preschool classes at Saltwater State Park 35% 45% 15% • Nine low-tide weekday school dates to capture Refugee Women’s Alliance of Washington, and one school groups that arrive at the beach with little class for elementary-age students at the Chinese Redondo Beach 50% 50% or no preparation for their beach trip. Information and Service Center’s summer program Blake Island State Park 33% 66% for new immigrant students. Funding for this • Seven weekday summer dates to capture camp Dash Point State Park 20% 60% 20% summer programming was provided by a grant groups and vacationing beach visitors. from King Conservation District. • We did note that on school days it was hard to • Redondo has many visitors, but they are most often • Beach naturalists donated 2,766 hours of their • We will host two evening beach walks in January decide on overall etiquette when behavior varied there for recreational purposes: to use the boat time to talk to visitors on local beaches. and February 2016 to keep Beach Naturalist so much by school. launch, walk the boardwalk, etc. We had two dates at Redondo during the 2015 season and set up a • Naturalists facilitated 6,065 conversations with volunteers engaged and to reach a different • Blake Island has a very short time visitors can be station on the sidewalk to meet and greet more beach visitors on salmon issues and the nearshore. audience. on the beach, because most go to the Argosy visitors than we typically see using the beach. • Beach Naturalist and Cedar River Salmon Journey • Beach Naturalist volunteers continue to monitor salmon dinner and show. We make the most of this volunteers were also at the Chittenden Locks this sea star wasting disease on two beaches (Lincoln audience by talking about salmon on the boat trip • Data was not recorded on some beaches for every summer. Over four days, 3,705 additional salmon and S. Alki/Constellation Park). over to Blake Island and pointing out beach life beach date. using biofacts and the sea life we see on the dock conversations took place at the Locks for a total of • We only had two dates at Redondo due to the day and pier. 9,770 salmon and/or nearshore conversations. and timing of the low tides. 2 3 “Having several kids say they really like it when we are on the We measured naturalist conversations % of naturalists on duty that felt their that led to better beach etiquette Beach conversation changed at least one beach because they always learn something new.” beach visitor’s etiquette for the better • We asked naturalists and staff if “One day a little boy followed me around for about an hour, and they had at least one conversation Richmond Beach 92% he was so excited to learn and then share what he was learning during their beach shift that led to a Carkeek Park 99% with others. It was really great to see! Also seeing a moon snail positive behavior change by a beach out of its shell underwater.” visitor. Golden Gardens 92% • Data was not recorded on some Olympic Sculpture Park 100% “The people were curious about the wonderful restoration of beaches for every beach date. S.Alki/Constellation Park 89% Seahurst and this made a nice transition into how the forest feeds the beach.” Lincoln Park 97% Seahurst 97% “I had visitors in town from Missouri for one of my beach days Des Moines Beach Park 75% and they LOVED learning so much from me and fellow naturalists. My high-school-aged cousin even said, ’It’s much better to learn Saltwater State Park 87% this stuff in real life versus seeing photos in a book!‘ ” Redondo Beach 100% “One of my favorite encounters involved a visitor to the beach Blake Island State Park 83% locating a clutch of squid eggs. She devoted her entire stay to Dash Point State Park 100% protecting the eggs from desiccation and trampling. It was great to see this sort of stewardship in a young child.” Beach Naturalist volunteers evaluate the “Watching newly empowered visitors share program training and delivery information with their friends and/or family.” Naturalists share highlights “Particularly enjoyed the school group and from the beach: At the end of each season, we send Beach Naturalist volunteers an evaluation survey day care group that came to the beach, was asking for highlights of their beach time; how well training prepared them for their wonderful to see the skills they came prepared beach shifts; how well the program worked for them; and how they shared what with and put into use to enjoy the beach.” they learned with others outside of the Beach Naturalist program. “Kids were building a four inch ’river‘ from the top of the beach toward the lower, flipping rocks along the way. Was able to turn them into ’environmental engineers‘ instead, going back and saving lots of creatures.”

“I worked a school day at Constellation Park where there were probably 300–400 students. It was awesome!”

“Showing some children a hidden sea star clinging to the underside of a rock, awaiting the return of the tide. They were ecstatic.”

“Talking with a mother and her young son...their first time at a beach in this country. The boy was full of questions and enthusiasm. I felt so lucky.”

“A little girl said to me ’You guys make the beach more fun!‘ There is also a wonderful sense of community working with people who have the same passions.”

“Normally I would say ’seeing a baby octopus,‘ but honestly, it was probably the 7-year-old girl who wanted to be a marine biologist and tagged along with me for at least an hour pointing out all the creatures by name. She was amazing and I hope she follows through with her dream.”

4 5 Training

We asked new naturalists if the training they received prepared them well for We asked veteran beach naturalists if their training topics provided useful information. their beach shifts. 120 volunteers have completed the evaluation (37 new volunteers, 83 veteran volunteers). Please rate the following trainings for their usefulness for your background Overall, how well did training prepare you for the following: knowledge of Puget Sound:

0 25 0 What to expect on your beach shifts? Biology 200 with Jeff Adams, 24 Total responses: 36 15 WA Sea Grant (3/24/15) 2 Total responses: 76 19 25 0 2 29 Animal identification? Ocean Acidification with Rus Higley, 27 Total responses: 36 20 Highline College (3/24/15) Total responses: 80 4 12 20 0 Basic beach animal biology? 3 33 20 Beach field training 30 Total responses: 36 (4/19/15 and 5/17/15) 11 Total responses: 81 14 4 1 Algae identification? 10 33 15 Very useful Total responses: 36 Seahurst Restoration Story 27 with Peter Hummel (5/5/15) Total responses: 80 7 0 13 Answering tide questions? 8 Not at all Useful Total responses: 36 17 How People Learn, What Questions 49 6 to Ask Youth with Carrie Tzou 15 (5/5/15) 5 0 11 Slightly Total responses: 81 12 I knew much of Making connections between the 4 the information nearshore and salmon? 17 32 Total responses: 36 Puget Sound Food Web 13 Pretty well with Buzz Shaw (5/5/15) 30 2 Did not attend 0 Total responses: 80 16 Interpretation with the public? 1 Total responses: 35 17 Extremely well 15 Total respondents: 81, skipped: 39 0 10 20 30 40 50

Total respondents: 34, skipped: 77 0 5 10 15 20

6 7 Public response cards measure what Evaluating the ripple effect of the Beach the public takes away from their beach Three things learned from naturalist time with naturalists and what the Naturalist program public can do to help Puget Sound. Algae/seaweed 84 We provide visitors with a two-for-one Animal information of any 909 ticket to the Seattle Aquarium when kind (non-salmon related) The 2015 volunteer survey showed that the Beach Naturalist program extends far beyond the hours naturalists Aquarium/ 20 spend at the beach. In fact, 81 percent of the volunteers who participated as naturalists shared their knowledge they complete and return a card while Beach Naturalist program with people outside the general public they meet as beach naturalists. Seventy-four percent of our volunteers who at the beach. This is a great incentive, Beach etiquette/conservation 96 responded to the survey were inspired by their experience to learn even more about marine conservation measures, and also a good way to connect the and 73 percent reported making changes in their own conservation behavior as a consequence of participating public to the education opportunities General appreciation 5 at the Aquarium as well as the local in the program. Habitat 69 beach environment. In just this past 2015 season, in what way has your involvement with the Beach We look forward to working with these Miscellaneous 37 Naturalist program led to other activities? Please mark all that apply. data in the future, possibly combining Pollution 7 Have you shared your knowledge of the beach with others similar categories. outside of the Beach Naturalist program (gone to a child’s Salmon 57 classroom, led a beach walk for your neighbors, etc.)? 81.48% Total responses: 88 Tides 41

Has the Beach Naturalist experience led you to work (paid or 0 200 400 600 800 1000 volunteer) with other environmental education organizations? 22.22% Total responses: 24 Have you Actions to keep Puget Sound healthy Has your involvement led you to pursue more marine-related educational opportunities? 45.37% talked to a Use greener cleaning products 8 Total responses: 49 Beach Naturalist Have you become an advocate for Puget Sound Beach etiquette 27 (writing letters to newspapers, politicians)? 16.67% Total responses: 18 before? Car-related 36

Have you recruited new volunteers for the Beach Naturalist Conserve water 19 program (friends, family, beach visitors)? 49.07% Total responses: 53 “yes” Dog-related 3 Have you been inspired to learn more about conservation 257 measures that would help Puget Sound? 75% Don’t litter or pollute 229 Total responses: 81 Educate self 8 Has your conservation behavior changed as you learned Minimize the use and buying more about Puget Sound? 73.15% “no” 5 Total responses: 79 231 of plastic packaging Miscellaneous 20 Total respondents: 108, skipped: 3 0 1020 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Recycle 76

These data show that the influence of the Beach Naturalist program extends beyond Sustainable seafood 4 the program hours and conversations on the beach. Beach naturalists continue to share their knowledge and enthusiasm in a variety of ways with their friends, families Teach others what we learned 14 and communities. Use car less 27

Volunteer/donate 5

Watershed-related 70

0 50 100 150 200 250 Three things you can do to protect the beach

Beach etiquette 814

Educate self or others 36

Litter/pollution 252

Miscellaneous 59

Watershed e ects 44

0 200 400 600 800 1000 8 9 New initiatives and program highlights

• Conducted an all-day training pilot at Saltwater • Included ocean acidification training for new and State Park. This training session combined basic returning volunteers and began the transition to beach biology (biology of beach life); interpretation talking about it on the beach by providing the (practicing how to share the information with naturalists with talking points. beachgoers in an engaging way); and beach • Videotaped guest speakers and made the recordings exploration (spending time on the beach looking available online for naturalists and staff. at the animals) into a one-day training for our South End volunteers. We are planning to offer this • Incorporated sea star wasting disease information to veteran volunteers in 2016. It was a great way into training. to reinforce what the volunteers were learning in • Provided sea star fact sheets with pictures of sick and multiple settings and different ways. healthy sea stars and species information in beach • Continued to schedule more low-tide weekdays to box materials. capture school groups utilizing the beach for study • Adjusted which beaches on which we offer coverage and recreation. This provides a great opportunity to on school dates based on data from previous years to interact with students with sometimes little training put the most resources (staff and volunteers) where on how to explore in ways that don’t harm the beach we had the largest numbers of school groups. inhabitants and habitat. • Worked with summer school and community groups • We added additional staff and volunteers for that might not have the opportunity to visit the school days to enhance the school groups’ learning beach. We provided pre-trip training, transportation experience. Some designated staff greeted groups and naturalists at the beach. with a short beach etiquette introduction before they went on to the beach. Presence of naturalists was • Redesigned the classroom portion of the program Challenges introduced to students, teachers and chaperones to we offered to summer school and community groups • School days continue to be challenging if we let them know who was approaching them on the this summer. don’t know when schools are coming, what beach and that we were there to help them learn • Added Dash Point State Park to beaches we staffed. preparation they have and if they are expecting more about our rich nearshore environment. It was worthwhile to have access to a new and to work with us. interested audience. • We continue to record schools we see at the beach each spring, and hope to work with the School and Family Programs section at the Seattle Aquarium to make contact with these schools and offer them resources before they get to the beach. • We are always working on recruiting more volunteers for our South End beaches. AZA award

The Beach Naturalist program is the first winner of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) inaugural Innovation in Volunteer Engagement Award. The award recognizes achievement in volunteer program development, and programs are judged by their ability to engage volunteers in the overall mission and operation of the organization. Beach Naturalist program staff and volunteers fulfill the Seattle Aquarium mission of Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment on 12 local beaches, taking it outside the building on summer low-tide days.

10 11 Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment