8/4/05
Learning about Water Quality
By Laura Worth
August 4, 2005. Once a month
on Quartermaster Harbor, Saturday mornings are a time for neighbors to
meet neighbors, learn about environmental issues on Puget Sound, and compare
notes about plans afoot for improving the health of the harbor. People
for Puget Sound sponsors these ShoreWatch gatherings of concerned
citizens all around the Sound for informal conversation over coffee with
scientists and other guest experts. ShoreWatch encourages each participant
to bring a new guest from their neighborhood to the next meeting and in
the process has expanded grass roots knowledge about the environment and
activism for the health of the Sound.
Examples of ShoreWatch topics to date include
the "Strangely Popular Septic Social" featuring Public Health’s Larry Fay,
Section Manager of Community Environmental Health. Larry presented
authoritative answers about the state of septic systems and their care
as well as alternative systems like newly permitted self-composting toilets
noted on their website (www.doh.gov). In June there was a Birdwatching
and Oil spill Forum. Last Saturday, July 30th, Phil Bloch, Natural
Resource Scientist from Department of Natural Resources met with concerned
ShoreWatch neighbors (picture).
Future presentations under discussion include
repeat performances of the "Septic Social" and storytelling about the history
of Quartermaster Harbor. Also planned is a "work party" to re-plant
the native Olympia oyster in QuarterMaster Harbor in hopes of reestablishing
colonies of this little work horse. Because the Harbor is so polluted,
these oysters would initially become toxic to humans, but could serve as
an inspiration to explore what might be harvested as food if Quartermaster
was brought up to reasonable standards. As a side benefit the oyster’s
digestive system might serve as a tiny filter to water pollutants and it
forms reefs that become habitats for other marine life. For details
or to schedule a ShoreWatch event in your neighborhood, contact Mary Beth
Dols at 382-7007 and mbdols@pugetsound.org.
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Laura Worth is a life and business coach
on Vashon Island. She is also a cofounder of BuildingCircles
Organization on Vashon, designing affordable and sustainable, nature-integrated
homes for adult independent living (www.buildingcircles.org).