In collaboration with Washington State University’s Kitsap County Extension, Washington Sea Grant coordinates affordable classes, events and volunteer opportunities through the Kitsap Watershed Stewardship Programs.
These programs bring participants outside to explore Kitsap County’s fresh and salt water ecosystems and our relationship with them. Begin your adventure in lifelong learning and adventure with local experts and peers who share your interests. Our non-credit classes are open to the public, and once you’ve take a training you may choose to volunteer in many of the fun and diverse activities available around Kitsap County.
Beach Naturalists
The Kitsap Beach Naturalist Program is a great place to enrich your shoreline experience. Participants learn about Salish Sea oceanography, marine invertebrates, plants, seaweeds, and conservation. After the Beach Naturalist training, we will provide and connect you with opportunities to volunteer around Kitsap County. Each year, Kitsap Beach Naturalists meet event participants out on beaches and docks across the county (and beyond) to wonder at the creatures that inhabit the intertidal zone. These explorations are free and open to all. Beach Naturalist volunteer opportunities have also included children’s field trips, outreach at local events and monitoring of shoreline restoration, sea stars, seabirds, plankton and European green crabs.
Kitsap Beach naturalists are also available to lead or participate in K–12 school field trips and classroom visits. In addition, WSG is available for consultation for beach walks outside of Kitsap County. Contact Jeff Adams, WSG marine ecologist, at jaws@uw.edu.
Salmon Docents
Salmon are iconic in our region and influence much of how we manage our waters and landscape. During the multi-day fall Salmon Docents training, join regional experts to learn about salmon habitat, life cycle, and species in the Puget Sound, as well as their cultural and ecological importance to our region and the human dimensions that affect them. Attendees will engage with material through field trips, lectures, and hands-on activities. Local organizations will share current research findings and provide tangible volunteer opportunities on salmon-focused projects across Kitsap County.
This training culminates with the opportunity to become a docent at the annual Kitsap Salmon Tours public event in November, giving trainees the chance to share what they’ve learned with hundreds of people.
Stream Stewards
The Stream Stewards program provides an opportunity for community members from the Kitsap Peninsula and beyond to learn about watersheds and freshwater resources and to actively participate in related restoration, protection, and outreach. The multi-week course is delivered each winter. Upon completion, volunteers commit to 20 hours of ecosystem-based volunteer service in the next year. Volunteer hours can be applied to a wide range of opportunities that work toward the larger goal of improving Kitsap ecosystem health. From getting involved in a community science project to engaging in public outreach, volunteers can connect with opportunities that fit their skills and interests.
Contact
To participate or to learn more about these programs, contact Jeff Adams, WSG marine ecologist, at jaws@uw.edu.