Beach Naturalist Handbook VOLUNTEER HANDBOOK

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Brianne Watkins
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1 2017 VOLUNTEER HANDBOOK 1

2 Table of Contents: 1. Training Schedule... pg Basic Volunteer Procedure.... pg Introduction..... pg Brief History of Naturalists at Rosario Beach.... pg Our Naturalist Philosophy pg Our Naturalist Practices pg Etiquette Guidelines for Rosario Beach...pg Interpretation pg Common Questions at the Rosario Tide Pools pg Overview of Tide Pools..pg Scientific Classification of Tide Pool Critters.pg Remember, this is FUN!... pg Your Notes..pg. 17 2

3 Beach Naturalist Training Schedule 2016 Session 1: March 8th, the West Beach Shelter, Deception Pass State Park Intro, icebreakers, organization, safety Park Interpreters (30 minutes) Why we interpret at the shore: Sammye Kempbell (30 minutes) Samish Film: Maiden of Deception Pass (30 minutes) Session 2: March 15th, 6-8PM West Beach Shelter, Deception Pass State Park Marine Invertebrates: Sammye Kempbell (45 minutes) Marine mammals: Matt Klope (45minutes) Session 3: March 22nd, 6-8PM West Beach Shelter, Deception Pass State Park Tides and Currents: Jack Hartt (45minutes) Geology of Fidalgo: Michelle Marquardt-Gibson Session 4: March 29th, 5-8pm West Beach Shelter, Deception Pass State Park Interpretation 101: Amos Almy (60 minutes) Interacting with Kids: Montana Napier (60 minutes) Sign-up for Boat Tour & Volunteering Logistics Field Trip: April 1st, 10-11am (Boat Tour) Rosario Beach, Deception Pass State Park Boat Tour (10-11am) Field Trip Graduation Celebration 3

4 Basic Volunteer Procedure How to Sign Up to Volunteer Go to Click on the link Sign Up o Sign in with your address o Look at calendar to view upcoming low tide days and school group visits When you get to Rosario o Supplies will be located in office at Rosario. o Don t forget to get a volunteer hang tag in your car if you don t have a Discovery Pass Set Up o Grab a vest and name tag o Use cart to bring educational supplies and signs to picnic table o Shells, specimen boxes, books and brochures go up at the picnic table o Tide Pool Restoration in Progress signs go on posts in sand near tide Pools o Boxes with EZ-ID guides go at trail entrances (on very low tide days [below a -2], bring Urchin Rocks sign as well) While You re There o Your primary goal is to be an educational presence at Rosario. Education Appreciation/Understanding Stewardship Stay up at the picnic table with the specimen collection to answer Questions; or o Be down at the tide pools to point out interesting finds, answer questions, etc. o Don t forget to count the number of people that you interact with using the counter ( contacts ). Leaving o Pack up all supplies and cart them back to the Beach Naturalist office o Log your hours on the appropriate time sheet o Log your contact count Questions or Concerns? o Call Interpretive Services - Work: (360) x Cell: (321) Emergency Contact Info o Park Entrance Booth: (360) o Admin Office (Park's Main Office): (360) o Duty Ranger cell: (360) o Park Manager, Jack Hartt cell: (360)

5 Introduction: Thank you for volunteering your time and expertise as a Beach Naturalist at Rosario Beach. Through your efforts, we are able to inspire stewardship of a truly special place. Humans have been connected to the natural resources at Rosario for generations. It is up to all of us to take care of these resources for future generations. This is the essence of the message that we hope our visitors will understand while visiting Rosario Beach. Brief History of Naturalists at Rosario Beach: Rosario Beach area and the rocky intertidal zone on the north side of Rosario Head has been a destination location for beach explorers for many generations. Native American groups like the Samish and Swinomish have used the area for various purposes throughout their history and have always considered Rosario to be a special place. Pictures from 1907 show Anacortes families enjoying a day on the beach at Rosario. As the park developed, visitation to Rosario increased substantially. Much of this was supported by infrastructure built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. Many of the rock and log buildings at Rosario are original CCC work. Since 1995, volunteer naturalists have been working hard to mitigate the impacts of thousands of visitors a year to a sensitive ecosystem. In 2006, the park began to formalize the volunteer naturalist program and designated the tide pool area as an active restoration zone. This led to the development of an intertidal trail and educational materials to help preserve and restore this special natural area. This brings us to today and your effort to help us as a naturalist at Rosario Beach. Our core goal as naturalists at Rosario Beach is to promote understanding, appreciation and stewardship of this sensitive and unique ecosystem through education. 5

6 Our Naturalist Philosophy: To achieve our goal, it is important for every naturalist to understand some of the philosophy behind our practices. This is particularly important as we expand our core of dedicated naturalists at Rosario Beach. Our naturalists are encouraged to develop their own style, methods and tools while keeping our philosophy and goal in mind. Through the years our naturalist program has evolved from a state of emergency in protecting the resource to what it is today. Our program has become a model for stewardship education and restoration of rocky intertidal zones. This involves changing the culture of use by visitors and the culture of how we practice as naturalists. Our role as naturalists is to provide visitors with the opportunity to develop a meaningful connection to the resource. Of course this looks different for every visitor and every contact we have with someone in our role as naturalist. Visitors come to the tide pools with their own unique history and experience. Our challenge, especially when addressing actions that damage the natural resource, is to remember this and find a way to communicate with visitors that respects their experience and opinions. In essence, we are always attempting to create a dialogue, inviting visitors to help us in our restoration efforts. The Rosario Beach Tide Pools are one of the few active and publicly accessible rocky intertidal restoration zones in the entire Puget Sound. This means that our program is constantly evolving to address the needs of the natural resource and our visitors. We have deliberately chosen to use education as the primary restoration tool at Rosario. We hope that the message visitors receive here is similar to what they will hear from any naturalist staffed program in Puget Sound. It is vital that our visitors continue to explore the area. The best advocate for restoration is the resource itself. Closing off the area is our option of last resort and would likely increase pressure on other beaches in the region. What does success look like? We will know that our educational efforts have succeeded if we see a return in biodiversity and increase in key population numbers as indicated by our various monitoring programs. The goal is to potentially remove the intertidal trail system one day. So, what does this look like in practice on the beach? 6

7 Our Naturalist Practices: There is no one correct way to practice as a naturalist at Rosario Beach, however there are several ideas that we ask our naturalists to practice and be aware of: Safety First: Keep yourself safe! This applies to adverse weather conditions and visitor contacts alike. Look out for yourself and other naturalists. If you find yourself in a situation that is outside your training or comfort level, contact park staff for assistance. In case of an injury or emergency, refer to the emergency procedures posted in the office. Know Your Role: We rely on volunteer naturalists as a critical resource. You will be asked many questions about the park by visitors. We have provided answers to commonly asked questions. Enjoy your time at Rosario and help us inspire visitors to be good stewards. This being said it is not your role to enforce park rules. You may, depending on your comfort level and training, educate visitors about broken rules. If you observe visitors breaking park rules, please call park staff to make contact with them. Be Professional: Please remember that you represent the park while you are working at Rosario as a naturalist. It is important to be careful of the image that you portray to the public visiting Rosario. It is also important to keep this in mind when interacting with park staff and other naturalists. A couple of specific reminders: Language: Rosario is a family friendly environment, assume that everything you say can be overheard by someone else and act accordingly. Appearance: Please dress appropriately; clothing should be in good repair and family friendly. Volunteer vests and ball caps are provided to help identify you to the public. There is inevitably something that we have left out, please use your best judgment and if you have a concern or question, ask. We rely on you to be an extension of the professional services that we provide at the park. Model behavior: Be extra careful about the message that your own behavior sends to visitors. This especially applies to use of the intertidal trail system. Unless you are walking off trail to talk to a visitor who is also off the trail or in case of an emergency, please stay on the trail system. 7

8 Etiquette Guidelines for Rosario Beach: When you re Exploring the Tide Pools... Follow the Rope Trail: The intertidal trail system helps us minimize human impacts on the tide pools. Do Not Disturb Animals or Plants: Please only touch animals and plants gently. Never remove clinging animals such as chitons, limpets or mussels from rocks. Take Only Pictures and Memories: Rosario is designated as a Natural Area and removal of natural objects is prohibited by law. Reservations Required for Large Groups: Please call (360) ext. 31 for more information. Handling behavior outside of the guidelines: SAFETY FIRST: If you ever encounter visitor behavior that makes you feel unsafe, remove yourself from the situation and contact park staff for assistance. Give everyone the benefit of the doubt and assume that they are acting in the best way they know how. In the case of repeat problems with the same group or individual, call park staff for assistance. Use it as an opportunity for positive interaction: For example: You see someone pick up a crab and walk around showing it to others at head height. Politely approach them and demonstrate a safer way to handle mobile animals: on flat palm, held right at ground level, calling others to your location to take a look. Then remind them that we ask them to not pick up animals in the restoration area to help increase our chances of success. It is also a chance to remind them that the best etiquette applies to all beaches. Use the 3 foot rule: Unless it is an emergency, keep the tone and volume of your voice at a level only heard at a maximum of 3 feet away. This will usually apply particularly to visitors that are off the trail system. We believe that it does more damage to the resource and our efforts as naturalists to yell across a distance to get someone s attention. Whenever possible, if it is physically safe, even if it means going off the trail, walk to a visitor to remind them/ introduce them to the trail system. Other ways to get a group or visitor s attention can be useful, just use care before selecting one. Safety whistles are great for emergencies but send the wrong message as an attention grabber. 8

9 Interpretation 101 What is Interpretation? Interpretation is a social art that focuses on mutual teaching and learning. It is a lot more than just talking. The art of developing a connection between people and natural resources Means of fostering appreciation and stewardship It is the bridge between the creatures in the tide pools and the visitor It is often spontaneous and improvisational Tips for Being a Great Interpreter: Introduce yourself Don t simply name plants, animals, etc. Describe their important features, tell a story about them. Be spontaneous Use an informal approach Be aware of your audience s interests and attention span Working with school groups: Especially during May and June, a large number of school groups visit the Rosario tide pools. Schools contact park staff to schedule their visit and receive information about tide pool etiquette prior to their visit. Upcoming visits are posted on the Beach Naturalist Schedule. If you would like to assist with a school visit, please contact Interpretive Services (deceptionpass.interpreter@park.wa.gov or x 31) beforehand. Schools come with their own educational agendas and we do our best to assist them in achieving their educational goals. 9

10 Common Questions at the Rosario Tide Pools (Adapted from Seattle Aquarium) What are these ropes? - The ropes form a trail for people to walk on to protect the animals from getting trampled. Please stay close to the ropes and listen to the beach naturalists. Do the crabs pinch? - Yes, if you stick your finger in their pincer. Otherwise, our crabs are quite gentle. Do sea anemones or sea urchins sting? - Well, technically the anemones DO sting, but not enough to penetrate our thick skin. Sea urchins in warmer waters commonly sting, but in Puget Sound they are totally safe. You should wash your hands after touching them though. Can anything harm you in Puget Sound? - Generally the only animals that can do harm are octopuses (venomous bite), jellies (usually if the jelly is colored red or yellow, it can give a painful sting), and some fish with venomous or sharp spines (such as pacific spiny dogfish or plainfin midshipmen). Larger animals like orcas and sharks could, of course, harm people but it s pretty much unheard of. Why can t we touch the fish in the pools? - Fish have mucous on their skin that helps protect them from abrasion or infection. If our fingers wipe off their slime, it can be bad for their skin. Does all this touching hurt the animals? - Animals do very well in our tide pools because water is constantly coming and going with the tide. You should always be gentle when you touch one of the animals. Can I pick one up? - We don t pick them up because many of the animals in the touch pools cling tightly to the rocks, and it might hurt them to be pulled off. We also don t want to handle them too much for fear of injuring or tiring the animals. (Crabs are ok to pick up, as long as you stay close to the ground, that way if they are accidentally dropped they don t fall as far.) Are these (sea stars, mussels, barnacles, etc.) alive? 10

11 - Yes, and they ll stay that way if you touch them very gently! What s that red spiny thing in the tide pool? - We have many sea cucumbers that like to hang out under the rocks in the tide pools. Why are the sea stars different colors/shapes? - There are several different species on display that have different colors and numbers of arms. Just like different species of any group of animal look different. Most species also have large color variation within the species. How old is that crab (sea star, octopus, etc.)? - Often size isn t the best indicator of age. Our animals grow quickly because they get a lot to eat! For many of our animals we can t guess their age. Can you think of any other common questions? Record them here as you begin your work as a volunteer. 11

12 Overview of Tide Pools Advantages to Living in Intertidal Zones 1. There are a number of advantages to living in a tide pool ecosystem. o o o o Algae and other intertidal plants grow in the abundant sunlight and support an entire food chain of animals. Constant wave action supplies the tide pool with nutrients and oxygen. Food is abundant. A varied substrate provides hiding places and surfaces to cling to. Challenges to Living in the Intertidal Zone 1. The rapidly changing conditions of a tide pool make survival a challenge. Exposure to surf and sun varies considerably. o Plentiful sunlight, which helps intertidal plant life grow quickly, can also rapidly dry up precious moisture and increase the water temperature. o Waves that bring in much-needed nutrients and moisture can also carry unprotected animals out to sea. o As the tides rise and fall, the salinity (salt concentration) constantly changes. Animals living in the intertidal zone must be able to tolerate wide salinity variations. o If sufficient nutrients are available, intertidal animals reproduce rapidly, so they constantly compete for space, light, and food. o Animals are also exposed to predators while the tide is out. Adaptations to the Variable Environment 1. Small animals that live in the splash zone can avoid desiccation by closing their shells tightly to seal in moisture. 2. Some animals, like crabs and marine snails and bivalves, have thick, tough outer coverings to slow evaporation. Others, such as mussels and leaf barnacles, cluster together to reduce individual exposure. 12

13 3. One main problem intertidal animals face is the constant pounding of waves. These animals have developed different adaptations to keep from being washed away. Some, like sea stars, cling fast to the rocky surfaces; others find shelter in crevices or hide under thick mats of seaweed when the tide is out. 4. Most intertidal life centers in the low intertidal level, which normally remains under water. Most of these inhabitants can only tolerate exposure to air for short periods. It is here and in the subtidal zone (below the intertidal) that marine plants provide fish and invertebrates with protective cover and food Animal Adaptations to Intertidal Life 1. Tide pool animals and plants are well adapted to the intertidal zones. Some adaptations include: o o o o The ochre sea star can tolerate a longer time period exposed to air than many other sea stars. They regularly withstand up to eight hours of exposure during low tides. In laboratory conditions, they have tolerated up to 50 hours out of the water with little harm. Yet, they are not found in high intertidal pools due to their lack of ability to withstand high water temperatures or low oxygen levels. Some abalones, limpets, and turban snails can smell approaching ochre stars and will move away to avoid being eaten. Sea cucumbers have few known predators, other than humans and sea stars. If disturbed, some species may eviscerate (expel their entrails), leaving the entrails to the predator while the sea cucumber escapes. Its organs will regenerate after several days. When the tide is out, periwinkle snails cluster in crevices, secrete a gluelike mucus to stick to the rock's surface, and withdraw into their shells to avoid drying out. o Many fishes that inhabit tide pools, such as tide pool sculpin and young opaleyes, can breathe air at the surface an adaptation that enables them to survive in oxygen poor water when the tide is out. 13

Many creatures in the tide pools are invertebrates and do not have a

14 Scientific Classification of Tide Pool Critters What sort of animals can be found in the tide pools? Many creatures in the tide pools are invertebrates and do not have a backbone! Alongside animals, other living organisms such as algae and plants can be found in the tide pools. 14

15 Examples of tide pool animals organized by Phylum Phylum is a taxonomic category for living organisms. Can you recognize some common trends amongst animals that share a Phylum? Phylum Group Example Example Porifera Sponges Volcano Dead man's fingers Cnidaria Anemones Green aggregating Christmas Hydroids Ostrich plume Sea plume Hydromedusae (jellyfish) Aequorea Red-eye Scyphomedusae (jellyfish) Lion's mane Stalked Platyhelminthes Flatworms Giant sample Nemertea/ nermatoda Ribon worms Sample Sample Annelida Polychaete worms Predatory Feather duster Mollusca Chitons Mossy Black Snails Whelks Periwinkles Nudibranchs Clown Lion Clams Littleneck clam California mussel Octopus Red Pacific Giant Arthropoda/Crustacea Barnacles Acorn Gooseneck Crabs Purple shore Red rock Shrimp Broken-back Dock Beachhoppers Sample Skeleton shrimp Sample Isopods Green Rock louse Echinodermata Seastars Purple Orange Brittle stars Sample Basket star Urchins Red Green Sea cucumbers Brown Orange Bryozoa Bryozoans Branched Crust Chordata Sea squirts Solitary Colonial 15

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17 NOTES 17

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