The Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team will deliver two free training sessions, one in Forks on Saturday and one in Sekiu on Sunday.
The training session in Forks will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Olympic Natural Resource Center, 1455 S. Forks Ave.
The training session in Sekiu will be from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Sekiu Community Center, 42 Rice St., from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Beach surveys are best conducted in groups of two or more, so attendees are asked to go to a training session with survey partners in mind or plan to join a team.
Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST) volunteers collect data on beach-cast carcasses of marine birds on a monthly basis to establish the baseline pattern of beached bird mortality on North Pacific beaches.
Data collected helps those working to address marine conservation issues.
Trainees will become acquainted with the custom COASST field guide, “Beached Birds,” and have a chance to try out their newly acquired identification skills on seabird species common to the North Pacific.
The COASST training provides volunteers with the tools to monitor for potential changes in the marine environment and promote stewardship of local marine resources.
COASST is a citizen science project of the University of Washington in partnership with state, tribal and federal agencies; environmental organizations; and community groups. Currently, more than 800 volunteers survey beaches in Washington, Oregon, California and Alaska.
Reserve a training spot at either training by calling COASST at 206-221-6893 or by emailing coasst@uw.edu.
For more information, call 206-221-6893, go to www.coasst.org or email coasst@uw.edu.
