Walking the Beaches of Henderson Inlet
Now in our second year, our non-profit organization, Protect Henderson Inlet continues to sponsor education about the Inlet as a best practice for promoting clean water, the well-being of the living things in the water and shorelines, and the health of its human stewards. With that goal in mind, we have had two boots-on-the-beach meetings this year with naturalists who have helped us to understand the richness and diversity of our shores.
In July, we were pleased to welcome back Dr. Bob Wharton, professor emeritus in Entomology and marine biologist, from Texas A&M who expanded on his 2023 beach lecture about marine invertebrates with more fascinating facts about these things that live in and on the sandy mud. In August, Dr. Bob Vadas of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife came to our shores for the first time, and helped us to understand the seagrasses, kelps and algaes that can be found in the South Sound. Both low-tide sessions were very well attended with about twenty persons each. It was also our pleasure to have biologist Aiden Cox of the Washington Department of Natural Resources join us for the August session.
The photographs that follow give the reader a sense for the fun of discovery and the wonder of understanding what goes on in the tidelands right under our noses. There is a reverence one begins to feel for these living things that manage to survive in spite of the many incursions of human-kind into their environment. By getting our hands in the mud, we gain a greater understanding of how things work in the marine ecosystem, and we are in a better position to speak for the protection of the aquatic environment of our Salish Sea. Together, we have a stronger voice. We hope that you will consider joining Protect Henderson Inlet for future forays!
And check out our new photo section of “What Lives IN and On the Beach” under GALLERY for a better idea of what you might see on one of our benthic forays.
We do have additional activities planned for this fall and winter. Join our contact list if you haven’t already for an occasional email update or simply check the “About” page on our website, www.ProtectHendersonInlet.org.
