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Volunteer Training: Key Pen Forage Fish Surveys
October 29, 2023 , 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
What: Key Peninsula Forage Fish Survey Training
Where: Johnson South Sound Wildlife Refuge. Directions to this preserve will be provided via email to the attendees who have completed registration. Please RSVP!
What: The monitoring of forage fish spawning is one of the ways we can gain a better understanding of the ecosystem and its health. Forage fish are an important source of food for animals such as salmon, seals, and a variety of seabirds. This fall and winter, Great Peninsula Conservancy (GPC) will be working closely with Nisqually Reach Nature Center (NRNC) to pilot a volunteer monitoring program for surf smelt and sand lance spawning on two GPC preserves located on the Key Peninsula! This project is funded by the Lu Winsor Environmental Grant Program through the KGI Watershed Council. Help GPC and NRNC get the program started by attending our Forage Fish Survey Training. What better way to learn about the importance of forage fish in our region than on one of GPC’s most beautiful Key Pen preserves while getting hands-on with survey procedures led by NRNC Science Director Terence Lee. Use the training to decide if you’d like to sign up for future survey opportunities!
What to expect:
- Learn about GPC and NRNC
- Perform a site assessment
- Collect and process samples
- Meet conservation-minded neighbors
- Sign up for future surveys
- Free lunch!
The majority of the training will be held down along the beach of GPC’s Johnson South Sound Wildlife Refuge which requires a hike down a moderately steep trail to the water. Total distance out and back: ~.5 mile. GPC recommends that all attendees come dressed for the weather and in comfortable footwear. Waders won’t be necessary during our visit, but rubber boots are recommended. A port-o-potty will be available onsite at the starting location of the walk. We recommend bringing a small camp-chair for use during lunch. Lunch will include build your own sandwich fixing staples (turkey and cheese OR PBJ. Please let Claire know by email (claire@greatpeninsula.org) if you have any specific dietary restrictions or allergies. Feel free to bring your own sack lunch if you’d prefer.
