Land Labs hosted two programs during summer 2023. Both were held at GPC preserves, all in the Hood Canal area, and focused on providing opportunities for students on their summer break.
Partnering with the Marvin Williams Recreation Center, Land Labs led a beach exploration highlighting eelgrass conservation and stewardship of shoreline preserves, at Misery Point Preserve. Students collected crabs and rocks covered in barnacles and limpets to examine. They also kayaked along Misery Point, getting an excellent view of the feeder bluff, some curious harbor seals, and eelgrass beds below their boats. Guest speaker and Misery Point resident, Jim Hayes, shared his career story with students, demonstrating how he grows and harvests oysters in the area. When the group was asked if anyone would like to grow up to be an oyster farmer, one student enthusiastically said yes!
Check out the photos below to see more of the student experiences at Misery Point.
At Klingel-Bryan-Beard Wildlife Refuge, Land Labs hosted a lesson about forest management and bird conservation with students from Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group’s summer program, Explore the Fjord. Students participated in a community science effort which examines the success of an assisted migration project on the preserve. You can learn more about this project here. While exploring the refuge, students learned about the different birds species that rely on saltmarsh and forest habitat found on this preserve and helped remove invasive species as a part of stewardship.
Thanks to our partners at Olympic Outdoor Center and Catalyst Public Schools for their support. Summer Land Labs was also made possible by the support of dedicated Land Labs volunteers, including Dawn Dockter, Lane Daniel, Mark Webb, and John Rambo.
If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering with Land Labs and joining in on field trips like this one, sign up to be notified of future volunteer opportunities using the link below. No experience is needed!