Held annually since 1994, Sound Waters provides a "one-day university for all" with presentations and displays about the natural history and people history of our island environment.
Sound Waters is a project of Island County Beach Watchers, a program of the WSU Extension. Each year we begin work in May, to pull together a diverse and interesting set of speakers for our audience of over 500 people.
Please look at this index of selected articles, many written by Dan Pedersen, which highlight some of the presenters and their topics.
The Sound Waters Central website provides full information on the schedule, classes and presenters.
Registrations will be accepted (by mail and online) beginning January 4th.
Free showing of 'A Sea Change' - 7 pm, Saturday, Feb. 6
Sven Huseby, on-location in Norway during filming of A Sea Change, the first film about ocean acidification.
Photo: Daniel de la Calle
A world without fish? It seems unthinkable but now appears likely unless worldwide carbon emissions are cut dramatically.
"A Sea Change", the award-winning film which has captivated audiences around the world, will be shown starting at 7 pm in the fellowship hall of Coupeville United Methodist Church, 608 N. Main Street. On hand to introduce the film and lead a discussion afterwards will be Dr. Richard Feely of the National Oceanographic & Atmospheric Administration and University of Washington. The event is sponsored by Island County Marine Resources Committee. Admission is free.
The film documents the personal journey of Sven Huesby, a retired Norwegian school teacher and descendant of commercial fishermen, in his quest to understand what is happening to the world’s oceans. He discovers that excess carbon dioxide is dissolving in the world’s oceans, changing seawater chemistry and in ways that threaten the entire marine food chain.
To learn more about this powerful film, see www.aseachange.net
To learn more about ocean acidification, attend Dr. Feely's presentation at Sound Waters.
An Island Charmer – That Goofy Guillemot
This article was written for Frances' presentation at Sound Waters 2009, but provides good background information. This year, she will be presenting: "Birding from Our Shores and Bluffs" (A2)
The beaches and waters around Whidbey Island offer summer breeding and winter feeding to many seabirds. Through photos and videos we will track the yearly cycle of guillemots, those lively, red-footed clowns of our summer beaches. And we’ll discover how our island waters attract murres, murrelets, auklets and the occasional puffin.
Author and naturalist Frances Wood has been studying Pigeon Guillemots of Whidbey Island since 2002. Along with volunteers from Whidbey Audubon she has conducted a yearly survey of the approximately 900 guillemots that breed on Whidbey. She is the author of three books including Brushed by Feathers: A Year of Birdwatching in the West. Wood writes an award-winning birding column in local newspapers and has contributed over 100 programs for BirdNote, which airs daily on public radio. Adapted from an Article by Dan Pedersen
Published in the Whidbey Examiner
Published in the Whidbey Examiner
Every spring, Whidbey Island's icon seabird goes apartment-hunting. It is the first step in a journey that typically ends in August with many baby birds tumbling 100 feet down a cliff and walking to the water.
Residents around Penn Cove and the west side of Whidbey watch the clownish, red-footed adult Pigeon Guillemots flying back-and-forth toward the rims of the higher, erosional bluffs, says Frances Wood of Whidbey Audubon Society. The birds look for existing holes several feet deep in which to feel reasonably safe from predators while raising one or two chicks during the summertime.
In April and May, people walking the beach observe groups of Guillemots standing on rocks just offshore, billing (more-or-less kissing), flapping their wings and putting on a show of courtship. June finds most of the Guillemots moving into the burrows to incubate their eggs, which will hatch in July.
Wood, along with Phyllis Kind of the Marine Resources Committee (MRC), has been leading a breeding study of Guillemots for several years. "Thanks to the support of Whidbey Audubon and the MRC we have learned a great deal about these playful, entertaining birds," she says. About 1,000 Guillemots typically reside in local waters, of which many will breed in shoreline colonies. In addition to burrows, Guillemots find places to nest in the rocky crags of Deception Pass and the old pier at Keystone, two especially good spots to observe them with binoculars. They are easily recognized by their black, pigeon-like profile and white wing patches as they swim in groups offshore.
Guillemots are superb underwater swimmers, using their wings to propel themselves 150 feet deep for food. "Flying is a different story," Wood says. "They are somewhat clumsy, often coasting to a water-landing that amounts to a 'splat.'"
When the eggs start to hatch in about four weeks, Audubon volunteers take up their posts nearby to wait and watch. They watch for adult birds to deliver fish to the burrows, revealing how many breeding sites are "active" with chicks. In the waters around Whidbey the adult Guillemots catch mostly Blennies and Sculpins to feed their young. To volunteer to help in the survey, e-mail Frances Wood at wood@whidbey.com.
Breeding is tricky, Wood emphasized. Only about 1/3rd of the adults breed. Those that do breed lay only one or two eggs. Predators such as raccoons, crows and other birds will try to reach into the burrows and eat the eggs or chicks. Too much human disturbance can stop the whole process in its tracks.
"The greatest threat, by far, is dogs running loose on the beach," Wood says. "They often chase and put stress on the birds, causing them to move offshore, away from the burrow and their young. The adult birds' instinct is to save themselves from danger, so if this happens too often they will simply give up and leave." She asks dog owners to keep their dogs on leash to give the birds a chance.
But perhaps the most remarkable part of the Guillemot breeding story is how it ends. Wood explains:
"In about August, when the fledglings are ready to leave, they walk to the opening of their burrow and tumble down the cliff to the beach. They can't fly. They won't be able to fly for about two weeks. After falling and rolling about 50 or 100 feet down the face of the cliff, they pick themselves up, walk across the beach, get into to the water and swim happily away."
Masters of the Sky – The Birds of Whidbey
This article was written for the Johnsons' talk at Sound Waters 2009. Their talk this year is "Hummingbirds of Whidbey Island" (C4), but the background material continues to be relevant.
Excerpts from an Article by Dan Pedersen
Published in The Whidbey News-Times and South Whidbey Record
Published in The Whidbey News-Times and South Whidbey Record
Publishing stunning photography books of Whidbey Island birds is not what Craig and Joy Johnson do for a living. It is what they do for fun. The authors of Our Puget Sound Birds and Habitat are quick to point out their real livelihood is commercial watercolor art and illustration of maritime vessels. They work from a small woodland home near Freeland, where they could not help noticing the wild birds all around.
Curiosity took them in a direction they could not have predicted. "We started photographing the birds to help us identify them," Craig Johnson said.Putting their passion for birds together with Craig's background in graphic arts and Joy's talents as a writer, the Johnsons took a leap of faith and self-published 1,000 copies of a modest book, "Our Puget Sound Backyard Birds." It was soon followed by a second, "Our Puget Sound Backyard Birds II." Their third and latest is a 100-page, full-color paperback that sells for $25 in island bookstores and wild bird shops. The photography is breath-taking. As with the earlier volumes, many of the photos in this one were taken in familiar Whidbey Island settings.
"People tell me they had no idea all these birds were out there," Craig Johnson says. "I am using the book as a tool to get these birds in front of people who might not normally notice them."
Designing and publishing books adds a big workload to an already demanding job, Johnson admits. "But it is well worthwhile if it helps others discover these fabulously specialized creatures and how they adapt to their habitat."
The Johnsons will share remarkable close-up images when they present "Birds of Whidbey Island," one of more than 50 classes offered to the public at the one-day Sound Waters University, on the campus of Coupeville middle and high schools.
Sound Waters classes are presented by a cross section of authors, educators, enthusiasts and experts. The Johnsons are typical in that their enthusiasm is infectious and their passion for birds goes well beyond photography. Craig Johnson worries that habitat loss poses a great threat to many species of birds living and breeding on Whidbey Island. "Working with Whidbey Audubon as conservation co-chair is helping me dig into those issues, though I have much to learn," he says.
The Johnsons work as a team. Craig does the photography, design and watercolors. Joy does the writing and also helps spot the birds while Craig is concentrating on the camera. Since they do not consider books their actual livelihood, they donate the proceeds from book sales to wildlife preservation and conservation work.
People of the Coast Salish Sea
What does it mean to be part of the culture of Puget Sound’s Salish peoples? To Swinomish representative Larry Campbell, the way in which one thinks about this question reveals something about the answer.
Asked by a non-Indian what it took to be "a good tribal person," he asked his audience to put down their pens, stop taking notes and just listen thoughtfully.
His advice, said Patricia Green, an Earthwatcher Teacher Fellow in the audience, was to: "Listen with an open heart. When the time comes, it will come to you."
Campbell is historical preservation officer for the LaConner-based Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, one of many tribes comprising the greater Puget Sound Salish community. He has devoted 30 years to tribal work and is involved in the regulatory aspects of cultural and archaeological resources in the Swinomish Tribe’s usual-and-accustomed areas. Over his long career, Campbell has served on many tribal committees concerned with the interrelationships of tribal, local, regional, national and international governmental programs. He speaks often on inter-governmental relations, cultural, spiritual and historical issues.
Patricia Green, of Earthwatch, said Campbell calls himself fortunate because he is not only Swinomish but is related to several other tribes in the region. This is often the case among Salish peoples through intermarriage, Campbell explained. His background includes Swinomish, Upper Skagit, S’Klallam, Samish and Colville. Tribal culture assures that members take care of one another in good times and bad.
The Swinomish have always been a fishing people, Campbell said. In times of abundance, people share. In times of scarcity, they help one another.
Salish culture places an especially high value on learning from tribal elders, he said. "They never tell us what to do, but they suggest ways that it has been done in the past and how to think about it," Green quoted him as saying.
The Swinomish people have lived in Puget Sound for thousands of years. Family groups occupied permanent villages and also had “usual and accustomed areas” from which they harvested seafood and shellfish, berries, roots, cedar, minerals and other necessities of life. They also had areas for spiritual activities.
Asked by a non-Indian what it took to be "a good tribal person," he asked his audience to put down their pens, stop taking notes and just listen thoughtfully.
His advice, said Patricia Green, an Earthwatcher Teacher Fellow in the audience, was to: "Listen with an open heart. When the time comes, it will come to you."
Campbell is historical preservation officer for the LaConner-based Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, one of many tribes comprising the greater Puget Sound Salish community. He has devoted 30 years to tribal work and is involved in the regulatory aspects of cultural and archaeological resources in the Swinomish Tribe’s usual-and-accustomed areas. Over his long career, Campbell has served on many tribal committees concerned with the interrelationships of tribal, local, regional, national and international governmental programs. He speaks often on inter-governmental relations, cultural, spiritual and historical issues.
Patricia Green, of Earthwatch, said Campbell calls himself fortunate because he is not only Swinomish but is related to several other tribes in the region. This is often the case among Salish peoples through intermarriage, Campbell explained. His background includes Swinomish, Upper Skagit, S’Klallam, Samish and Colville. Tribal culture assures that members take care of one another in good times and bad.
The Swinomish have always been a fishing people, Campbell said. In times of abundance, people share. In times of scarcity, they help one another.
Salish culture places an especially high value on learning from tribal elders, he said. "They never tell us what to do, but they suggest ways that it has been done in the past and how to think about it," Green quoted him as saying.
The Swinomish people have lived in Puget Sound for thousands of years. Family groups occupied permanent villages and also had “usual and accustomed areas” from which they harvested seafood and shellfish, berries, roots, cedar, minerals and other necessities of life. They also had areas for spiritual activities.
Oh, Sailor, Beware ...
Island County waters present some special challenges for boaters, sailors, kayakers and others. Strong tides and currents, brisk winds, especially rough patches, active shipping lanes, rocks, shallows, fog and a whole set of hazards at Deception Pass are just a few that require local knowledge and wise preparation.
Doug Bishop knows these hazards first hand from years of exploring local waters. A boater since 1976, he has been teaching boating skills and safety to students since 1996. The retired chief financial officer from Whidbey General Hospital holds an advance pilot rating with the Deception Pass Power Squadron. He has taught seamanship, rules of the road, piloting and navigation, local knowledge, and cruising in Canada.
Bishop will share information on the tides and currents of Puget Sound, the effects and hazards of wind on currents, the roughest waters to watch out for, predicting when rough waters will occur, hydraulic currents and Deception Pass hazards, predicting safe passage, the two main fog types, crossing shipping lanes, rocks and shallow areas, and some practical safety suggestions.
Doug Bishop knows these hazards first hand from years of exploring local waters. A boater since 1976, he has been teaching boating skills and safety to students since 1996. The retired chief financial officer from Whidbey General Hospital holds an advance pilot rating with the Deception Pass Power Squadron. He has taught seamanship, rules of the road, piloting and navigation, local knowledge, and cruising in Canada.
Bishop will share information on the tides and currents of Puget Sound, the effects and hazards of wind on currents, the roughest waters to watch out for, predicting when rough waters will occur, hydraulic currents and Deception Pass hazards, predicting safe passage, the two main fog types, crossing shipping lanes, rocks and shallow areas, and some practical safety suggestions.
Marine Mammals of Puget Sound
This article was written for Sandy's talk at Sound Waters 2009, but provides relevant background material. This year Sandy will give a 3 hour class on Marine Mammal Stranding.
Learn about the natural history of our local marine mammals, whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals and sea lions. Learn how we are negatively affecting their habitat and why they are stranding on our beaches. Instructor Sandy Dubpernell has been collecting data on stranded marine mammals for the National Marine Fisheries Service/ NOAA since 2002.When a Coupeville deputy marshal found a five-day-old harbor seal in the back of a car he had stopped last July, it set off alarms throughout the Puget Sound region. Interfering with marine mammals is a violation of the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act, pointed out Sandy Dubpernell, principal investigator of the Central Puget Sound Marine Mammal Stranding Act. The penalties can include steep fines and jail time.
While the couple who “rescued” this seemingly abandoned baby from the waters of Penn Cove may have thought they were aiding a helpless creature in distress, they likely condemned it to death. The circumstances often are not as they appear. The mother seal probably was hunting for food and would have returned to care for the pup if humans had just left it alone.
The harbor seal that was recovered in Coupeville was badly dehydrated when removed from the car and died days later at the Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Friday Harbor.
Sadly, it’s a variation of a story Dubpernell hears all too often. People mean well but do all the wrong things in their effort to give nature a hand.
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