Grand Summer Fall 2019

Stay where you are. Staying where you are with feet firmly
planted in place reduces the risk you’ll slip and fall but also
prevents an animal from tumbling out of your hands. It also
avoids the question, “where did I find it?”, when it’s time to
put the animal back. Find something cool? Call others over to
you instead of moving the animal.
Hands clean and wet. Rinse the palms of your hands clean
of sunscreen and keep them wet for touching or holding animals.
Intertidal creatures without shells or other hard protective
coverings need to remain wet. Some fish have a protective
coating that can be damaged by holding them with dry hands.
Return it. Animals living under a rock are adapted differently
than animals adhering to the top of that same rock; it’s
important to pay notice to where the animal was found and
place it back in the habitat you found it in. When turning rocks
over, choose rocks small and light enough you can roll it gently
towards you and after a good look, carefully roll it back into its
original position while watching out for the creatures and your
fingers.
Be gentle. To withstand wave action and protect themselves
from predators, many rocky shore animals adhere tightly to the
shoreline. If an organism is attached after a gentle touch, leave
them be and simply observe. When holding an animal, the 10
second rule is best; count one thousand one, one thousand two,
and so on until reaching 10 which is your cue to return it.
Patience. Camouflage is one of the best ways to survive in
nature so at first glance you may see little to nothing at all; remain
still and let your eyes adjust to the location. Your incoming
movement and shadow may have sent species scurrying but
as you stay still, a tidepool can start to come alive.
Look up and out. Fascinating beach finds aren’t only at your
feet. Survey the landscape by looking up and out; there is the
chance to see seals, sea lions, whales, birds and more.
Pack it in, pack it out. Remember to take all of your belongings
with you when you leave, including garbage and recycling.
Take 3 for the sea. You’ve learned a few things, snapped
some pictures, returned everything as you found it, and left no
trace, but before you turn on your heals and head home, take
three for the sea. Take three for the sea is a new spin on the
old adage, “leave a place better than you found it.” If we all
picked up three pieces of trash from the sidewalk, park, beach,
or anywhere, we’d make a huge difference on the health of our
environment.
Write a shopping list, make a picnic and head to the beach to
explore. Perhaps you’ll find a sea lemon while sipping lemon water
or spot a sea cucumber after munching a cucumber sandwich.
Tina Kelly is the Director of Learning at the Shaw Centre for the
Salish Sea.
IslandParent.ca
Summer/Fall 2019 15