Beach Monitoring – Kopachuck State Park

Beach Monitoring is one of Harbor WildWatch’s signature Participatory Science Programs where twice a year (summer & winter), we collect data from different beaches throughout the South Sound area. This information helps us determine how the beaches change over time and could be useful in determining the impact of a future natural or human induced event.

We meet in the parking area of the beach at the scheduled time to organize gear before heading out to our monitoring site. See below for more detailed directions about the monitoring location. Participation with these special community science events gets you, your friends, and family directly involved with the protection of our local beaches and who knows, may even inspire future ecologists. Mark your calendar for any or all of these upcoming events. Remember, you don’t have to have a science background to participate, nor are you required to stay for the entire duration of the typically 3-4 hour program. All ages welcome.

For Summer Beach Monitoring we recommend that you are prepared with layers (it does tend to be cold at the beach), sun protection, snacks, hydration, and closed toed shoes (rain boots, water shoes, or old sneakers you don’t mind getting wet work great). Some folks like having a light pair of rain pants for keeping dry when we kneel on the beach but that’s not required.

Kopachuck State Park: We will meet in the parking lot past the entrance gate at the scheduled start time. We will be driving gear down to the lower parking area (through a locked gate) after introductions. If you arrive late, park in the upper lot and enjoy the hike down the hill. All trails will lead down to the beach but some beach access points are easier than others-we recommend finding the stair access. Once you’re on the beach facing the water, head to your left. You will walk South to the monitoring site which is between two large boulders that are exposed during low tide. Our monitoring site is a ways down the beach but you should hear and see our lights. If you think you will be late, please email Stena ahead of time so she can coordinate further gate instructions. Contact Stena@harborwildwatch.org for information prior to the event