by Nancy Sefton
A geoduck is not a duck. A starfish is not a fish. A wolf eel is not an eel.
Some popular names for nature's critters are so badly chosen that it seems as though someone, way back when, was gleefully trying to confuse us non-zoologists about who's who in the animal kingdom.
Most people already know that a starfish is anything but a fish. A fish, after all, has a head and tail, eyes and fins, and is pretty mobile. A "sea star" (let's straighten things out starting here, and give the creature a proper name) has none of these, and, in fact, just sits around most of the time like a lump on a rock. Of course, it can creep slowly in anything but "hot" pursuit of a delectable bivalve like a clam or mussel, but it has to work fairly hard to do this.
Instead of moving parts like fins and tail to swim with, the sea star has thousands of tiny tube feet on its underside. These are operated by a very clever hydraulic system (invented long before we humans created the hydraulic piston). The tube feet are hollow, so the star can pump water in and out of each one, in just the right sequence so that the animal can move on what pass for little legs. So sea stars are amazingly talented in regards to motion, even if they're not fish.
Also, sea stars are invertebrate animals ("vertebrate" relates to spinal columns, "in" means "no way", "nada", "zilch", and that translates to "animal without a spinal column"). Vertebrates, animals WITH spines, of course include fish, aardvarks, platypuses, and us.
Now, to the lowly geoduck. How this huge clam which lives in the mud won the name of a free-swimming feathered creature with webbed feet is anybody's guess. "Geoclam" would be a better name, but then I wouldn't be having so much fun with this article.
The geoduck, much prized for its succulent flavors, is another invertebrate. Being a bivalve, it has the usual twin shells, hinged to open slightly when it's comfy cozy in its muddy burrow, and close like a trap door when it's disturbed. Most bi-valves extend a couple of siphons up through the mud to the surface; a simple pumping action pulls water in through one siphon, back out through the other.
Wolf eels, despite their streamlined shape, are really fish, not eels. What's the difference? Both eels and fish have spinal columns, which again, makes them vertebrates. But true eels are not found in our waters. Instead, our local "wolf eel" just happens to be a fish with a very long, snake-like body. It spends much of its time hiding in a rocky den on the bottom, more like an eel than a fish.
Fortunately most sea creatures have popular names that aren't misleading. Of course, one can always avoid any doubt by using a species' Latin name; but "sea urchin" is so much easier to say than "Strongylocentrotus franciscanus"!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Shore Stewards February Newsletter
Here is the February Shore Stewards Newsletter. Peg's apologies for forgetting to hit send. Stay tuned soon for the March Shore Stewares Newsletter . Also included are some upcoming septic system and blue thumb gardening workshops you may want to attend.
Remember to check with the Shore Stewards contacts for your county for
shoreline stewardship information and upcoming classes.
The Shore Stewards Contacts for your own counties are:
Linda Smith lsmith@jefferson.wsu.edu - Jefferson County
Pat Pearson pearsonp@wsu.edu - Jefferson County
Peg Tillery ptillery@co.kitsap.wa.us - Kitsap County
Tess Frazier frazier.tess@gmail.com - Kitsap County
Emily Sanford elpiper@wsu.edu - Mason County
Nora Moloney nmoloney@wsu.edu - Mason County
ESTUARIES
By Jeanne Bogert
Estuaries are places of wonder. They are formed when fresh water flows to the ocean and mixes with seawater. Also called lagoons, inlets, bays, or sounds, they comprise only a small slice of the earth's surface (less than 3/100 of 1%), but contribute tremendously to water purity, wildlife and human well being. This is where sediments and pollutants are filtered before they can enter the ocean and where many small sea creatures begin their lives. The "food web," begins here, where smaller animals nourish larger ones. Estuaries also absorb energy from storms and floods that have the potential to wreak havoc on humans.
Mudflats are the foundation of life in estuaries. Detritus (dead organic matter), flows along with silt and clay from fresh water rivers, swamps or coastal wetlands. In time, a slimy mix of bacteria and fungus is formed. Eelgrass grows here, providing food for many of the residents as well as filtering contaminants from the water. Microscopic organisms called plankton thrive in this environment.The plant variety (phytoplankton) uses sunlight for energy. Phytoplankton is eaten by the animal plankton (zooplankton), which is then in turn eaten by juvenile salmon, herring or sand lance larvae, starfish, clams, crabs, birds and many other fish and animals.
Estuaries nourish and protect people as well as fish and wildlife. More than two thirds of the fish and shellfish we eat spend some part of their lives in estuaries. Salmon, perch, octopus, scallop, sea urchins, flounder, sole and cod, shrimp and smelt are a few familiar examples. Estuaries also protect us from erosion and flooding. Many scientists believe that Hurricane Katrina had two to three times more velocity and 20% higher storm surges because of estuary loss and reengineering of swampland along the Louisiana coast.
A century ago the importance of estuaries was not fully understood. Consequently, nearly 70% in the Puget Sound area are gone and despite recent laws protecting these valuable resources, more are at risk. We all have the opportunity to help save remaining estuaries and perhaps restore others. What can we do? Prevent pollutants from washing into your waterways by making sure your septic system is in good working order and regular check-ups are scheduled. Also pick up pet wastes and minimize stormwater runoff. Preserve or restore the native forest and wetlands area near your shoreline. When possible, eliminate hard sea barriers and instead, plant trees to protect your bluff, coast and estuarine habitats. Most importantly, become aware of the principles of watershed management and share what you learn. These actions will help estuaries to continue to provide, protect and fill us with wonder.
Jeanne Bogert is a WSU Watershed Master / Beach Watcher volunteer from the Class of 2008. To learn more about the Watershed Master / Beach Watchers or to join, visit our website at http://whatcom.wsu.edu/environ/water/bw.htm or call 360-676-6736.
To Grind or Not to Grind - That is the Question
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To Grind or Not to Grind
As with most other things in life, the question of whether or not to encourage the use of garbage disposals (or garbage grinders) is not an easy one to answer. One might be tempted to think that they are a "green" solution to food waste since they return the little bits of food to nature's water stream. Unfortunately this is not true. Using garbage disposals puts a strain on treatment plants, septic systems, and the streams, lakes, and bays which receive the treated wastewater from these systems.
Putting your food scraps down the disposal requires a large amount of increasingly precious water, and sewage with a high organic content, such as garbage disposal waste, is more difficult to treat. Higher organic content means more water, more chemicals, and more energy is used to clean the sewage before it is expelled into free-running bodies of water. Where, if it is not adequately treated, it adds to "nutrient pollution" - one of the main causes of coastal dead zones in estuaries, gulfs, and bays.
In a septic system, garbage grinder waste increases the amount of solids in the tank which can mean that the tank must be pumped more frequently. These solids may also be slow to separate and settle in the tank, and the higher concentration of floating food particles in the effluent increases the risk of clogging in the drain field.
Considering all of the above, you might be tempted to think that putting food scraps in the trash is the simple solution to this problem. But that creates a whole different set of challenges. Food waste makes up about 11% of garbage nationally. And while landfills continue to expand, space for this purpose continues to shrink. In landfills, discarded peels, rinds, and cores have no access to oxygen and therefore biodegrade very slowly. This slow, anaerobic decomposition also leads to the production of methane - a potent greenhouse gas with 23 times the insulating effect of carbon dioxide.
An interesting approach to garbage being tested in Europe, captures this methane, and converts food scraps to fuel. In Malmo, Sweden, a government-sponsored project includes 200 disposals in apartment buildings. The disposals are not linked to the sewer lines, but to a separate system for turning food scraps into methane by means of an anaerobic digester. The methane is then burned to produce power. http://www.gonomad.com/readuponit/2007/12/tor-tells-world-about-malmos-bo01-area.html A similar system is under consideration for a proposed 2,000-home development in London.
Anaerobic digesters are also being piloted in the US with a variety of applications including chicken and cow manure, and restaurant waste. Not only do they capture and burn methane that would otherwise add to the greenhouse effect, they also serve as a solution to increasingly strict policies for disposal of agricultural waste.
What almost all the experts agree on is that, aside from turning food waste into fuel, the most environmentally responsible way to dispose of organic waste is to compost. It keeps the trash out of the waste stream, uses no chemicals, and when amended to existing soil, enriches the garden or farm.
San Francisco, a leader in the area of environmental municipal waste removal, is providing a composting option in addition to the normal recycling program. Residents can put all their food scraps, food-soiled paper, and yard trimmings in a green cart. Compostable liner bags are available to use as part of the green cart program. The food scraps are made into nitrogen rich compost and used by vineyards in the heart of California's wine country, including Napa, Sonoma, El Dorado and Mendocino counties - where wines are grown for sale in San Francisco's restaurants.
You can also compost at home, for free. Compost piles are easy to create and manage provided you have a little land to devote to one. While compost piles aren't a practical solution for everyone, they have become more and more popular as the desire to reduce our impact on the earth grows. For those with little or no garden space, worm bins are a great option. Worm bins can be used on a large or small scale and the resulting worm castings are an excellent source of additional nutrients for your potted plants, or lawn, or garden.
A great place to learn more about composting and raising worms is by contacting your own county resources at:
KITSAP COUNTY:
http://kitsap.wsu.edu/hort/mc_info.htm for Kitsap County
http://www.kitsapgov.com/sw/
WSU Kitsap Master Gardeners - 360-337-7158
MASON COUNTY:
WSU Mason Co. Master Gardeners- 360-427-9670 x 680
City of Shelton, Environmental Projects Coordinator, Tracey Farrell: 360-432-5126
Mason County Solid Waste- Recycling, David Baker: 360-427-7771 x 771
JEFFERSON COUNTY:
http://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/publicworks/solidwaste/default.asp - Jefferson County
So instead of using your garbage disposal, thereby increasing the use of additional "clean" water, putting a strain on our municipal wastewater treatment facilities (or your own septic system), and encouraging harmful algal blooms, start a compost pile in your yard or in your neighborhood, or keep a worm bin under your sink. The world will thank you.
Septic Sense and Blue Thumb Gardening Workshops
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Below are several Septic Sense and Blue Thumb Gardening workshop offerings to be held this spring in Belfair and Union that may be of interest.
For more information contact Teri King or Janis McNeal, Washington Sea
Grant, University of Washington
360-432-3054 or wsgcanal@u.washington.edu
---------------------------------------------------
LAWN & GARDEN CARE WORKSHOP
Thursday, March 19, 2009
6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Theler Community Center
22871 NE State Route 3
Belfair, Washington 98528
SEPTIC SENSE WORKSHOPS
Learn the Three Supreme Insights into the Fearless Flush!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
Union Marina
5101 E Hwy 106
Union, WA 98592
BLACK GOLD: A COMPOSTING WORKSHOP
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
N. Mason Timberland Library
23081 NE State Route 3
Belfair, WA 98528
SEPTIC SENSE WORKSHOPS
Learn the Three Supreme Insights into the Fearless Flush!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
6:00 to 8:30 p.m.
N Mason Timberland Library
23081 NE State Route 3
Belfair, Washington 98528
SEPTIC SYSTEM LANDSCAPING
Saturday, May 16, 2009
9:00 am to Noon
N Mason Timberland Library
23081 NE State Route 3
Belfair, Washington 98528
Remember to check with the Shore Stewards contacts for your county for
shoreline stewardship information and upcoming classes.
The Shore Stewards Contacts for your own counties are:
Linda Smith lsmith@jefferson.wsu.edu - Jefferson County
Pat Pearson pearsonp@wsu.edu - Jefferson County
Peg Tillery ptillery@co.kitsap.wa.us - Kitsap County
Tess Frazier frazier.tess@gmail.com - Kitsap County
Emily Sanford elpiper@wsu.edu - Mason County
Nora Moloney nmoloney@wsu.edu - Mason County
ESTUARIES
By Jeanne Bogert
Estuaries are places of wonder. They are formed when fresh water flows to the ocean and mixes with seawater. Also called lagoons, inlets, bays, or sounds, they comprise only a small slice of the earth's surface (less than 3/100 of 1%), but contribute tremendously to water purity, wildlife and human well being. This is where sediments and pollutants are filtered before they can enter the ocean and where many small sea creatures begin their lives. The "food web," begins here, where smaller animals nourish larger ones. Estuaries also absorb energy from storms and floods that have the potential to wreak havoc on humans.
Mudflats are the foundation of life in estuaries. Detritus (dead organic matter), flows along with silt and clay from fresh water rivers, swamps or coastal wetlands. In time, a slimy mix of bacteria and fungus is formed. Eelgrass grows here, providing food for many of the residents as well as filtering contaminants from the water. Microscopic organisms called plankton thrive in this environment.The plant variety (phytoplankton) uses sunlight for energy. Phytoplankton is eaten by the animal plankton (zooplankton), which is then in turn eaten by juvenile salmon, herring or sand lance larvae, starfish, clams, crabs, birds and many other fish and animals.
Estuaries nourish and protect people as well as fish and wildlife. More than two thirds of the fish and shellfish we eat spend some part of their lives in estuaries. Salmon, perch, octopus, scallop, sea urchins, flounder, sole and cod, shrimp and smelt are a few familiar examples. Estuaries also protect us from erosion and flooding. Many scientists believe that Hurricane Katrina had two to three times more velocity and 20% higher storm surges because of estuary loss and reengineering of swampland along the Louisiana coast.
A century ago the importance of estuaries was not fully understood. Consequently, nearly 70% in the Puget Sound area are gone and despite recent laws protecting these valuable resources, more are at risk. We all have the opportunity to help save remaining estuaries and perhaps restore others. What can we do? Prevent pollutants from washing into your waterways by making sure your septic system is in good working order and regular check-ups are scheduled. Also pick up pet wastes and minimize stormwater runoff. Preserve or restore the native forest and wetlands area near your shoreline. When possible, eliminate hard sea barriers and instead, plant trees to protect your bluff, coast and estuarine habitats. Most importantly, become aware of the principles of watershed management and share what you learn. These actions will help estuaries to continue to provide, protect and fill us with wonder.
Jeanne Bogert is a WSU Watershed Master / Beach Watcher volunteer from the Class of 2008. To learn more about the Watershed Master / Beach Watchers or to join, visit our website at http://whatcom.wsu.edu/environ/water/bw.htm or call 360-676-6736.
To Grind or Not to Grind - That is the Question
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To Grind or Not to Grind
As with most other things in life, the question of whether or not to encourage the use of garbage disposals (or garbage grinders) is not an easy one to answer. One might be tempted to think that they are a "green" solution to food waste since they return the little bits of food to nature's water stream. Unfortunately this is not true. Using garbage disposals puts a strain on treatment plants, septic systems, and the streams, lakes, and bays which receive the treated wastewater from these systems.
Putting your food scraps down the disposal requires a large amount of increasingly precious water, and sewage with a high organic content, such as garbage disposal waste, is more difficult to treat. Higher organic content means more water, more chemicals, and more energy is used to clean the sewage before it is expelled into free-running bodies of water. Where, if it is not adequately treated, it adds to "nutrient pollution" - one of the main causes of coastal dead zones in estuaries, gulfs, and bays.
In a septic system, garbage grinder waste increases the amount of solids in the tank which can mean that the tank must be pumped more frequently. These solids may also be slow to separate and settle in the tank, and the higher concentration of floating food particles in the effluent increases the risk of clogging in the drain field.
Considering all of the above, you might be tempted to think that putting food scraps in the trash is the simple solution to this problem. But that creates a whole different set of challenges. Food waste makes up about 11% of garbage nationally. And while landfills continue to expand, space for this purpose continues to shrink. In landfills, discarded peels, rinds, and cores have no access to oxygen and therefore biodegrade very slowly. This slow, anaerobic decomposition also leads to the production of methane - a potent greenhouse gas with 23 times the insulating effect of carbon dioxide.
An interesting approach to garbage being tested in Europe, captures this methane, and converts food scraps to fuel. In Malmo, Sweden, a government-sponsored project includes 200 disposals in apartment buildings. The disposals are not linked to the sewer lines, but to a separate system for turning food scraps into methane by means of an anaerobic digester. The methane is then burned to produce power. http://www.gonomad.com/readuponit/2007/12/tor-tells-world-about-malmos-bo01-area.html A similar system is under consideration for a proposed 2,000-home development in London.
Anaerobic digesters are also being piloted in the US with a variety of applications including chicken and cow manure, and restaurant waste. Not only do they capture and burn methane that would otherwise add to the greenhouse effect, they also serve as a solution to increasingly strict policies for disposal of agricultural waste.
What almost all the experts agree on is that, aside from turning food waste into fuel, the most environmentally responsible way to dispose of organic waste is to compost. It keeps the trash out of the waste stream, uses no chemicals, and when amended to existing soil, enriches the garden or farm.
San Francisco, a leader in the area of environmental municipal waste removal, is providing a composting option in addition to the normal recycling program. Residents can put all their food scraps, food-soiled paper, and yard trimmings in a green cart. Compostable liner bags are available to use as part of the green cart program. The food scraps are made into nitrogen rich compost and used by vineyards in the heart of California's wine country, including Napa, Sonoma, El Dorado and Mendocino counties - where wines are grown for sale in San Francisco's restaurants.
You can also compost at home, for free. Compost piles are easy to create and manage provided you have a little land to devote to one. While compost piles aren't a practical solution for everyone, they have become more and more popular as the desire to reduce our impact on the earth grows. For those with little or no garden space, worm bins are a great option. Worm bins can be used on a large or small scale and the resulting worm castings are an excellent source of additional nutrients for your potted plants, or lawn, or garden.
A great place to learn more about composting and raising worms is by contacting your own county resources at:
KITSAP COUNTY:
http://kitsap.wsu.edu/hort/mc_info.htm for Kitsap County
http://www.kitsapgov.com/sw/
WSU Kitsap Master Gardeners - 360-337-7158
MASON COUNTY:
WSU Mason Co. Master Gardeners- 360-427-9670 x 680
City of Shelton, Environmental Projects Coordinator, Tracey Farrell: 360-432-5126
Mason County Solid Waste- Recycling, David Baker: 360-427-7771 x 771
JEFFERSON COUNTY:
http://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/publicworks/solidwaste/default.asp - Jefferson County
So instead of using your garbage disposal, thereby increasing the use of additional "clean" water, putting a strain on our municipal wastewater treatment facilities (or your own septic system), and encouraging harmful algal blooms, start a compost pile in your yard or in your neighborhood, or keep a worm bin under your sink. The world will thank you.
Septic Sense and Blue Thumb Gardening Workshops
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Below are several Septic Sense and Blue Thumb Gardening workshop offerings to be held this spring in Belfair and Union that may be of interest.
For more information contact Teri King or Janis McNeal, Washington Sea
Grant, University of Washington
360-432-3054 or wsgcanal@u.washington.edu
---------------------------------------------------
LAWN & GARDEN CARE WORKSHOP
Thursday, March 19, 2009
6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Theler Community Center
22871 NE State Route 3
Belfair, Washington 98528
SEPTIC SENSE WORKSHOPS
Learn the Three Supreme Insights into the Fearless Flush!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
Union Marina
5101 E Hwy 106
Union, WA 98592
BLACK GOLD: A COMPOSTING WORKSHOP
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
N. Mason Timberland Library
23081 NE State Route 3
Belfair, WA 98528
SEPTIC SENSE WORKSHOPS
Learn the Three Supreme Insights into the Fearless Flush!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
6:00 to 8:30 p.m.
N Mason Timberland Library
23081 NE State Route 3
Belfair, Washington 98528
SEPTIC SYSTEM LANDSCAPING
Saturday, May 16, 2009
9:00 am to Noon
N Mason Timberland Library
23081 NE State Route 3
Belfair, Washington 98528
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