Bainbridge Beach Naturalists

The Bainbridge Beach Naturalists create opportunities for the public to explore our Bainbridge Island beaches with trained naturalists. During low tide events, we are on the beach looking for the amazing sea life that shares our shores with us.

Bainbridge Beach Naturalists also provide beach monitoring for organizations such as the Bainbridge Island Land Trust and the City of Bainbridge Island. This work enables us to observe changes in beach composition, elevation, and variety and density of species on our beaches.

The beach naturalists have been trained by the WSU Extension Beach Naturalists/Beach Watchers program and the Seattle Aquarium Beach Naturalist program.

Beach explorations are announced via email to interested citizens and by postings in the calendar section of the local newspapers. The schedule is also posted in the Bainbridge Island Metro Parks and Recreation District quarterly bulletin and on their website under "outdoor activities." To sign up to receive announcements of scheduled explorations, go to the Sustainable Bainbridge homepage, enter your email and select "beach explorers" from the list of options.

What to expect when you join us on the beach:

• Look for the naturalists wearing neon green vests.
• Wear shoes or boots that can get wet. You will be walking in the shallow water along the shore for much of the time. Tall rubber boots are the footwear of choice.
• The beach can be much colder than the rest of the island, so wear layers that you can add as necessary.
• Kids are great explorers; dogs should not be brought to these events.
• You might want the added stability of a hiking stick as the rocks can be very slippery when wet and covered with seaweed; one beach access involves a scramble over the rocks.
• Fall and winter night explorations require a strong flashlight.

To read about a beach explorer's experiences with Bainbridge Beach Naturalists, go to this Inside Bainbridge article. Enjoy!