SEABECK – The humble sand dollar is thought of more as a beach souvenir than an organism, and the little round sea creatures often are overlooked. But for environmental researchers, the sand dollar is as good as money.
At Guillemot Cove, a remote beach on Hood Canal south of Seabeck, Don Seavy, a biology professor at Olympic College, brings his students along to do field research for a study of human impacts on the area.
Kitsap County purchased the land in 1995 and created Guillemot Cove County Park as a wildlife reserve. Though Guillemot Cove is one of the few sandy beaches on the Kitsap Peninsula that offers views of the Hood Canal and the snowcapped Olympic mountains, few people visit it. A 10-minute hike that drops 300 feet on the way to the shore keeps casual beach lovers away, which is fine with Seavy.
“If you look at places like Lions Field in Bremerton, it’s been walked on so much that there isn’t much left,” he said. “I hope people come here to enjoy it, but I hope it’s around for future generations, too.”
To determine the impact visitors have had on the cove, Seavy has come here nearly every month for the past 21/2 years to study the sand dollar population. He figures the fragile sand dollar would be the first casualty of heavy foot traffic.
He now brings along some of his students so they learn how to assess environmental impact.
Randomly tossing squares made of plastic pipes onto the beach, students count the sand dollars they find in the 20-inch square. At first, students see only mud framed by plastic pipes. But after digging only a couple of inches, they often find as many as 25 sand dollars.
Students measure the sand dollars and categorize them as small, medium or large. After measuring equal distances between random tosses, the young researchers counted more sand dollars until they compiled a baseline measurement that can be used in future assessments.
Another group of students measures eelgrass, another good indicator of foot traffic.
“You can’t just study biology in a classroom,” student John Anderson said. “You actually have to come out here and see how the things we study in class are different when you see them in their own environment.”
Not that students minded spending time on the beach.
“You can’t beat this,” Emily Lawrence said. “It’s great just being out in the field like this.”
Seavy hopes that in addition to learning how to do field research, students will take away another lesson.
“I wanted to show them some of the resources that they are stewards of,” he said. “This is such a beautiful area, and I want them to see what is theirs so they can appreciate it.”
This is a long-term study for Seavy, and some students have offered to come back and help him with his research. A teacher at Olympic College for 34 years, Seavy is popular with his students.
Lawrence is set to become a Seattle police officer soon and didn’t need this biology class to earn her degree.
“I took it because of Dr. Seavy,” she said. “He just inspires you.”
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