On Camano Island, Scott Chase is the tire guy, the flower pot guy, the beach guy and yard waste guy.
Officially, he is the Island County Shore Stewards coordinator.
Here’s how a week rolls out for this man of many duties:
Tuesday: Go to a meeting on Whidbey Island.
Wednesday: Give presentations about the beach to seven classrooms of first-graders at Kent Prairie and Presidents Elementary schools in Arlington.
Thursday: Back over to Whidbey for a staff meeting. Not back until late afternoon. Get everything ready for Friday.
Friday: Hundreds of kids coming to Camano Island State Park for a day at the beach.
Saturday: Set up a Shore Stewards and WSU Waste Wise booth for the Camocean event at Cama Beach. Give demonstrations on outdoor cleaning products you can make with stuff in your kitchen.
That looks to me like a five-day plan for an Island County part-time worker.
“I get paid for four days a week,” he said with a smile.
There would be plenty of overtime if he documented all the hours he puts in to fight for the health of shorelines and water resources. He knows just about every environmental group in Snohomish and Island counties.
I wrote about Camocean on April 21, “Stanwood diver working to keep oceans healthy.” Organizer Christine Longdon worked with Chase as she organized the event.
“He was extremely helpful and supportive with getting me contact information and answering the many questions I had,” Longdon said. “To me he is one of the people who truly believes in others and is a great steward for the environment.”
The former real estate broker grew up in Seattle. He graduated from Roosevelt High School and received a degree in business administration from the University of Washington. Chase, 57, built his own home on the south end of Camano where he lives with his wife, Kathleen.
“We had friends who lived on Camano,” Chase said. “We visited. We fell in love with the island.”
For fun, the couple likes to hike and search for mushrooms.
Chase joined the first WSU Beach Watcher training class in 2002 on Camano.
“Beach Watchers who were in the 2002 class developed all the materials for the Shore Stewards program,” Chase said. “I was one of the Beach Watcher volunteers who did this, until I was hired to coordinate the Shore Stewards program in 2004.”
The program is funded by grants from the Northwest Straits Commission through the Island County Marine Resources Committee.
The program aims to educate folks about how their use of land and water impacts the health of Puget Sound.
His work day is extremely varied.
Chase may help organize an old tire or used plastic flowerpot recycling event with WSU Waste Wise friends.
He teaches folks how to build rain barrels or plant gardens to protect beaches and bluffs. He worked with Mona Campbell, one of the owners of Kristoferson Farm, on a Camano Island Non-Point Pollution Plan. Kristoferson Farm owners planted 4,000 trees and shrubs to enhance and preserve a creek on their property.
At Chase’s office, get a brochure about the negative impact of dog poop on our waterways.
He’ll share where to dispose of toxic waste.
Friend Chrys Bertolotto, WSU Beach Watchers and Shore Stewards of Snohomish County, has done projects with Chase for five years.
“He seems to know everyone and know about all the important environmental issues on Camano Island, Bertolotto said. “People turn to him for his ideas, his perspective and his knowledge. He is always creative, always diligent and always welcoming to new people and ventures.”
He can be relied upon to follow-through, she said.
“I’m glad to be a WSU Extension neighbor to Scott. When I began working across Port Susan from him, he generously shared all the work that he and fellow WSU Beach Watchers had built, simply delighted that I wanted to duplicate their efforts. Snohomish County has definitely benefited from his work, especially in launching and running the Shore Steward program.”
When Chase was a little boy in Seattle, he remembers hauling trash with his parents. He notes that the old dump site, near the University of Washington, is now restored wetlands.
For Chase, it’s always about the environment.
Kristi O’Harran: 425-339-451, oharran@heraldnet.com.
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