Gordon Mawson, 5, left and Lenora Mawson, 7, right, look for ocean creatures during the Starlight Beach Walk on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024 near the Olympic Beach Visitor Station in Edmonds, Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)

Gordon Mawson, 5, left and Lenora Mawson, 7, right, look for ocean creatures during the Starlight Beach Walk on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024 near the Olympic Beach Visitor Station in Edmonds, Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)

WSU hosting spring trainings on marine conservation, sustainability

Classes start this month for the WSU Snohomish County Beach Watchers, Beach Naturalists and Sustainable Community Stewards.

SNOHOMISH — Washington State University’s Snohomish County Extension will offer several trainings this spring for residents who want to learn more about Puget Sound wildlife, as well as local recycling efforts.

WSU Snohomish County Beach Watchers receive 80 hours of classroom and field training on coastal processes, water quality and climate change. After completing their training, beach watchers volunteer 80 hours as a citizen scientist over the course of two years.

To join this year’s cohort, locals must submit applications by Thursday. The course costs $175.

Classes are held virtually 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday from April 11 to May 9, and the same times Monday through Friday during the weeks of May 13 and May 20.

WSU Snohomish County also has a less intensive Beach Naturalist training that consists of 30 hours of marine conservation lectures and guided in-person beach walks.

Residents need to register by April 8. The course costs $110.

Interested participants can contact Jonathan Robinson at jonathan.w.robinson@wsu.edu for more information on the Beach Watcher or Beach Naturalist trainings.

WSU’s Snohomish County Extension is hosting a series of workshops on recycling and food waste this month for the Sustainable Community Stewards program, too.

Topics for this year’s workshops include:

• Intro to waste/materials management 101

• Recycling myths and facts/do’s and don’ts

• Recycling beyond the curb

• Household hazardous waste disposal

• Commercial composting systems

• Reducing food waste

Classes take place 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Mondays from April 22 to May 20 at Willis Tucker Park’s Activity Center on 6705 Puget Park Drive.

Following the training, participants are expected to volunteer 20 hours at festivals and events in Snohomish County, sharing their knowledge on reducing waste.

The training costs $25.

Anyone interested in becoming a Sustainable Community Steward can register online.

For more information, reach out to Kellee Byard at kellee.byard@wsu.edu.

Ta’Leah Van Sistine: 425-339-3460; taleah.vansistine@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @TaLeahRoseV.

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