It didn’t take long for Carly Rhodes to fall in love with Deception Pass State Park.
She arrived from Chicago in October to start serving as an AmeriCorps interpretive intern at the park and was struck immediately by its scenic vistas.
“It’s so beautiful,” said Rhodes, a recent graduate from Western Michigan University. “I have never seen anything like this in Illinois or Michigan.”
One of Rhodes’ responsibilities in her new surroundings is to run the interpretive programs in the park and be in charge of the volunteers who help make them go.
Rhodes is currently looking for candidates interested in acquiring the training to become beach naturalists at Rosario Beach.
Beach naturalists act as interpreters at the tide pools at low tide during the spring and summer months.
Their role is to educate park guests on being good stewards of the tide pools and provide information on the organisms that live there.
The program officially started in 2011; however, it got its roots in 2003 after one volunteer noticed mistreatment of the tide pools at Rosario Beach and took it upon herself to educate visitors.
Eventually, enough concerned parties got involved to create the beach naturalist program, Rhodes said.
Volunteer training will take place on Tuesdays in March, beginning March 10, and with a field trip April 18.
For those interested in becoming a beach naturalist, contact Rhodes at 360-675-3767, ext. 31 or at deceptionpass.interpreter@parks.wa.gov
For more information, check the website at www.deceptionpassfoundation.org
Rhodes will be learning a little herself as she’s never seen the tide pools at Rosario Beach at low tide because of how the calendar has fallen.
She said one of the neatest things she’s seen came during a solo hike when she prepared to take a photograph of a bird and saw a harbor seal pop out of the water in front of her.
“I had never seen a seal before,” she said.
Candidates also are being sought for the Washington State University Island County Beach Watchers 2015 training class, which starts March 19.
This program, founded in 1989, trains volunteers with 100 hours of university-level instruction to help protect and preserve the local marine environment.
The deadline to sign up is Feb. 20. The cost is $100.
For information, call 360-240-5558 or go to www.beachwaters.wsu.edu
