Saturday, Feb. 1, 260 people attended a one-day university in Coupeville called “Sound Waters — Living on the Edge.” For $15 they spent a full day in classes learning about marine mammals, commercial fishing, bluff erosion, native plants, natural history of the crabs and mussels, care of septic systems, Whidbey’s maritime history, how the tides work and birds of the near shore.

Sound Waters is offered annually by WSU Beach Watchers. A unique program designed in 1990 by Don Meehan, chair of Washington State University’s Cooperative Extension program in Island County, Beach Watchers has trained 12 classes of volunteers. In 2002, Beach Watchers volunteered more than 12,600 hours — the equivalent of six full-time employees — toward fostering environmental stewardship in Island County. They collected scientific data on 34 beaches. Their public education programs reached over 4,000 people.

And some people thought Beach Watchers meant a club of folks who just like to walk the beach. In truth, they are county residents who devote many hours of volunteer time to fostering environmental stewardship in the county.

The next 100-hour training course takes place Mondays and Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., from March 10 through April 30. The training session involves 100 hours of training from expert instructors who teach about natural processes and human impacts from the top of the watershed out to the marine waters — from forestry and farming to wetlands and marine biology, from nonpoint pollution and septic systems, to bluff erosion processes and shoreline regulations. The application deadline has been extended to Feb. 12.

The training is free. In return, those who attend agree to volunteer a minimum of 100 hours over two years toward educating the public. “Beach Watchers offered us the opportunity to become educated about the issues and factors that impact all of us living here, such as water quality, resource conservation, and shoreline development. Our everyday practices have changed dramatically for the better as a result of this,” explained Rudy and Barbara Deck.

Donna Keeler, Watershed Planning Coordinator for Island County Health Department, took the Beach Watcher training. “From the beginning, I was impressed with the level of instruction we received during our 8-week initiation course,” Keeler said. “I was humbled by the high caliber of instructors, many at a Ph.D. level, who were willing to spend a day with us to share their knowledge and expertise. I have not stopped learning since the course as I consider Beach Watchers a form of continuing education on how to participate and help improve the environment. I would recommend Beach Watchers to everyone. It is programs like this that can make a real difference.”

Sarah Schmidt, program coordinator for WSU Beach Watchers, offered reasons why Beach Watchers is so successful. “We interview each applicant to ensure their understanding of our mission and their commitment to volunteering. We keep class size small, to a maximum of 24 people. We look for self-motivated, resourceful volunteers. We pack them with information and foster a sense of community. Then we turn them loose and support them, help them to follow their passion and find their niche.”

Veteran volunteer Watcher Harry Moore, still active after 12 years in Beach Watchers, said, “It gave me a new outlook, and I will never see the beach as I did before. I now realize that every thing we use and dispose of might eventually find its way back to harm the delicate habitat that we must protect.”

Schmidt talked about some specific needs of the organization. “WSU Beach Watchers program is fully dependent on grants and donations. We have a special need this year for volunteers to help with fundraising. We recently launched Friends of Beach Watchers for anyone interested in supporting the organization financially.”

“Another priority this year is to engage people who love to teach others about our environment, whether in classrooms and lecture halls or on the beach and in the forest. We also need volunteers to help upgrade the Web site and assist with database development.”

It’s the passion of these volunteers that makes this program so exciting and is making a difference on Whidbey and Camano islands.

For applications or more information, call Sarah Schmidt at 679-7391, e-mail sarahs@wsu.edu, or go to at beachwatch

ers.wsu.edu. The deadline for application is Feb. 12.