Since Sammye Kempbell went through Beach Watcher training in 2003, she has spent time teaching people about the tide pools at Rosario Beach and the proper etiquette to explore them.

Over the years, the Penn Cove resident found herself spending more and more time at Deception Pass State Park helping people to properly explore the beach.

She spent 290 hours over the course of 43 days during low tides this past summer talking to more than 3,400 people about beach etiquette and the critters that live in the tide pools at Rosario Beach, located on the northern side of the park.

“It kind of blew me away, and park people and the Beach Watchers, on how many people I talked to,” Kempbell said.

She enjoys volunteering at the park because of the natural and cultural history the beach offers.

“It is such a peaceful place,” Kempbell said.

The tide pools offer a unique place for people to examine wildlife. Adam Lorio, interpretive specialist at the park, said the only other similar habitat is located on the Olympic Peninsula.

That rare habitat makes it a popular spot for tourists and school groups alike. Lorio said students come from as far away as Eastern Washington to examine the pools.

He added that the efforts of Kempbell and the Beach Watchers have been crucial to help protect the tide pools.

“They are the most important partnership in preserving the tide pools at Rosario,” Lorio said.

He said Kempbell has done a great job researching when low tides take place during the summer months and being on hand to educate tourists.

She would show up with displays and reference books describing the creatures that live in the pools and the proper way to maneuver around the beach to minimize potential damage to the pools. She also has displays promoting beach etiquette and encouraging visitors to pick up after themselves. The shells she uses in her displays were found near her home along the cove.

It doesn’t take much to damage the pools. She said that even the natural oils from a hand can damage a pool, especially if hundreds of people place their hand in the same pool. The problem worsens if they are wearing sunscreen.

“Sunscreens are pure poison,” Kempbell said of its effect on creatures living in the pools.

Lorio said Kempbell’s efforts are more effective than signs, which people are often resistant to follow.

He said a volunteer spending five minutes explaining to people why the tide pools are special and why it’s important to follow rules around them is more effective than a list of regulations.

Parks officials ran into trouble at the tide pools in 1995 — before current efforts to protect the area began. In one day during that summer, 1,200 school-aged kids showed up for field trips of the beach. During that day, students collected the seaweed and animals that live there.

“They almost stripped the rocks bare,” Lorio said. Since then, he coordinates the times school children visit the park to help minimize foot traffic. Kempell also helps with education efforts for the students.

Beach Watcher volunteers survey the area every year to monitor growth. Lorio said the area still hasn’t recovered from that infamous day.

Kempbell learned about the Beach Watchers when she was a volunteer at the Island County Museum and she decided to volunteer for the program.

“I had no idea what I was getting into,” Kempbell said with a laugh.

She was surprised when she had to be interviewed beforehand to see if she was suitable to the program and whether she could commit the time expected for Beach Watcher efforts.

Kempell went through 100 hours of training stretched over a two-month period. During that time, she said she heard from experts about everything from the forest to the sea floor.

As part of the training, the Beach Watcher class undertook a project at Rosario Beach identifying the tidal critters that lived there.

Once the class was complete, Kempbell and several other volunteers continued with the work at the tidal pools.

She will be joined by more volunteers when the Beach Watchers holds a graduation next week.

Nearly 20 volunteers are graduating from a 10-week program next week. The volunteers went through 120 hours of training that covered 35 different topics. The graduation takes place Tuesday, Oct. 31, at the Coupeville Recreation Hall beginning at 12:30 p.m. with a potluck.

Kristen Cooley, coordinator for the WSU Beach Watchers, said many of the graduates of the program go on to give 3,000 volunteer hours. One volunteer, Jan Holmes, recently topped 4,000 hours.

The Beach Watchers have trained more than 300 people. Of that number, more than 200 are active in programs. The Beach Watchers are particularly known around the region for their intertidal monitoring, Shore Stewards. Soundwaters is a one-day university where participants can choose to attend a selection of 60 classes offered by the group.