FORKS — Training to be a member of the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team — COASST — will take place at the Olympic Natural Resources Center’s Hemlock Forest Room, 1455 S. Forks Ave., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. this coming Saturday.
COASST is a citizen science group dedicated to involving volunteers in the collection of high-quality data on the status of coastal beaches and seabirds.
Its goal is to assist government agencies and other organizations in making informed management and conservation decisions and promote proactive citizen involvement and action.
COASST volunteers systematically count and identify bird carcasses that wash ashore at ocean beaches along the North Olympic Peninsula and from northern California to Alaska.
Volunteers need no experience with birds, just a commitment to survey a specific local beach (about three-fourths of a mile) each month.
At the training session, volunteers will hear how COASST started, learn how to use a seabird field guide and try out new skills with bird specimens.
There is no charge to attend Saturday’s training session.
But plan to pay a $20 refundable deposit if you want to take home a COASST volunteer kit with a field guide.
Training activities take place indoors.
There will be a break for lunch.
To reserve a spot at a training session, email coasst@uw.edu or phone 206-221-6893. For more information, visit www.coasst.org.
