Washington Sea Grant

This week's mail brought my annual calendar from Washington Sea Grant. Their calendars are not the run-of-the-mill commercial mailings (and I do get my share of those, too). Rather, on a single large (22" x 17") sheet, not only are there the twelve months, but the whole top half is a glorious painting by Joel Nakamaru (see, above) depicting the sea life from orca to oysters in our marine environment.

This gift is also a reminder that my joy in boating also carries with it a need for stewardship of the waters on which I boat. For years we boaters, as did the most the rest of the population, tended to treat the waters as though they were unlimited in their forgiveness of our arrogant and rather neanderthal attitudes of pollution, over fishing, and our general disregard for the fragility of the system. Of course, some folk have known otherwise and acted responsibly, but not many.

But now, as I read all the literature about the damage we have done to Puget Sound, and the daunting efforts needed to correct this, even assuming that it is correctable, seriously concerns me. Washington Sea Grant is one of many major efforts aimed in this direction. (People for Puget Sound, well led by Kathy Fletcher, and where our youngest daughter, Lindsay, did an internship some years ago, is another.) Washington Sea Grant is a joint venture between the University of Washington and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, better known to many of us as simply NOAA.

Events, such as a February workshop for commercial and recreational boaters on "Marine Electrical Wiring", as well as the 2009 Puget Sound Georgia Basin Ecosystem Conference "The Future of the Salish Sea: A Call to Action" also in February, bookend WSG's activity.

If we're going to be prudent boaters, we owe it to ourselves and our kids, and the environment on which we enjoy our boating, to become more aware and then to get involved. Take a moment and visit Washington Sea Grant. And also check out the 2009 calendar. While you're at it, take a look at People for Puget Sound, too.

And it's not too early to consider some practical New Year's resolutions - - environmental ones, that is. Cutting down on Twinkies may be good for you; cutting down on pollution is good for all of us, orca and oysters, too.