Rainier Beach's Outing to Penrose Point State Park

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Team:
Rainier Beach High School
Date:
Saturday, March 9, 2019
Trip Type:
Fishing / Shellfishing
Photos:
Plan:
We will be exploring the intertidal zone at Penrose Point State Park. We will explore the beach
and harvest clams following shellfish harvest regulations. Students will learn how clams and
oysters are adapted to changing tides and examine relationships between people and the local
environment. We will be departing from the highschool to drive to the state park at 8:45 am (drive time about 1.5 hours). When we arrive we'll circle up, either in the group camp area or on the grassy field next to the beach, and go through educational topics described below, and have a snack (10:15 - 11:15). We'll then break up into groups with buckets, shovels, and measuring tape and head to the beach to harvest clams until about 1:00 (low tide at 11:30). Adults will help youth to follow size and catch limit regulations. We'll reconvene in the group camp area to have lunch, possible cooking some clams we harvested. Afterward we'll have another opportunity to explore the beach as the tide comes in. We'll start coming in from the beach and cleaning off sandy gear at 2:45 for a 3:15 PM departure back to the school.
Report:
We explored the intertidal zone at Penrose Point State Park. We walked down the beach
and harvested clams following shellfish harvest regulations. Students learned about clam and
oyster biology, sustainable harvesting practices, and tides. We departed from the highschool to drive to the state park at 8:45 am (drive time about 1.5 hours). When we arrived we circled up on the beach and talked about tides and shellfish. We then broke up into small groups with buckets, shovels, and harvested clams until about noon. Then we ate lunch, cooked some clams we harvested and used a clam to examine their anatomy and physiology. We also double checked catch amounts and clam sizes for each student, and placed them in gallon ziploc bags with water so they could expel sand as we finished the day. Afterward we went back to explore the beach and shuck oysters. Cocktail sauce and lemons were prepared to dollop on shucked oysters, and students had a great time trying them right there on the beach! We started coming in from the beach and cleaning off sandy gear at 2:45 and left at about 3:15 to head back to the school.
Suggestions:
Make sure the gear locker has plenty of garden rakes and trowels that aren't rusted. Plan ahead, shellfishing trips require a different set of gear than normal. Get the educational group license three weeks in advance. Be aware of harvest rules and regulations and have fun (fun is facilitated by lemons and cocktail sauce)!

Photos

Clam digging

Sat., Mar. 9, 2019

[Rainier Beach] Penrose Point State Park

Bottoms up! Trying oysters for the second time.

Sat., Mar. 9, 2019

[Rainier Beach] Penrose Point State Park

Gathering around the clam pot to learn about clam anatomy and physiology, and then take a taste.

Sat., Mar. 9, 2019

[Rainier Beach] Penrose Point State Park

Rainier Beach School Group at Penrose Point State Park

Sat., Mar. 9, 2019

[Rainier Beach] Penrose Point State Park

Manila clam with Rainier Beach school group digging for them in the background

Sat., Mar. 9, 2019

[Rainier Beach] Penrose Point State Park