By Scott D. Johnston
For The Daily World
The deadline is fast approaching for reservations for one of the most interesting elements of the 22nd Annual Grays Harbor Shorebird and Nature Festival.
The massive event, based in Hoquiam, is happening the weekend of May 5-7. It brings upwards of 2,000 visitors each year to observe the migration of hundreds of thousands of shorebirds as they take a “rest and refuel” stop on the beaches and tidal flats of Grays Harbor.
This Friday is the cutoff date to reserve a seat at the festival’s Saturday dinner at the Hoquiam Elks Lodge, which will feature a lecture by renowned citizen science leader and seabird specialist Julia Parrish. She is a professor of ocean fishery sciences and associate dean of the College of the Environment at the University of Washington.
In 1999, Parrish created the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (Coasst), which started with five beaches in southern Washington, including the North Coast area of Grays Harbor County. Its original dozen volunteers included Ocean Shores resident Dianna Moore, who has been active in the Shorebird Festival for the past 14 years.
“What Dr. Parrish has done for citizen science alone is amazing,” Moore said. She recalled that she and Ocean Shores resident Kathleen Wolgemuth were among the first “birders” on the North Coast to get involved with Parrish and Coasst. Moore added that “her research is directly influencing what we’re learning about die-offs of seabirds.”
Coasst operates through UW and has grown to 800 volunteers working on nearly 450 beaches in Northern California, Oregon, Washington and Alaska. The program trains coastal residents who conduct monthly surveys on specific beaches. Data is currently being collected on beachcast birds (dead birds that have washed up on shore), marine debris, and evidence of human use of the beach environment.
Moore said Parrish is “a world-class speaker who is a leader in her field.”
The May 6 dinner schedule starts with a social hour at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner by O’Brien’s Catering at 6:30 and Parrish’s lecture at 7:30. The evening also will include fundraising activities to support the education program at the Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge.
Information is available at www.shorbirdfestival.com. Moore has served as registrar of the festival for several years, and she will accept reservations by phone at 360-289-5048 and by email at dlmoor2@coastaccess.com. Tickets for the dinner are $25.
Of course, the shorebirds themselves are the main attraction of the three-day event. A wide variety of activities are planned, including lectures, free family events, the birding marketplace, and the Saturday morning Run for the Birds.
Birds can be viewed from a number of spots at the National Wildlife Refuge, adjacent to Bowerman Field in Hoquiam. During peak viewing times, volunteers with scopes will be available to help answer questions. At the refuge, shorebirds can be viewed best during the period about three hours before to three hours after high tide.
Another popular activity is the field trips to coastal viewing areas, which take place all three days. Trips originate in Hoquiam and run 6 to 8 hours at a cost of $35 to $45. Outings are planned for the South Beach area (Westport, Tokeland and Grayland), as well as Ocean Shores and Huynisisoos, formerly known as Point Grenville.
The festival website includes a registration form, and Moore is available to help folks with it by phone or email. She noted that people who live on the coast can pick up a field trip near the beach, but those arrangements must be made in advance by contacting her.
