10/2 Clown nudibranch, BC birds, outdoor preschools, rising coastal waters

Clown nudibranch [Mary Jo Adams]

Clown nudibranch Triopha catalinea
Watch for this distinctive nudibranch in tidepools and amongst seaweed in mid to low rocky intertidal areas. It is generally less than 3 inches long but can grow larger. This species eats bryozoans. It was previously named Triopha carpenteri .   The clown nudibranch can be found in water to 115 feet deep. Mary Jo Adams writes. (Sound Water Stewards)

Bye-bye birdies: Shorebirds among species in decline in Vancouver
The good news for birds is that some species are increasing in Metro Vancouver. The bad news, however, is a dismal downward spiral in overall numbers. Local bird experts say a recent analysis that showed a drop of 2.9 billion birds, or 29 per cent, since 1970 in North America, is reflected in Beautiful B.C. Decline of the North American avifauna was published in the Sept. 19 issue of the journal Science. It used independent monitoring networks to count birds in Canada and the U.S. during the past 48 years. The analysis looked at 529 species representing 76 per cent of bird species but almost the entire number of birds. ...The overall trend in Metro echoes both the analysis released earlier in September and the State of Canada’s Birds 2019report released earlier this year, said David Bradley, director of programming for the B.C. program office of Bird Studies Canada. “It clearly shows a decline in shorebirds, air insectivores such as swallows and swifts, and also grassland birds which you don’t find so much in Vancouver,” he said. Kevin Griffin    reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Learning in nature: Washington becomes first in the country to license outdoor preschools 
....Because the idea of outdoor early education is catching on nationwide, Washington launched a pilot program in 2017 to develop official requirements that all licensed outdoor preschools must follow. Until recently, no outdoor preschools in the United States were licensed, which meant they couldn’t offer full-day programs, an important factor for many working families. Unlicensed outdoor preschools also can’t offer state financial assistance to families. But over the past two years, the Washington Department of Children, Youth and Families has worked on creating new guidelines specifically for outdoor learning, which has slightly different regulations than indoor schools. One new standard requires each classroom to have one teacher for every six kids, so most classes have two or three staff members. Other guidelines detail how to implement naptime, or what to do when it rains...Because the idea of outdoor early education is catching on nationwide, Washington launched a pilot program in 2017 to develop official requirements that all licensed outdoor preschools must follow...This fall, with the new regulations in hand, the state finally started to officially license a few programs, becoming the first in the country to do so. In early September, two programs made it through the process: Squaxin Island Child Development Center in Shelton, Mason County, and Kaleidoscope Preschool and Child Care Center in Eastsound, San Juan County. Tiny Trees will hopefully follow shortly, said Aliza Yair, who works with the state’s outdoor preschool pilot program.

Washington's coastal tribes are working to escape rising sea levels. A bill in D.C. could help
For the Native tribes that have historically lived along Washington’s Pacific coast, the threat of rising waters is real and imminent. As a result, many must grapple with the forced relocation of entire villages to higher ground before their homes are submerged.  “We’ve been advocating for our coastline, our relocation, for quite some time,” Quinault Indian Nation President Fawn Sharp says. “Not only raising the issue of the expense of relocating two entire villages, but the impacts on our coastline.” Other tribes, like the Makah and Hoh, have similarly spent years scrambling to figure out how to pay for these moves. In response, U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, has sponsored a bill that could get tribes better access to funding for relocation and other efforts that mitigate rising sea level and climate change threats. Sharp testified in support of the bill before national legislators last July.  Manola Secaira reports. (Crosscut)


Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  246 AM PDT Wed Oct 2 2019   
TODAY  SE wind to 10 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. SW swell 3 ft at 14 seconds. A slight  chance of rain in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  SE wind 10 to 20 kt becoming E 5 to 15 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 4 ft at 9 seconds. Rain  likely in the evening then showers likely after midnight.



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