^{Tim Steury}

Saving Puget Sound is doable, believes Bill Dewey of Taylor Shellfish. All we have to do is “go to everyone in the Puget Sound watershed and get them to change their lives.” Enabling that transformation is basically the job description for Washington State University Extension water quality educators Pat Pearson, Cammy Mills, Bob Simmons, and Emily Piper, shown above near the head of Hood Canal, and many others.

Extension educators work with many other governmental and nonprofit agencies around Puget Sound to promote the health of the ecosystem.

You may have seen Extension educators at county fairs, Oysterfest, and other events around the Sound. If you live on the water, you might have already talked to Cammy about signing the Shore Stewards pledge.

Once initiated, Shore Stewards follow 10 wildlife-friendly practices in caring for their beaches, gardens, and homes. (WSM has high hopes for Cammy Mills’s leadership of Shore Stewards—she was the drum major of the Cougar marching band.)

Various other water-quality projects include the following:

The Native Plant Salvage Project works to preserve native vegetation, restore vegetation, and recreate native habitat, and reduce the effects of urbanization such as stormwater runoff, use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and loss of habitat.

Water Resource Education for Real Estate Professionals consists of a series of courses for real estate agents, brokers, and appraisers on topics such as sewage systems, wetlands, woodlands, shorelines, salmon and streams, and low-impact development.

Beach Watchers receive extensive beach and estuarine environmental training and participate in monitoring and educational programs.

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