Restoring Puget Sound, one muddy step at a time

I recently spent a beautiful summer dawn shooting eagles and a blue heron on my beach. But don't worry -- the only weapon I use is a camera.

Few of us can look out their window and see herons, eagles and kingfishers as the first rays of sun creep over the Cascade Mountains. Our way of life in the Puget Sound region is unmatched anywhere in the world. But with the blessing of living in such a unique and beautiful place comes responsibility, both to the sound and to future generations who will enjoy and rely on it.

Beginning my 20th year as one of the civil servant guardians of Puget Sound's purity, I try to make sure people and industries treat drains and toilets like recycling bins, not trash cans -- because not everything we dump or flush can be removed by municipal treatment systems, and what cannot ends up out there in the sound.

I've also learned about the profound impacts of human development on this special piece of water because I've been lucky enough to live on the sound for many years. It's become clear to me that cleaning up and protecting Puget Sound must be the work of many. It's a commitment I've realized will literally need to span generations and decades to come.

I play my part in this collective effort by volunteering as a Sound Steward with People For Puget Sound, part of the MudUp campaign. The MudUp campaign encourages the public to get involved in cleanup and education events all around the sound. From restoration work parties to beach celebrations, MudUp gives everyone, young and old, a chance to join the cause.

MudUp is a project of the Alliance for Puget Sound Shorelines, a partnership of conservation groups that are working to support the state's 2020 Puget Sound restoration initiative by taking immediate action to create new parks, restore the shoreline, support positive legislation and reconnect people from all walks of life to the sound. With the help of people like you and me, the alliance has already completed three of the parks, restored 38 miles of shoreline and improved protections on 872 miles more.

On Sept. 20, People For Puget Sound is hosting a work party at Union Slough, just south of Marysville off Highway 529, to continue our vital work of eradicating invasive weeds like Scotch Broom, Himalayan Blackberry and Knotweed. While they seem harmless -- Scotch Broom's yellow flowers add a splash of color and blackberry bushes provide a tasty summer snack -- they choke native growth, disrupt the balance of nature in our beach areas and need to be controlled. The Scotch Broom even bears the ominous title of "Class B Noxious Weed." But don't worry; it's not poisonous.

I'm proud of our progress at Union Slough so far. We've cleared more than a half-mile of bank (more than 50,000 square feet!) since last year, thanks mostly to the hard work of the volunteers. Some of our best work is with young people, like students from local middle schools who have come to walk the beach with a naturalist and learn about Puget Sound ecology and native species first-hand and why it's important to pick up after your pooch; and then try their hand at ripping out the invasive weeds. There's nothing like first-hand experience to really make an education sink in, and show your connections to the world around you.

Union Slough is a special place for me. Sure, it's a former pasture turned 25-acre tidal wetland, sandwiched between noisy highways with a mountain of work to do. But to me it also symbolizes our sound's recovering health, and the importance of personal involvement in the health of our community. The way we treat places like Union Slough reflects how we treat ourselves.

There is still much work to be done. But if we all do our part, the collective effort can help bring Puget Sound back to health, and keep it there in the future.

Our quality of life is tied to the health of Puget Sound. We have a vested interest in preserving this special place -- for ourselves, the other species that depend on it and on whom we depend, not to mention for the next generations and our way of life.

Charles Johnstone is an industrial waste inspector for the City of Everett, a freelance photographer/writer, and a Sound Steward with People For Puget Sound.