Stuck in the Mud

Dan Angel, 8, reacts to a shower of cold water after the Kids' Mud Run during the sixth annual Bivalve Bash. Photo by Jon Bergman

EXCERPT

Cool, slimy goop splattered through the overcast bay air. More than 200 bodies slogged their way through the shin-deep, oyster-filled muck of Samish Bay Saturday.

The 250-yard, low-tide mud run was the feature event of the sixth annual Bivalve Bash. More than 1,000 people gathered at Taylor Shellfish Farms for oyster-themed fun, food and education. Activities ranged from an oyster shell sculpture competition and crab races to the strenuous children- and adult-division mud runs.

"I don’t know how many low-tide mud runs there are or how often we get to play in the mud," Bivalve Bash manager and promoter Kate McDermott said. "This is a day that your inner child can really shine through."

MudUp, one of the event’s key sponsors, was also among the crowd at the bash. MudUp representatives educated spectators about clean water awareness, restoration and practices through an informational booth and their costumed promoter called the Mud Monster.

"This is a great way to bring people out, have a good time and teach them about the clean water link," said Bill Dewey, Taylor Shellfish Farm public affairs representative. "Instead of always doom and gloom, let’s have some fun."

MudUp also benefited from the bash, advancing and promoting its campaign to clean up the water and surrounding shorelines of the Puget Sound, MudUp spokesperson Sian Wu said.

Three environmental groups — The Trust for Public Land, The Nature Conservatory and People For Puget Sound—came together to form the Alliance for Puget Sound shorelines in May 2007. MudUp.org is the centralized place where the Alliance posts events, activities and opportunities for individuals and groups to help clean up the Sound, Wu said.

The effort also sends out the Mud Monster, a mascot who tells children his story of having to leave his home in the Puget Sound due to toxic waste and pollution.

"Because [the Puget Sound] looks so beautiful on the surface, [people] don’t see the troubles below," Wu said.

According to MudUp.org, the Puget Sound is one of the most contaminated and damaged channels in the United States. MudUp.org stated that storm water run-off, rapid development and toxic chemicals contribute to much of the pollution.