Volunteers needed for annual Skagit Spartina Dig Day, set for Saturday

If we didn’t know better, who wouldn’t welcome the cheery yellow blossoms of the common dandelion brightening the front yard? They take virtually no care and spread so easily.

Of course, we do know better. Like the weekend houseguest who not only lingers long past Sunday night but also invites over dozens of friends to raid the refrigerator, weeds can quickly overstay their welcome. And some do a lot more harm than a yard full of dandelions.

By now, many of us who live in the Skagit Valley have heard of a nasty little weed named spartina, which is rapidly taking up residence in marshes, beaches and mudflats in the Puget Sound. At first glance, it may seem rather innocent, a bright green grass that resembles a miniature bamboo forest. But it’s a troublemaker. Left to its own devices, Spartina will quickly muscle out the native coastal plants — in some places creating entire meadows where the local plants virtually disappear.

When spartina gets a firm foothold, it purges mudflats of the tiny insects, worms and crustaceans that are a rich food source for both local shorebirds — such as our rather dapper-looking plovers and long billed sandpipers — as well as millions of migrating birds that depend on feeding at the flats.

Spartina invasions can wreak havoc on critical links in the fisheries that are so much a part of our local economy and cultural heritage. As the weed engulfs estuaries, it destroys a vital refuge and food source for young salmon and small fish, such as surf smelt, which are a staple in the diet of adult salmon and bald eagles. Spartina can also wipe out healthy clam beds.

It turns out that the best way to stop spartina is to catch it young and dig it out by the roots — like those pesky dandelions. And now is the time of year to do it, before the plants go to seed and their roots spread.

For the 10th year in a row (yes, it’s an ongoing battle), People for Puget Sound is asking neighbors to join them Saturday, June 7, for the annual Skagit Spartina Dig Day. This year, we’ll be weeding the shores of Swadabs Park on the Swinomish Reservation. The tribe has been very active in efforts to stop spartina from invading marshes and destroying local shellfish beds.

And like any weeding job, the more hands to help, the faster the work. Plus, pushing a spade through a soggy mudflat is a whole lot easier than weeding your front lawn! This year, the event coincides with the celebration of World Oceans Day, June 8, a reminder that keeping the Sound healthy and vital contributes to the health of our great oceans.

We’re all so lucky to be living beside one of the nation’s greatest natural treasuries. What’s more glorious than the sunlight sparkling on the Sound, of a pod of orcas rising and diving in unison, or a toddler chasing the waters of a teasing tide? It’s easy to take for granted the wonders in our own backyards, just as it’s difficult to see that the Sound is in trouble.

The natural balance necessary for the bounty of life here is threatened. What would happen if we waited until there are no more clams where we’ve dug them for years; until plovers no longer scurry frantically along the receding water line, digging for tasty little crabs; or until the salmon we enjoy no longer comes from our local waters? By then, it will be too late.

But, unlike so many of the dire environmental warnings these days, we each have the power to fix this one. The Alliance for Puget Sound Shorelines — a coalition of friends and neighbors, including People for Puget Sound, The Trust for Public Land and The Nature Conservancy — is already working to acquire 10 new waterfront parks, restore 100 miles of shoreline and protect 1,000 miles more. Their “MudUp” campaign is part of the state’s enormous commitment to clean up Puget Sound.

As part of the privilege of living in this magnificent place comes a responsibility to ensure it remains healthy and vibrant for future generations. And in this case, it doesn’t require passing a law, raising a tax or leveling a fine. All it takes is a bit of elbow grease and a willingness to get muddy. Find out about more Puget Sound clean up events all summer long at http://www.mudup.org.

Keeley O’Connell is the north Sound restoration coordinator for People for Puget Sound, a member of the Alliance for Puget Sound Shorelines, and she loves to play in the mud.