We are excited to share that we’ll have some new students on the Preserve September 2024 through May 2025. We’ve been incredibly lucky to have great interns from Olympic College and, this year, we’re excited to welcome Seattle University students working on their senior projects. The Seattle University students will spend the academic year building on and continuing the great work our Olympic College interns have started. The goal of the internship and student programs is to provide students with hands-on experience in monitoring and assessing the condition of ecosystems relative to established environmental metrics.
Some of the potential projects the Seattle University students may work on include:
- Water quality and soil monitoring; Keta Legacy Foundation currently lacks data for water quality monitoring outside of summer months and has spatially and temporally limited soil data. Both data sets may be particularly important in assessing the impacts of climate change on the Preserve.
- Monitoring the health and growth of the plants Foundation volunteers and board members have planted to restore Hidden Valley where Wildcat and Lost Creeks form Chico Creek. This is incredibly important because one of the largest chum salmon runs in south-central Puget Sound is in our waterways. Students will also measure and record plant height, diameter and general health as well as the location of each planting.
- Monitoring of the new brush piles created as wildlife habitat following thinning in select parcels. Students may also collect forestry data needed to prepare other parcels for thinning.
- Collection of data on the fauna on the Preserve, possibly using audio or video monitoring.
- Researching and proposing metrics to assess the impacts of climate change on the Preserve and possible adaptive management options for consideration.
The Seattle University students will have access to our monitoring tools, including our GPS database, water and soil quality monitoring probes, audiovisual monitoring equipment, a meter stick, and digital calipers.
In late September, our Olympic College interns and board members will provide a general orientation for the Seattle University students to give them background on the Foundation and the Preserve. The interns will also be training the Seattle University students in the use and calibration of the water and soil quality monitoring equipment, GPS survey tool, location of brush piles, and the other ongoing projects.
This is exciting news! Our interns have been invaluable in helping us understand the diverse ecosystem in Hidden Valley and the ways we can restore the landscapes and waterways for long-term health.
-Jeff Wirtz, Vice President