Saltwater State Park
25205 8th Place South, Des Moines
WA 98198
Submitted by Employment Security Department
The public is invited to join more than 500 school kids on the shores of Saltwater State Park as they celebrate Earth Day walking the beach, touring a stream, making crafts, touching marine creatures and watching scuba divers via underwater camera.
The 7th annual Earth Day Environmental Fair is free, scheduled from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Friday, April 24. Saltwater State Park is in Des Moines, about half way between Seattle and Tacoma.
Naturalists and scuba divers
Naturalists from the Seattle Aquarium will lead guided walks on the beach every 15 – 20 minutes.
Divers from the Washington SCUBA Alliance will give three 15-minute shows starting around 10 a.m. They’ll bring marine life up from the waters of Puget Sound and their dives will be visible on a screen above water.
Storytelling and touch tanks
Other presenters and performers will include:
- Music and storytelling by the Washington Native American Flute Circle
- Marine life touch tanks from the Marine Science and Technology Center
- Environmental “Jeopardy” game with a Salt Water State Park ranger
- Fire safety activities by the South King County Fire Department
- Marine mammal research presentations from the Orca Network
- Bicycle safety activities by Bike Works
The Washington Service Corps AmeriCorps team at the King County Housing Authority has organized this well-attended Earth Day extravaganza for six years. These AmeriCorps members, as well as those serving at schools in the Federal Way School District, will help out at the event, recognizable in their AmeriCorps shirts or insignia and available for questions.
The event is free, but parking is $10. Call Pat Porter, 206-574-1354, for more information.
The Washington Service Corps is administered by the state Employment Security Department using funding from the federal AmeriCorps program. Members ages 17 and older typically commit to at least 10 months of community service that meets the educational, environmental, security and public-safety needs of communities across Washington. In return, they receive a modest living allowance and an educational scholarship.
