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August 15, 2022
Stay Cool, Stay in the Shade
How do you stay cool when it gets hot? Did you know that standing in the shade feels 10-15 degrees cooler than standing in the sun, but if you measured the temperatures in each location, they would be exactly the same?
Shade is especially important for nearshore plant and animal communities around Puget Sound, because water absorbs and holds onto heat more readily than air. Temperature extremes like last year’s triple-digit heat dome event or even last month’s 90s heat wave can be stressful and sometimes fatal for intertidal organisms.
Trees and overhanging shrubs along shorelines (also known as marine riparian vegetation) create shady beaches that offer relief and protection from high temps. Use our Shore Friendly Plant Guide for Marine Waterfronts to identify vegetation you find on shady beaches, or to choose plantings for your beach restoration project!
 Douglas firs in Olympic National Park near Lake Cushman
Invasive Species Spotlight: Butterfly Bush
It’s a great time of year to be on the lookout for the invasive shrub Buddleia davidii, more commonly known as Butterfly Bush. As the name implies, this plant is attractive to butterflies, and other pollinators, for the nectar produced by its abundant flowers, but the benefits end there! Butterflies don’t lay their eggs on Buddleia davidii, because the leaves don’t provide a food source for hatching larvae. The plant is only useful to one phase of a butterfly’s life cycle!
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There are many native plants that would be better for butterflies; one is Spiraea douglasii, also known as Hardhack or Steeplebush! This plant looks a bit like Butterfly Bush, especially from further away, but if you are up close, you’ll be able to tell the difference. Hardhack flowers are “fuzzier” than those of Butterfly Bush, and are often more pink than purple. Spiraea douglasii is also salt spray tolerant, so it's a good choice for your shoreline landscape!
See if you can find and identify these two plants when you are out and about this month. Both are still blooming! You can use these info sheets from the Washington State and Kitsap County Noxious Weed Control Boards to help you identify Butterfly Bush, and for a deeper dive into the natural history of Hardhack, check out this blog post from Native Plants PNW.
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 Get Involved: Volunteer Opportunity
It's almost Summer Chum season! The Salmon Center in Belfair is looking for volunteers to work their weir trap on the Union River. Help count, identify, and move returning salmon upstream to spawn! Training is provided and shifts are available 24/7 from mid-August until mid-October.
These summer-run chum salmon are champs, facing higher water temperatures and lower water levels than fish that return to spawn during the fall-run. Learn more about them and how you can volunteer by clicking here!
 About Shore Friendly Kitsap
Shore Friendly Kitsap is your waterfront partner. We connect waterfront landowners with technical support and resources for bulkhead removal. Whether you are thinking about restoring your shoreline or are actively pursuing a project, we are here to help. To learn more about who we are and how we can help, click here.
 Spiraea douglasii at Theler Wetlands, Belfair
Contact Us
Phone:
360.307.4242
Email:
shorefriendly@kitsap.gov
Website: shorefriendlykitsap.com
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STAY INFORMED
Join our Shore Friendly Kitsap Facebook Group! click here
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Kitsap County Department of Community Development
Your partner in building safe, resilient, and sustainable Kitsap County communities!
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Shore Friendly Kitsap, Your Waterfront Partner
Our mission is to empower Puget Sound waterfront landowners to create beautiful, environmentally friendly shorelines for themselves and generations to come.
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