It was a pretty blustery day on the beach at Point Robinson on Maury Island May 19 but despite threatening rain, people came in droves for a day of beach and bird walks, lighthouse tours, storytelling, and educational talks that ranged from orca whales and six-gilled sharks to how "mucus rules the world."

The second annual Maury Island Beach Bash got over 200 folks to sign a beach etiquette pledge that allowed them to enter a drawing (the Mud Monster picked the winner) for a kayak donated by West Marine.

People took a guided beach restoration walk with Eliza Ghitis, geologists David Frank and Tom DeVries, and plant expert Vicki Browne from Point Robinson to resident Pat Collier's shoreline restoration project. People signed up for training to become shoreline stewards and visited exhibits staffed by event cosponsors People For Puget Sound, Vashon-Maury Island Audubon Society, Washington Department of Natural Resources, Washington Scuba Alliance, Vashon Park District, Keepers of Point Robinson, King County DNR, Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, and the Vashon-Maury Island Land Trust.

Also helping out as sterling volunteers greeting all the visitors to the beach were 15 volunteers from PATH, a not-for-profit group that develops and provides sustainable health technologies to communities world wide.

Photo courtesy Mary Beth Dols, People For Puget Sound