POULSBO — Wet and tired from digging, Colleen Thompson sighed, “Ours was just mud,” explaining the contents of her bucket of material taken from the Liberty Bay waterfront.

But her tune soon changed.

With a sieve in hand, the Americorps Volunteer from Minnesota began rinsing away the mud to reveal the myriad of sea creatures hiding in the sticky shoreline material.

“I didn’t realize there were so many worms and animals that lived in the mud,” she commented with surprise.

Discovering the life that teems below the surface was the aim this week as the Liberty Bay Foundation held a benthic invertebrate testing on local shores. The test, one of three that will be conducted over the next year, will become part of a growing bank of knowledge about the local waterway’s health.

The survey is funded in large part by a grants from the Environmental Protection Agency Fund 319 — Nonpoint Pollution Fund, administered by the Washington State Department of Ecology Water Quality Program. Under the Clean Water Act, benthic invertebrate testing is one of a number of biological indicators the EPA has approved to help set protection and restoration goals for waterways.

Besides garnering the foundation accurate information about the life supported by the Liberty Bay environment, the event was also a chance for public education. Community volunteers, including individuals from Americorps and the USS Abraham Lincoln, braved mud and hard work for a first-hand view of the life in Poulsbo’s bay.

“It just sounded like something cool to do,” commented Liz Bartneck, originally from California and now one of the about 300 residents on the USS Lincoln. “You always hear a lot about people studying the shores and it’s neat to see how it’s done.”

“This is so much fun. It’s just so great to have a hands-on experience with the environment,” added Sara Kane of Kingston, one of the Carpenter Creek Cutthroats. “I wish everybody could have an experience of just seeing what’s out here and seeing how important even these little guys are.”

The event also drew representatives from the Hood Canal Coalition, Suquamish Tribe and the Kitsap County Stream Team. Val Koehler, coordinator of the Stream Team said she often participates in benthic testing but it’s usually in streams. Stream benthics usually come up with May Flies and Black Flies — a Liberty Bay benthic produced numerous worm-like creatures.

Koehler’s eyes got big as her sifting came up with a long centipede-like creature, which was passed around so everyone could get a look.

“This is really neat,” she commented.

For more information about the Liberty Bay Foundation, or upcoming events, go to www.libertybayfound-ation.com.