From Foulweather Bluff near Hansville to the Kitsap-Mason county line, teams of researchers will be walking along the 66 miles of saltwater beaches of Hood Canal from now until September, collecting data on nearshore habitat.

An open house will be held June 24 in Driftwood Key and another will be July 16 at Scenic Beach State Park in Seabeck. Both take place 4-7 p.m.

Headed by Kitsap County’s Environmental Programs Division, the “West Kitsap Hood Canal Nearshore Assessment” invites people to learn more the project. Along with updated information on the progress of the assessment work, the open house offers opportunities to learn about marine shoreline environment by providing resources to landowners on the functions, values and nature of their shoreline and stewardship activities for preserving and restoring private and public marine shorelines and estuaries.

Researchers will be walking the shoreline collecting data on both natural and man-made features using a GPS unit and camera. Occasionally, use of a boat will be required. The information gathered from the field work will provide the best available science on the characteristics of the Hood Canal shoreline, continuing a similar assessment completed last summer for East Kitsap. Work will be done at low tide and data collected below the high tide mark.

Informational postcards have been mailed to waterfront property owners.

Additional project information can be found online at www.kitsapgov.com/dcd/nr/nearshore/default.htm.