Partner Updates
Western snowy plover mural made of 14 panels of marine debris placed by students (Photo Credit: Jesse Jones and Paul Brady).
Connecting to Wild Places Through Art
With the help of National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, Oregon Shores CoastWatch reached 14 classrooms in Curry County, Oregon to provide ecological education and hands-on art using marine debris from Oregon’s Snowy Plover Management Areas.
Students filled in panels with colorful marine debris, like paint-by-number, carefully placing marine debris inside of a sketch. No glue was used. After the panel was complete, it was photographed from above and the debris was cleared and put back into color coded totes. A new cloth was laid out for the next class. This was repeated 14 times, one per class. All images were digitally “stitched together”. The completed “mural” was printed and shared the classrooms.
Students came away with awareness of the effects of marine debris on wild bird populations, the significance of reducing plastic use and the benefits of cleaning up beaches.
Oregon Abandoned and Derelict Vessels Legislative Action in 2023
The 2023 Oregon Legislature adopted HB 2914 to establish the Oregon Abandoned and Derelict Vessel Program within the Department of State Lands (DSL). The legislation directed DSL to coordinate with other agencies and stakeholders to develop a policy framework for addressing abandoned and derelict vessels. In September 2023, DSL convened a workgroup to provide input on the key elements of that framework. The workgroup (which consists of 24 members with various backgrounds in environmental protection, waterway recreation, port and marina operation, vessel salvage and demolition, and state and local government) is scheduled to meet through March 2024. DSL is looking for feedback on the framework and have an online form open through March 8th. Recommendations provided by the workgroup will be incorporated into the framework that will guide the operations and policy direction of the newly formed program going forward.
Contact Josh Mulhollem (Joshua.Mulhollem@dsl.oregon.gov) for more information.
Fourth of July debris overflows onto our beaches and into the ocean in the days following the holiday (Photo Credit: Surfrider Oregon).
Fourth of July Debris Prevention and Cleanup work in Lincoln County by Surfrider
The Surfrider Foundation is excited to announce that work is underway on our Freedom from Marine Debris project, thanks to support by the NOAA Marine Debris Program. This project, aiming to prevent marine debris that results from the Independence Day holiday each year, will incorporate educational outreach to residents and visitors of coastal Lincoln County, OR, on the harmful effects firework debris has on our ocean, beaches, and marine and coastal wildlife, and promote sustainable alternatives. We will also incorporate outreach directly to firework vendors to aid in our goal of reminding customers to responsibly dispose of firework (and other) debris during the explosive holiday. Surfrider will be collaborating with local municipalities, businesses, community groups, nonprofits, and others to host coordinated cleanups in the days following the festivities. During these cleanups, we will encourage volunteers to track the debris they collect, to aid us in analyzing the impact of our outreach. We are excited to compile our findings and our lessons learned into a toolkit, which can be implemented by other cleanup groups in other counties.
If you or your organization are interested in hosting a beach or river cleanup on July 5 or 7, please contact khazard@surfrider.org. Find a cleanup near you on the SOLVE website prior to the holiday.
Marine debris mural o9f the Redfish Rocks Marine Reserve (Photo Credit: Elizabeth Roberts).
Creativity and Conservation: Building Impactful Partnerships
It was a busy year for marine debris artist Elizabeth Roberts. She kicked off 2023 with a cameo in the short film Oregon’s Edge: The Creative South Coast, which debuted at the Portland International Airport and the Big Blue Film Festival in Newport. In February, Elizabeth partnered up with Oregon Shores to lead volunteers in cleaning remote stretches of beach in critical habitat for the western snowy plover, and spent time working with students in Curry County schools. Other projects included the unveiling of two new public works: A marine debris mural created for the Redfish Rocks Community team on display at the Port Orford Visitors Center, and a sea otter sculpture for the Elakha Alliance that is currently touring coastal communities as part of their educational outreach.
USFWS cleaning up the dunes from marine debris (Photo Credit: Oregon Shores CoastWatch).
Cleaning Remote Dunes to Help the Western Snowy Plover
Oregon Shores CoastWatch partnered with Siuslaw Forest Service staff to clean remote areas of Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, in places heavily impacted by marine debris, focusing efforts near river mouths. This was the first organized cleanup in the dunes that Forest Service staff knew of. 21 volunteers assisted over three days to clean important dune habitat areas known for western snowy plover nesting. Nesting season is March 15 through September 15, so we visited in February, after the last king tide. We traveled over sand roads and entered the beach at low tide, to give us ample time before the waters started rising. Over three days, debris was put into a 10 x 10 box truck, donated by Washed Ashore. This project was helped with funding from Oregon Parks Foundation Fund.
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