Thursday, June 23, from 2-4 pm the Coos Bay Public Library and the South Slough will be offering a free Survival Skills program for teens 14-18 at the Mingus Park Gazebo. Sophie from the South Slough Reserve will cover the mentality of survival situations, fire building knowledge, simple backwoods shelter building, water filtration, and foraging. Participants should wear comfortable clothes and shoes (heads up: they will probably get dirty so don’t wear things you care about), and to bring a water bottle. The event is part of the Coos Bay Public Library’s annual Summer Reading Program. During the summer, the Library offers both a reading challenge and programming for all ages which encourage people to read, learn, connect and explore the outdoors. Beginning June 20 and continuing through August 6, participants can enroll in the challenge earn badges, rewards, and a chance to win a grand prize. This year, people can participate either online or using a paper tracking form. Challenge registration is available on the Library’s website and paper tracking is available by visiting the Library. Located five miles south of Charleston at the south end of the Coos Bay Estuary, the South Slough National Estuarine Reserve is one of 29 areas in the National Estuarine Research Reserve System. This reserve is managed by the Oregon Department of State Lands and is protected for long-term research, water-quality monitoring, education, and coastal stewardship. The NOAA Office for Coastal Management provides funding, national guidance, and technical assistance. Education Staff at the Reserve offer naturalist led outdoor education both at the South Slough and throughout the community. For more information on Summer Reading activities or the Reading Challenge, visit the Coos Bay Public Library’s website at www.coosbaylibrary.org, call (541) 269-1101 x 236 or email Jennifer Knight at jknight@coosbaylibrary.org. For additional information regarding current services being offered by the Coos Bay Public Library please contact the library by calling (541) 269-1101 or by visiting us online at http://coosbaylibrary.org.
