Places remain available for the 2016 edition of CoastWatch’s annual Shoreline Science Workshop, coming up July 8-10 in Depoe Bay. Anyone interested in learning more about the natural history of the coastal environment, and about how to participate in citizen science, is invited to attend. The workshop will be held July 8-10 at the Depoe Bay Community Hall (220 S.E. Bay Street). Online registration is open: https://oregonshores.givezooks.com/events/2016-coastwatch-shoreline-science-workshop. More information about the workshop can be found on the registration site. A limited number of places remain—register soon if interested. The workshop will be led by ecologist Stewart Schultz, author of “The Northwest Coast: A Natural History.” Three full days of instruction cover rocky shore, beach and estuarine habitats in depth, and touch on forests, the nearshore ocean, marine mammals, tides and oceanography, and many other topics. Matters of concern such as marine debris and invasive species will also be discussed. Each session will include field trips, indoor presentations and laboratory experiences (with some variation, depending on the weather). Schultz’ wide-ranging career has taken him everywhere from working for The Nature Conservancy on the Oregon coast to studying reefs in Florida. He now teaches at the University of Zadar in Croatia and conducts his research in the Adriatic during the academic year, and returns to Oregon every summer. Fawn Custer, CoastWatch’s volunteer coordinator and herself an experienced marine educator, will assist Schultz and introduce participants to a variety of opportunities to participate in citizen science. Teachers and other professionals can obtain professional development units by attending the workshop. CoastWatch is the volunteer program of the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition, through which participants adopt one-mile segments of shoreline and monitor them for natural changes and human impacts. These annual workshops were originally developed as intensive training sessions for CoastWatch volunteers, but they are also open to members of the general public. If you would like to reserve a place, but don’t wish to do so online, contact Fawn Custer at (541) 270-0027, fawn@oregonshores.org. She can hold a place for you and arrange with you to pay the workshop fee by check. More information about the workshop can also be obtained from Fawn Custer, or by going to the CoastWatch website, http://oregonshores.org/coastwatch.php5.
