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| | A PHOTO FROM RECENT REPORTS | |  | Mile 207 — Lincoln County, Seal Rock Wayside north, Seal Rocks, Deer Creek
MORE ABOUT MILE 207 | | Maxine C — Normal human and dog activity for this time of year. Spring migration of birds underway--whimbrels on the beach, geese overhead. A bright red sea star, Pacific henricia, seen in a tidepool earlier ... COMPLETE REPORT | Wed May 15, 1:30 PM Clean beach, almost
Someone apparently scattered an offering to Neptune of old cut-up fruit. The gulls and crows were definitely not interested.
Location: At Curtis Street beach access
SHOW FULL SIZE PHOTO | | OTHER RECENT COASTWATCH MILE REPORTS |
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| | TOP STORIES | | | May 25 NEW Workshop Offered on Marine Mammal Strandings |   Jim Rice
If you haven’t had a chance to learn about the stranding network, an opportunity is coming up Saturday, May 25. Jim Rice, who coordinates the stranding network and is based at Oregon State University’s Marine Mammal Institute, will present on “Marine Mammals Ashore: What to Do?” at 10:30 a.m. in the Visitor Center auditorium at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport. The HMSC is located at 2030 S.E. Marine Science Dr., in the South Beach area.
This free workshop will prepare volunteers to recognize marine mammal species, respond to stranded mammals, and understand the importance of the data being collected.
For more information, contact Jim Rice, (541) 867-0446, or via email.
 Contact: Phillip Johnson, Executive Director, (503) 754-9303, or EMAIL
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| | | ALERTS | | | May 17 Help Needed with Debris Collection Project | There are two ways to help with a special project to address tsunami debris, and other marine debris. The project is being conducted by the Surfrider Foundation of Oregon, the Pacific State Marine Fisheries Commission, and the Oregon Marine Debris Team, of which CoastWatch is a part.
We are looking for beach accesses where we can post informational signs about tsunami debris, and dispensers for debris collection bags. We are specifically looking for locations that are not within a state park.
The goal is to encourage as many beachgoers as possible to help year-round in the effort to remove the extra debris that may be washing ashore as a result of the 2011 Japanese tsunami.
The kinds of help needed:
*Ideas or information about suitable locations with a beach access--neighborhoods or communities, or environmentally active tourist facilities (hotels, private campgrounds, etc., which could get some good press coverage by cooperating with this effort).
*Several volunteers, or a local club, in each location to "Adopt a station." Duties would include restocking the bag dispenser and communicating with entities to arrange debris pick up or report troubles.
If interested please contact: Laura Neary, Surfrider Foundation and CoastWatch,
(541) 815-3398 or via email.
Contact: Phillip Johnson, Executive Director, (503) 754-9303, or EMAIL
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| | | EVENTS | | | Sat May 18 NEW COASST and CoastWatch Collaborate on Trainings |  Liz Mack (green jacket), COASST's volunteer coordinator, leads a beached bird training session.
COASST (based at the University of Washington) is a citizen science project dedicated to involving volunteers in the collection of high quality data on the status of coastal beaches, and trends of seabirds. The goal is to assist government agencies and other organizations in making informed management and conservation decisions, and promote proactive citizen involvement and action. COASST volunteers systematically count and identify bird carcasses that wash ashore along ocean beaches from northern California to Alaska. Volunteers don’t need expertise with birds, just a commitment to survey a specific beach site each month.
If you think you might be interested in participating, join COASST staff for a full, 6-hour training session. Hear about how COASST started, learn how to use the custom Beached Birds field guide, and try out your new skills with some actual specimens. There is no charge to attend a training, but plan to provide a $20 refundable deposit if you would like to take home a COASST volunteer kit complete with a COASST Beached Birds field guide. Training activities take place indoors, and include a break for lunch—please pack your own or plan to buy lunch nearby.
Upcoming COASST training sessions, co-sponsored by CoastWatch:
Saturday, June 1, Gold Beach
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
OSU Extension Office, Curry County Fair Grounds, 29390 Ellensburg (Hwy101)
Sunday, June 2, Florence
Noon-5 p.m.
Siuslaw Public Library, 1460 9th St in Florence
If you can’t attend this event, please check COASST’s website at www.coasst.org or call (206) 221-6893 for additional information on upcoming events and trainings.
RSVPs are helpful to COASST in planning. If you know in advance that you can attend a training session, please contact coasst@uw.edu or (206) 221-6893.
Contact: Phillip Johnson, Executive Director, (503) 754-9303, or EMAIL
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| | | NEWS | | | May 16 NEW Port Orford Becomes First City to Adopt a Mile |  Driftwood plug on Mile 49. Photo by Shirley Nelson.
That changed when the Port Orford City Council voted unanimously to adopt CoastWatch Mile 49. They did so in response to a presentation by Fawn Custer, CoastWatch’s volunteer coordinator, who explained the program to the mayor and councilors and asked them to adopt Mile 49 (which fronts the city from Battle Rock to the Port Orford docks, actually less than a full mile).
Fawn was joined by CoastWatcher and Port Orford resident Don Mathews, adopter of Mile 55, who described CoastWatch monitoring and reporting to the city officials and helped to convince them that this was a doable project for the city.
City councilor Caroline Clancy volunteered to be the Port Orford’s primary liaison to the CoastWatch program.
Port Orford-area CoastWatchers suggested that CoastWatch approach the city, and with Fawn Custer now aboard as our volunteer coordinator, we were able to follow through. Shirley Nelson, the long-time and very diligent adopter of Mile 49, is stepping back to “adopter emeritus” status.
The Port Orford community has a remarkable record of engagement with environmental stewardship. The city has embraced the Redfish Rocks marine reserve just offshore. The Redfish Rocks Community Team has among other things adopted CoastWatch Mile 46, where it not only does a stellar job of monitoring the mile, but conducts formal marine debris monitoring using a scientific protocol from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This latest step, adopting a mile through the city government, simply adds to Port Orford’s conservation credentials.
We’re excited to welcome Port Orford and Caroline Clancy to CoastWatch. Other city and county governments are invited to join them.
Contact: Phillip Johnson, Executive Director, (503) 754-9303, or EMAIL
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MORE NEWS... | May 12 NEW New CoastWatch Volunteer Coordinator Comes Aboard
Our new volunteer coordinator will be familiar face to many. Fawn Custer is, among many other things, a long-time leader of the Northwest Aquatic and Marine Educators (NAME), and in that capacity has collaborated with CoastWatch in producing the annual Sharing the Coast Conference for five years. The volunteer coordinator position, which has a special focus on our tsunami debris project, is ... MORE | | Mar 2 Tsunami Debris Project Developing Volunteer Network
CoastWatch has been working for many months along with four other public interest groups to develop a volunteer-based response to debris from the Japanese tsunami that may wash up on our shores. The Oregon Marine Debris Team is ready to put our plan into place, and we’ve been holding workshops from Seaside to Brookings to train and organize volunteers for the project. The first round of these ... MORE | | | | SIGHTINGS | | Mar 8 Sightings: Salps Surprise CoastWatchers with Shoreline Appearance
By Bonnie Henderson. This winter CoastWatchers from Clatsop County south to at least Coos County have reported finding an elongated jellyfish-like creature stranded on the beach, sometimes in large numbers. This organism—barrel-shaped and nearly transparent, typically five or six inches long, with two thin, dark, spindly appendages at one end—is an oceanic filter-feeder known as a salp. A pulse ... MORE | |
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| | MILE REPORTS SINCE MAY 1 2013 | May 15 MILE 207  Maxine C — Normal human and dog activity for this time of year. Spring migration of birds underway--whimbrels on the beach, geese overhead. A bright red sea star, Pacific henricia, seen in a tidepool earlier ... MORE | | May 13 MILE 147 Lyndell — Mile 147 had no human activites going on. Campsites had been covered with blowing sand as if it were summer. The 4 miles leading to mile 147 did have some human activity in the form of fishing and ... MORE | May 11 MILE 214  rasmussenschramm — Not much has changed on our mile since our last report. It is very clean. The line of the bluff over the beach has softened a little since last time, but that's all we noticed. MORE | | May 9 MILE 248 Dr Kayak — No humans at Cascade Head! But plenty of wildlife, wind, and choppy water ... MORE | | May 8 MILE 35 Oceanhippie2 DISPATCH — A gray whale stopped by this late morning and popped its head out to look at the group of travelers that pulled off on the small view point to take pictures, then it swam along the beach and back out ... MORE | | May 7 MILE 35 Oceanhippie2 DISPATCH — Its been a bit busy today. I have seen about 8 Gray Whales swim by today and a few travelers pulled off to take pictures, One gentleman asked me if the whales swim in this close was normal. I said, ... MORE | | May 6 MILE 224 malachite — Most notable sighting was of the many live and dead winged carpenter ants which might've been the reason for the unusual number of crows & gulls I saw on the beach today. Usually I see very few ... MORE | | May 6 MILE 35 Oceanhippie2 DISPATCH — Just one whale swam by and did stay in the area for a little while then back out to sea. So far I have not seen any of the whales jump out the water. Later that day a small group of 3 swam by and the ... MORE | | May 6 MILE 102 beachnut — Heading south from the Coquille River this mild and sunny morning was pure pleasure. Oyster catchers were noisy on the close islands. Also active were cormorants, gulls, crows. Couldn't tell if the ... MORE | | May 5 MILE 35 Oceanhippie2 DISPATCH — Another small group of just 2 swam by the beach for a short distance then out away from the shore. MORE | | May 5 MILE 198 bahngarten — 15 people, 4 dogs enjoying an early a.m. walk/run on this sunny beach. 1 Caspian Tern plunging beyond surfline for food. Almost continual northbound flights of small sandpipers--10-50 per group, at ... MORE | | May 5 MILE 103 beachnut — A perfect morning for our coastline: sunny at 6 a.m., little wind, a balmy 65 degrees. No one else was on this stretch, though I could see a couple of surf fishermen further north. Wildlife was ... MORE | | May 5 MILE 102 beachnut — Walking north from the Coquille River at 6 a.m. was pure pleasure on a sunny, light-wind, 65-degree day AND no one else was there until the end. Lots of sanderlings flew hither and yon seeking ... MORE | | May 4 MILE 35 Oceanhippie2 DISPATCH — a few Gray Whales this morning than an hour later a very large sea lion checking out the crab pods. Around 12noon and then again close to 4pm just 3 gray whales same as the day before. This must be a ... MORE | | May 3 MILE 35 Oceanhippie2 DISPATCH — Today has been pretty busy with the small groups of whales swimming by I watched another 4 swim past but not together. 1 at 3:00 pm then another at 4:20pm and 2 later around 6pm MORE | | May 3 MILE 255 bballentine — Beach much wider than 2 months ago with sand spits projecting into ocean. Generally clean with less plastic foam than last visit. Several sections of heavy wood beams. Found structural section of ... MORE | | May 2 MILE 35 Oceanhippie2 DISPATCH — A Gray Whale swam close to the shore about 2-300 ft off the beach and then in the distance there was a large pod of whales swimming by to many to count. MORE | | May 1 MILE 222 dderickson — Beautiful, bright day with brisk northern wind; very few people on the beach, and the ones I counted weren't there long. Significant sand cover has moved back on to the beach (this is my first year ... MORE | May 1 MILE 256  jcameron — Large piece of Styrofoam. Reported to OPRD thru 211 -- not clear whether it's tsunami debris. MORE | | May 1 MILE 100 JohnnyCN — Wind was the dominating factor in today's CoastWatch walk. Wind blew the sand, and the sand covered everything or swept the beach clean, thus accounting for the fact that I have almost nothing to ... MORE |
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CoastWatch, a citizen monitoring program, engages Oregonians in personal stewardship over their shoreline. Volunteers adopt mile-long segments of Oregon's coast, keeping watch for natural changes and human-induced impacts, reporting on their observations, and sounding the alarm about threats and concerns.
CoastWatch is founded on individual vigilance and responsibility for one portion of the ocean shore. But the program also links hundreds of 'mile adopters' in a coastwide network of concerned citizens taking action to conserve shoreline resources. CoastWatchers serve as an early warning system not only for the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition, but also for neighbors along their miles, local government, regulatory agencies and other conservation groups. |
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