About the event

 

We are seeking volunteers to help us with our 3rd annual Art & Ecology Workshop! The Art and Ecology Workshop connects king tides, marine debris, and critical species, like the Western snowy plover and Southern Resident killer whale, through volunteer cleanups, educational games, and collaborative art projects. This multifaceted experience fosters environmental awareness and education across coastal schools and communities. We initiated this project in 2023 with schools on Oregon’s southern coast, continued it in 2024 in Lincoln County, and are bringing it to the north coast this year. Workshop dates are May 12, 13, and 14.

 

There will be three stations for students:
  1. At the collaborative mural station, students will work in groups of 2-4 to select marine debris from a bucket to add to a collaborative mural. As they work, they will learn art concepts like texture and shading, while brainstorming preventative steps to reduce marine debris. At the end of the session, small group lists will be shared with the whole class.
  2. At the marine debris game station, half the students will simulate the tide as they spread debris over a field, and then the other half of the students will act as volunteers to clean the debris. Plover nesting areas will be marked so that students learn about this endangered species and how to protect their critical habitat. Two volunteers will teach students about tides, plovers, and facilitate the game, one with the volunteers, and one with the tide. If time allows, the two teams switch roles. Students will identify stewardship roles they can take to mitigate marine debris at the end of the game.
  3. At the writers’ workshop, students will use the plover mural to create a story, weaving in facts about the snowy plover, that will engage a wider audience to care about the plover and its plight. Class stories will be shared and one story will be selected to be published on the Oregon Shores website.
More detailed information and instructions will be provided for all three stations. If you don’t have a particular preference but just want to help, that is great, too!

Event Location

North Coast

Register for this event

Register below, contact Denise Harrington with any questions: denise@oregonshores.org

Register Here