King Tide Party in Charleston

Meg Reed surveying the shoreline.

When each winter’s King Tide Project wraps up, we celebrate the intrepid photographers who captured the highest reach of the tides with a party featuring the best of that year’s photos, not to mention food, drink and good company.  We also feature a speaker who will put the project in its real context—previewing the future coast as sea level rises.  The second such King Tide wrap-up event for the current project will take place on Saturday, February 4, at the Charleston Marine Life Center (63466 Boat Basin Dr., opposite the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology), 5-7:30 p.m.  This is a new venue for us, and a chance for many to take a first look at this new facility.  The party isn’t just for the photographers—all are welcome.  The event is free, and finger food will be provided.

Our speaker on this occasion is Meg Reed, Coastal Shores Specialist for the state's Department of Land Conservation and Development.  Meg is a colleague--she worked with CoastWatch and Surfrider to organize the King Tide Project.  She will discuss her research on sea level rise, coastal erosion, shoreline armoring, and future policy options in managing our shoreline in an era of climate impacts.  She will also explain how volunteers cooperating through the King Tide Project provide valuable data points that managers and scientists can use to track such impacts.

Additional King Tide parties will take place in Newport and Cannon Beach.  The project will take place again next winter, so this is not just a chance to celebrate the work just completed, but to look forward to making the next effort even more effective.  For more information, contact Fawn Custer, CoastWatch volunteer coordinator, at (541) 270-0027, fawn@oregonshores.org.