Land-Sea Symposium

The northern fringe of the Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve, at Cook's Chasm.\Photo by Alex Derr.

The 7^th annual Cape Perpetua Land-Sea Symposium has been slated for Thursday, Nov. 21, from 5 to 8:30 p.m., at the Yachats Commons (441 Hwy 101 in the middle of Yachats). 

The Land-Sea Symposium is a community event aimed at promoting local stewardship efforts and raising awareness about current research being conducted within the Cape Perpetua nearshore and adjacent watersheds.  The event, free and open to all, is sponsored by the Cape Perpetua Collaborative.  CoastWatch, along with many other organizations engaged in monitoring and protecting the environment of the cape, its offshore marine reserve, and its surrounding forests and watersheds, participates each year.

Food and drinks will be served.  Doors open at 5 for mingling and beverages. 

The keynote talk, by marine biologist Bruce Menge, will begin at 5:30 p.m.  Dr. Menge, a professor in the Department of Integrative Biology at Oregon State University, is a founding principal investigator for PISCO (Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans), a four-university consortium.  He will discuss what PISCO researchers are learning about intertidal and subtidal ecological communities and how they are responding to climate change and other human impacts.

Other speakers on the agenda will address the demographics of State Parks use, rocky shores planning, black oystercatcher monitoring, marbeled murrelets, sea otters, and gray whales.

Goals for the event are:

*Raise awareness of historical and current conservation, research and stewardship of Cape Perpetua region.

*Foster and promote a sense of place and stewardship within the community for the Cape Perpetua region.

*Promote volunteer opportunities and local organizing to support long-term management and conservation for the Cape Perpetua marine reserve.

*Create opportunities for people to collaborate on conservation activities within the Cape Perpetua region, especially those focused on the Cape Perpetua marine reserve.

To RSVP, go here.