Lost and Imperiled Species Panel

Sea otter at sea.\Photo by Lilian Carswell.

Species that are no longer with us, and species that are at risk of disappearing, will be the theme of a panel discussion, "Lost and Imperiled Species of the Oregon Coast: An Exploration of Oregon's Iconic, Recovering, and Threatened Wildlife."  Hosted by Oregon Wild and Portland Audubon, it takes place Wednesday, Oct. 24, 5:30 p.m., at the Pine Grove Community Center (225 Laneda Ave.) in Manzanita. The event is free and open to the public.

Oregon Shores board member Bob Bailey, who represents us on the Elakha Alliance, will speak on sea otters, describing their early 20^th century extinction in Oregon and their possible return.  The alliance of several conservation groups and Native American tribes, which Oregon Shores helped to found, works toward researching the possibilities for reintroducing sea otters to the Oregon coastal environment.

Other panel members are Vanessa Blackstone, wildlife biologist with the Oregon Parks and Recreation Dept., on snowy plovers; wildlife ecologist Sean Matthews of Oregon State University on pine martens and pacific fishers; and Joe Liebezeit of Portland Audubon on marbled murrelets.  All are experts in the history, ecological value, and future prospects for threatened species on the coast, such as snowy plovers and marbled murrelets, and those we have lost but may someday return, such as condors or sea otters.

For more information, contact Danielle Moser, dm@oregonwild.org.