Marine Debris Survey and Guided Walk

Fawn Custer (note rainpants) leading a beachwalk where Monday's event takes place.\Photo by Alex Derr.

If you would like to learn more about marine debris surveying, CoastWatch, or the Otter Rock Marine Reserve, or if you would simply find it cheerful to see a lot of enthusiastic, fresh-faced young people on the shoreline early in the morning, you will have a chance on Monday, March 19.  Fawn Custer, our CoastWatch volunteer coordinator, will meet all comers that morning beginning at 8:30 a.m.  She’ll meet people on the beach to the north of the community of Otter Rock—take the trail that starts near the restrooms down to the shoreline on the north side of Devils Punchbowl.  Fawn will be wearing her bright orange rainpants—you can’t miss her.

The occasion for this is the introduction of a class from Toledo High School to the techniques for marine debris surveys.  CoastWatch already conducts a marine debris survey here, for which additional volunteers are always welcome.  The students are going to participate henceforward.  Far from replacing adult volunteers at this site, this gives us the opportunity to have community volunteers work together with young people, which is one of our CoastWatch goals.

After the survey, Fawn will lead a guided beachwalk, which will be a good opportunity to learn about the creatures of beach and tidepool, and also a chance to learn more about CoastWatch monitoring and citizen science.  Fawn loves questions!

For more information, contact Fawn at (541) 270-0027, fawn@oregonshores.org.