Beaver Tales Art Exhibit Opening Reception

Busy Beaver by Rene Eisenbart.

To celebrate beavers and their contribution to the ecology of the North Coast, The Wetlands Conservancy (TWC) and Lower Nehalem Watershed Council (LNWC) have partnered with local businesses to host the Beaver Tales Art Exhibit and Sale in Nehalem. Kicking off the exhibit and events on August 4th at 6:30 pm, local naturalist and photographer Neal Maine will give a special presentation on Beaver Ecology in the NCRD Performing Arts Center. A reception and viewing of the art work will follow from 7:30 – 8:30 pm in the NCRD Art Gallery. The reception will include refreshments and beer donated by Pelican Brewing Company. Admission to the event is free and open to the public. 

Maine will explain how beavers engineer wetlands on the North Coast, and how people can learn to take advantage of their environmental benefits while protecting property from flooding and other damage. Maine’s vast experience in studying and photographing wildlife enables him to tell fascinating stories about these industrious little rodents that most people never see.

After a thirty-year career as an award winning biology teacher at Seaside High School, Neal Maine became the first executive director of the North Coast Land Conservancy, which he co-founded in 1986. Since his retirement from the land trust in 2010, he has pursued his passion to make deeper connections to the coastal system, using photography to record some of his experiences and to develop greater public appreciation of living in what he considers paradise. Neal and his grandson, Michael Wing, established PacificLight Images to use photography to raise awareness of coastal ecology and wildlife resources that we share on the rivers and streams, forests, estuaries, beaches, and ocean of the north coast.

The exhibit is open for viewing from July 31st – August 30th at the North County Recreation District (NCRD) in Nehalem, 36155 9th Street. Featuring juried art for purchase, a portion of the sales from the exhibit will benefit The Wetlands Conservancy and Lower Nehalem Watershed Council. The traveling exhibit includes artwork of all kinds, from paintings to fiber, wood, stone, glass and ceramics. With regional and local artists displaying their work, this stop in Nehalem will bring together a multitude of styles and creativity.

Along with the month long display, there will be tours and other activities around Nehalem and Manzanita during the month of August. See the event flyer for more information.

The goal of the Beaver Tales Art Exhibit and events is to recognize the aesthetic and ecological significance our state animal plays in the creation and maintenance of wetland habitats. Beavers, though woefully misunderstood, actually create and sustain wetlands that aid in resuscitating wetland and riparian stream habitats. They play a central role in shaping our future as we prepare for transformations that a warming and changing climate may bring. The sponsoring organizations are working together to learn more about how we can work with beaver to conserve and restore natural systems.