Where Have All the Sea Otters Gone?
Naturalist Presentation with Yaquina Birders & Naturalists

Photo courtesy of Yaquina Birders & Naturalists

Oregon once upon a time had a robust population of sea otters. Now there are none, and have not been for more than one hundred years. The population was decimated during the fur trade era, which began in the late 18th century, and by subsequent local hunting. This presentation will cover the relationship of the coastal Native people to sea otters and the devastating impact, over many decades, of the fur trade. It will begin with the maritime fur trade’s activities in Oregon, then review the relationship of the land-based fur trade to sea otters, and finally the impact of local hunting, by Natives and settlers, on the remaining population.

Cameron La Follette is a coastal historian, and  the executive director of Oregon Coast Alliance, a land use advocacy organization and the coastal affiliate of 1000 Friends of Oregon. She is also on the board of the Elakha Alliance, whose mission is to return sea otters to Oregon. As a historian, Ms. La Follette has written about Oregon’s oldest shipwreck (a Spanish galleon of 1693), Oregon sea otter history, and many articles for the Oregon Historical Society’s Oregon Encyclopedia on coastal history. Her principal interests lie in coastal natural resources history and the early contact era, from the 17th century to the mid 19th century.

MEETING LOCATION:

OSU Extension Lincoln County
1211 SE Bay Blvd
Newport, OR 97365