Audubon Society of Lincoln City (ASLC) designated August 2021 as Marine Reserve Awareness Month to raise visibility and understanding of the Oregon Marine Reserves, Oregon's own protected, fascinating living laboratories.
We enjoyed a full month of activities, from the Reserve Inspiration art exhibition to nature hikes at Cascade Head Marine Reserve to building ceramic tidepools!
Proud artists with their ceramic tidepool critters.
Building a Tidepool: dozens of children's joined us at Lincoln City Farmers and Crafters Market to paint ceramic tidepool critters. Artist Julie Fiedler provided the critters and a painted "tidepool" home for them.
Reserve Inspiration art exhibit ran from August 13 andthrough September 5 in the Chessman Gallery at Lincoln City Cultural Center. Seven coastal artists share work inspired by the beauty and diversity of the Cascade Head Marine Reserve in media ranging from painting to scientific illustration, ceramics, photography, and even FirePainting. And now, we've added two more artists and are moving the exhibit to Newport's Visual Arts Center for the month of October!
We had two fantastic presentations! At the exhibit opening, we joined Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife's Cristen Don as she presentend Diving into Oregon’s Marine Reserves—A Virtual Underwater Tour. Later in the month, we were treated to an online presentation by Peter Sugus Hatch, Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians in which he provided insights into Gifts from the Ocean: Oregon’s Marine Resources from a Tribal Perspective.
Learning about our marine reserves
One of the most popular aspects of Marine Reserve Awareness Month were the outings. We had three hikes focusing on Cascade Head Marine Reserve and its interconnectedness with the terrestrial ecosystem. Expert biologists and naturalists accompanied our visitors, taking them through the woods and beaches that are adjacent to Cascade Head Marine Reserve. We learned alot!
Cynthia Longhat-Adams, FirePainter