Plastic Campaign Web Mail Manager Needed! This technologically savy individual is needed to help merge all of our petition signers into a cooler email account so we can message to them and coalition groups. Please contact Charlie at cplybon@surfrider.org
Check in Locations:
Florence’s Port of Siuslaw Boat Ramp in Old Town
·North Fork at Bender’s Landing
·In Cushman at the Siuslaw Marina
·In Mapleton at Maple Lane & RV Marina
·Up HWY 36 at Rain Rock
·In Deadwood meet at the store
Volunteer Contact Melisa Buckwald
Surfrider’s Siuslaw Chapter invites you to their Spring Siuslaw River & Estuary Cleanup. On Saturday April 30th 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. we will meet in Florence at the Port of Siuslaw Dock located at 1st and Harbor Street. A volunteer will be there to answer questions and provide supplies for your cleanup efforts.
If you have a boat bring it! We may have a few extras at the cleanup site for loan. Be prepared to crawl in and out of your boat in order to reach the trash that normally sticks closely to the high tide line, on the bank, or in the mud. This means getting a little wet and a bit muddy.
No boat? No worries! Going by foot along the bank and through the high tide line is a very productive way to clean up the river. On foot you can access areas unreachable by boat. We need people to play this part too. You can access the river or estuary by walking from the port dock along the bank, going to the parking area by the North Fork bridge on HWY 126, or if you’ve noticed a problem area elsewhere that collects trash feel free to go there.
Don’t let getting dirty discourage you because it’s fun, and it’s worth it! Just remember to be prepared with a life jacket, rubber boots, wetsuit, spare clothes, and we hear neoprene booties work really well.
If you decide to access the river elsewhere, away from the Port dock, please let us know so we can make arrangements to haul away the loads of trash you collect. And remember to stop by the table to sign a waiver form, unless of course we make prior arrangements.
There will be a “trash barge”, aka volunteer in a motor boat, motoring around to assist with things like large heavy Styrofoam pieces, tires and so on.
As a part of the Adopt A River program with SOLV the Siuslaw Chapter organizes a river cleanup twice a year, this is the first. Everyone is welcome to help and please pass this on to family and friends. Join us after the efforts at Wakonda Tasting Room 1725 Kingwood for a volunteer appreciation BBQ. We are looking forward to the event and hope you can help in our effort to protect and conserve our oceans, waves, and beaches! Questions Contact Melisa Buckwald
The Siuslaw Estuary Partnership is a collaborative effort funded through an Environmental Protection Agency grant for a partnership between City, State, Federal, and NGO partners to protect water quality in the Florence Dunal Aquafier and Siuslaw Estuary as well as protect and restore fish and wildlife habitat in the Siuslaw estuary and other nearshore influential water bodies and wetlands.
The Siuslaw Chapter of Surfrider Foundation has a seat on the stakeholder advisory panel as the influences of the local estuary have significant effects on the quality and on our enjoyment of the nearshore ocean. Many divers, surfers and other paddlers recreate within the river and estuary during winter months when the sea state is high and ensuring protection of these recreational resources is a primary interest for the chapter’s engagement. Additionally, the chapter seeks to further it’s land-sea connectivity messaging, so that better management decisions can be made in a more multi-faceted ecosystem-based approach. More info on project at www.siuslawwaters.org
photos courtesy of Siuslaw Estuary Partnership
Thanks so much to all of the volunteers that participated in this year’s Ocean Issues Forum in Florence, Oregon. The theme of this year’s event was climate change and adaptation and great updates were given from many of the leading professionals from ocean sciences, management, industry and non-profit/NGOs. Take home message, climate change is happening, but by actively engaging in constructive dialogue as a community and taking actions as individuals, collectively we can best adapt and be better prepared for the changes that we will face.
Updates on the marine reserve process were given by Anna Pakenaham (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife) and Al Pazar (Commercial Fisherman and community team leader), both giving enthusiastic support of the community team recommendations and process for the Cape Perpetua marine reserve and marking this as an important step for Oregon. Presentations on climate change by Darrin Sharp of Oregon Climate Change Research Institute, Coastal Changes by Bob Bailey of Department of Land Conservation and Development, Ocean Acidification by Burke Hales of OSU-COAS and sea level rise by Jonathon Allen, DOGAMI. Thanks to all of the volunteers that attended the event on behalf of the Siuslaw Chapter of Surfrider Foundation!
Hope you can make it tonight – bring a friend! The Siuslaw Chapter will meet at 6pm sharp tonight in the conference room of the Siuslaw Public Library. On tap for presentation is Mark Chandler, Blue Water Task Force coordinator.
Upcoming Events:
11/8 Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve Community Team Mtg. (LAST MEETING) 5:30pm, Siuslaw Fire Department, 2625 HWY 101 Contact Gus at ggates@surfrider.org for more info
11/17 Water Quality Monitoring Day Contact Mark at m.chandler@charter.net to volunteer
11/27 Siltcoos Outlet Beach Cleanup 10am-1pm Contact Melisa at surflivelove@yahoo.com to volunteer
Thanks to all who showed up and organized for this awesome cleanup event. Pictures from the event can be seen on our flickr site here. Over 1400 pounds of trash were removed from the beloved Siuslaw before it had the chance to reach the ocean! Big props to volunteers Melisa Buckwald and Britany Getz for their awesome work and organizing efforts!
The “No-Brammer” water quality device and about 8 volunteers braved the scattered downpours and sucker sun spots this Wednesday for the spring water quality training event. The event was a great success, volunteers not held back by the elements, chapter champion and blue water task force coordinator Mark Chandler led the group through sampling techniques at the South Jetty of the Siuslaw and then carpooled the crew up to Mapleton to run through the lab work at the Siuslaw Watershed Council office. Great work by all involved and welcome aboard new volunteers.
Upcoming: May Day River Cleanup, Beach Cleanups, Water Quality Testing, Foam Fest and much more…plug in with chapter volunteer coordinator Melissa Buckwald at surflivelove@yahoo.com and get involved!
The Siuslaw Chapter’s Blue Water Task Force training event is coming up April 28th and volunteers are encouraged to come tour the lab and learn the ropes of testing. Interested volunteers should contact BWTF Coordinator Mark Chandler at m.chandler@charter.net And in celebration of the start May, why not a little river cleanup to keep it clean upstream? Interested volunteers should contact Melissa Buckwald at surflivelove@yahoo.com. Thanks to all the volunteers that supported the recent Ocean Issues Forum and helped out for the first annual Florence Green Fair at the events center…both events were a great success and a great way to show off our work…kudos.
Our friends at the Siuslaw Watershed Council will be hosting the 3rd Annual Ocean Issues Community Forum on March 31st from 6-9pm at the Florence Events Center. The focus of this event will be an update on the Marine Reserves process, as well as an overview and update on the Territorial Sea Plan amendments for the siting of Alternative Energy in the Ocean. The forum will feature presentations from respected experts on these issues, with a moderated panel discussion after the presentations. For more info, click on the link below to view the event flyer, and pass the word on to friends and family! At the January general Council meeting, the leadership board of the Council decided through a consensus process to officially include the nearshore marine waters from Heceta Head down to the Siltcoos River as part of it’s geographic area of interest and in doing so making an important land-sea connection. This step is a first for a watershed council in Oregon, and elevates the importance of community based stewardship discussions on various coastal-ocean-watershed issues. The Council plans to continue to spend the majority of their time focusing on terrestrial watershed issues, but will also continue nearshore water quality monitoring, involvement on the Cape Perpetua marine reserve community team, and hosting the annual Ocean Issues Forum. For more info on the Siuslaw Watershed Council and their programs, visit: www.siuslaw.org
