Surfrider Foundation, Audubon Society and the Cape Perpetua Foundation recently hosted a community event in Yachats to highlight some of the great research, restoration and monitoring work happening within the watersheds and nearshore waters around the newly established Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve and protected area. The event was aimed at raising awareness and support for all of the work happening in the special place, connecting community members with a fun social event, and serving as a springboard for development of the site management plan for the marine reserve.
Over 100 people showed up on a stormy Friday night to learn from some of the experts doing work in the Cape Perpetua region. With a great opening welcome from Yachats City Councilor Greg Scott, the evening presentations got underway. Presenters included:
Courtland Smith, Oregon State University- Historical Perspective
Chris Lorion, ODFW Salmonid Life Cycle Monitoring- Cummins/Tenmile Fish Abundance
Jack Sleeper, USFS Fisheries Biologist- Large Wood Placement/Movement
Charlie Plybon, Surfrider Foundation- Water Quality & Marine Debris Monitoring
Al Pazar, Dungeness Crabber- Co-operative & Collaborative Research
Rob Surryan, Oregon State University- Seabirds
Bruce Menge, Oregon State University/PISCO- Intertidal research & Hypoxia
Cristen Don, ODFW Marine Resources Program- Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve and Management Plan Development
After all of the presentations, attendees were treated to some yummy appetizers provided by the local Bread & Roses Bakery, as well as some delicious beer from Ninkasi Brewing Company. After some mingling with others, attendees had an opportunity to ask any follow up questions of presenters via roundtables and to discuss any future research and monitoring ideas or needs. There was some great discussions at the table led by Cristen Don and Charlie Plybon, which will serve as good input for the development of the site management plan for the Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve and protected area.
Feedback from the event has been really positive and we hope to do this again next year. Thank you to everyone who came and to Bread & Roses Bakery and Ninkasi Brewing Company for the generous support. We hope that people learned something new, got better acquainted with fellow community members, and will plug into on-going research/monitoring projects and the development of the Cape Perpetua site management plan.
