JOIN US SEPTEMBER 1ST AT 6:30 PM FOR OUR SEPTEMBER COMMUNITY MEETING

This summer the MidCoast Watersheds Council hosted a high school intern to help with a busy season of habitat restoration work. The internship was and introduction to the world of professional habitat restoration and conservation and the types of jobs within it. From finding hundreds of newts during a stream survey to analyzing various types of data, it has been quite a busy summer.

 He will be sharing about his projects at MCWC’s September community meeting. James will be joined by MCWC staff to provide some extra context and history behind some of the projects he worked on. Join us on Thursday, September 1st at 6:30 PM on Zoom or YouTube Live.

JOIN OUR AUGUST COMMNUITY MEETING 8/5/22 AT 6:30 VIA ZOOM AND YOUTUBE

MidCoast Watersheds Council (MCWC) has been improving salmon habitat throughout the central Oregon coast through major restoration projects since 1996. The work of MCWC work is as strong as ever, with several major projects scheduled to be completed this summer (2022) and even more being engineered and designed for the future. We will be sharing about these projects at our upcoming virtual community meeting.

Most work this summer is taking place in the Alsea and Siletz River basins. In the Alsea River basin, we will be restoring fish passage on Bummer Creek by repairing an impassable drop off (aka “head cut”) caused by extreme erosion and improving habitat on Mill Creek by installing large wood structures. Designs are being engineered to follow up the wood placement by replacing culverts on Beaty Creek, a tributary to Mill Creek, to improve the connectivity and quality of habitat in the system. Designs are also being engineered to reconnect a seasonal wetland called Honey Grove Oxbow near Alsea. In the Siletz River basin, large wood will be installed in Rock Creek. Designs are being created to allow the tides to flow over Drift Creek where it drains into Siletz Bay to restore estuary habitat.

Poole Slough in the Yaquina River estuary

MCWC and partners are dramatically expanding work in the estuaries of the Yaquina and Alsea rivers in the coming years because of the major ecological significance of the places that rivers run into the ocean. This will be building on past and current work in these estuaries, including habitat reconnection, wood placement, and plantings like those in Poole Slough in the Yaquina Bay. We preview projects that will be implemented in the next few years.

Join us on Thursday August 4th at 6:30 PM to hear from Council Coordinator, Evan Hayduk, about the status of these projects and the ecological importance of projects like these.

You can join by registering via Zoom at the following link:  https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwtce6vrj8jHdKMJCfIewjC4ACBJh7GQgrp

Or stream it on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChCse-DHDTEcrHjKCT4onrA

SPEAKER BIO

Evan was born and raised in Western Washington and has spent his entire career dedicated to restoring natural systems in the Pacific Northwest. After completing his undergraduate at Santa Clara University, Evan returned to Washington to complete two AmeriCorps terms with the Washington Conservation Corps and received a Master’s of Environmental Studies from The Evergreen State College. He has worked in various ecosystems, from work in estuary and riparian areas, to prairie and oak savanna restoration at Joint Base Lewis McChord, and spent three seasons growing plants for sub-alpine meadow restoration at Mt. Rainier. Since 2016, Evan has been the Council Coordinator for the MidCoast Watersheds Council, working with partners to complete major restoration projects in the Council’s nearly one-million-acre footprint on the coast. When he isn’t working at MCWC, you will likely find him tending to his backyard veggie garden, walking with his wife and dog on the beach, or you may not be able to find him at all, as he spends as much time as possible backpacking and camping in remote locations all around the world.

JUNE 2ND, 2022, AT 6:30 PM VIA ZOOM

From small headwater streams to salty tidal channels, few species have such diverse behaviors as salmonids. The complexity of their genetic lineage allows them to survive in remarkably variable and dynamic stream conditions. One question scientists are asking is, “How well will salmonids survive under future climates that will affect their habitats?”

For species like Pacific salmonids who use the entire watershed, we would expect different effects in freshwater, the estuary, and the ocean. What we don’t know is whether our native species have enough adaptive resilience to survive the potentially confounding effects of a changing climate across these varied environments.

In this talk, Dr. Flitcroft will discuss the development and adaptation of Pacific salmon to Northwest stream environments, some of the changes we may expect to see in the future, and how scientists answer these questions.

WATCH THIS PRESENTATION

Dr Rebecca Flitcroft is a Research Fish Biologist with the United States Forest Service at the Pacific Northwest Research Station, Oregon, USA, and co-chair of the Freshwater Specialist Group with the World Commission on Protected Areas. Dr. Flitcroft received her doctorate in Fisheries Science and Masters of Science in Natural Resource Geography from Oregon State University, and completed her undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science and Economics at Willamette University. Her current research focuses on Pacific salmonids, multiscale aquatic ecosystem assessments over time, effects of disturbances on aquatic ecosystems and native biota, community-based conservation planning, and aquatic biodiversity. Dr. Flitcroft particularly enjoys opportunities to work in multi-disciplinary groups that allow the complexity of the natural world to be more fully represented in research questions and studies. In her work, she has collaborated with federal, state, private and non-profit organizations to develop scientifically rigorous approaches to catchment management. 

May 5, 2022

JOIN US 5/5/2022 AT 6:30PM TO HEAR FROM KRISTEN DYBALLA AT OUR MAY COMMUNITY MEETING

Dr. Kristen Dybala is Principal Ecologist at Point Blue Conservation Science where she leads research to inform conservation strategies with multiple benefits for people, wildlife, and ecosystems. Originally from Houston, Texas, she earned her Ph.D. in Ecology at the University of California--Davis. Her research has focused on riparian and wetland ecosystems in California's Central Valley, examining bird population and community responses to habitat restoration, climate-change impacts, and trade-offs with carbon sequestration. She is currently developing a field protocol for quantifying the multiple benefits of riparian restoration projects and a framework for projecting the multiple co-benefits and trade-offs of land management decisions.

MCWC APRIL COMMUNITY MEETING (THURSDAY 4/7/22 AT 6:30PM)

What did the tidal wetlands of the Yaquina Bay Estuary look like 200 years ago? What might they look like a hundred years in the future? The estuary has always been dynamic, but this period has seen especially broad changes in these wetlands that are related to human impacts. In this presentation, we'll travel through time so you can visualize the estuary's past wetland habitats, how they have changed, and their potential future -- and we'll talk about what these changes mean to people and wildlife that live here and use the estuary.

Speaker bio:
Laura directs the Estuary Technical Group at the Institute for Applied Ecology, a nonprofit in Corvallis, Oregon. She enjoys developing and delivering solid science to support estuary restoration and conservation by coastal communities. Over the past 20 years, she's led field studies in nearly all of Oregon's major estuaries, including effectiveness monitoring at Oregon's largest tidal wetland restoration projects. From these projects, she and her colleagues have made exciting discoveries about how our estuaries work, leading to better mapping of estuary habitats and better data on valued estuary functions like carbon sequestration and fish habitat. Currently, Laura is collaborating with regional and national teams to apply this new knowledge and help improve estuary management across the U.S. Laura has worked with MidCoast Watersheds Council in the past, and was a lead researcher on the Landward Migration Zones study.

WATCH THE RECORDING HERE

PDF OF PRESENTATION

JOIN US 3/3/22 AT 6:30 FOR OUR VIRTUAL COMMUNITY MEETING.

The livelihoods of tens of thousands of Oregonians and countless species of wildlife depend on the forests of Oregon, so the industry is constantly looking for new ways to ensure sustainable futures for both. Kirk Hanson of Northwest Natural Resource Group (NNRG) will discuss principles of Ecological Forestry that his organization has been developing to help forests in the Pacific Northwest adapt to a changing climate. By highlighting the myriad forests NNRG manages across the region, Kirk will share examples of forest management strategies that provide alternatives to conventional industrial plantation forestry that has been the standard in the Northwest for decades.

He’s worked on behalf of small woodland owners for more than 25 years, bringing a passion for ecological forestry and simplified hands-on management practices that allows forest owners to take a direct role in the stewardship of their own land. As a member of a three-generation family-owned forest, Kirk understands the issues and opportunities facing small woodland owners and relishes developing new strategies for optimizing the economic and ecological potential of their forests. Kirk worked for six years with the Washington DNR’s Small Forest Landowner Office before joining NNRG in 2006. He also teaches ecological forestry as an adjunct instructor at the Evergreen State College. Kirk’s favorite way to spend time in his forest is felling trees and pruning.

WATCH THIS PRESENTATION HERE

JOIN US FEBRUARY 3RD AT 6:30 FOR OUR VIRTUAL COMMUNITY MEETING

Seagrasses are frequently considered a indicator species of estuarine health and productivity since they are sensitive to nutrient overload, temperature, water clarity, and are long-term integrators of environmental conditions.  Estuaries are increasingly subjected to stress from natural and anthropogenic nutrients as well as changing temperatures and coastal acidification. This presentation will focus on local and regional changes in the presence and distribution of native eelgrass (Zostera marina L). and non-native Japanese eelgrass (Z. japonica Aschers. & Greabn) in relation to changing stressors. The presentation draws heavily on more than 20 years of research conducted at ORD’s Pacific Coastal Ecology Branch (CPHEA/PESD) in Newport, OR.  

EPA’s Office of Research and Development facility in Newport, now called the Pacific Coastal Ecology Branch (PCEB), has been part of the Hatfield Marine Science Center campus since 1980.  A major research focus of PCEB since about 1997 has been on the distribution and ecology of seagrasses in Yaquina Bay and other PNW estuaries. Research topics have included seagrass mapping, physiological and biogeochemical responses to water and sediment quality, population dynamics, and ecological modeling, as well as studies of ecological interactions with birds, fish and invertebrates.  Seagrasses are considered a sentinel species of estuarine health and productivity since they are sensitive to, and long-term integrators of, environmental conditions. Estuaries are increasingly subjected to stress from natural and anthropogenic nutrients as well as changing temperatures and coastal acidification. This presentation will focus on local and regional changes in the presence and distribution of native eelgrass Zostera marina L. and non-native Japanese eelgrass Z. japonica Aschers. & Greabn. in relation to changing stressors.  

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Dr. James Kaldy is a ecologist at US EPA, Pacific Ecological Systems Division located in Newport.  Over the last 20 years Jim has conducted research on the ecology of seagrasses and macroalgae in Yaquina Bay and other PNW estuaries.  Prior to that, he conducted seagrass research in New England and the Gulf of Mexico.  Jim earned a Ph.D. in Marine Science from the University of Texas at Austin in 1997 and has over 35 peer-reviewed publications.  He also holds a MS in Plant Biology from the University of New Hampshire and a BS in Marine Science from LIU-Southampton.

JOIN US JANUARY 6TH AT 6:30PM FOR OUR MONTHLY COMMUNITY MEETING.

Roy Lowe and other local volunteers have been documenting the return of the threatened western snowy plover to Lincoln County beaches and also monitoring the declining wintering population of black brant at Yaquina Bay.  Roy will show photographs and discuss some of the results of their monitoring efforts and include some interesting information on the travels and origin of some of the marked birds they are observing.  He will also show some photos of other species of birds you can expect to see along the beaches or in the bay.

Roy Lowe is a photographer and resident of Waldport, Oregon.  He was employed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for more than 37 years and was the Project Leader for the Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex upon his retirement in 2015.

Unfortunately we did not record Roy’s talk to the council, but below is a very similar talk he gave to Hatfield Marine Science Center.

JOIN MCWC'S COMMUNITY MEETING DECEMBER 2ND AT 6:30 PM

Estuaries are not only federally designated as Essential Fish Habitat, they’re a Habitat Area of Particular Concern (HAPC). The HAPC designation is for high priority areas for conservation, management, or research because they are important to ecosystem function, sensitive to human activities, stressed by development, or are rare. Habitat types within estuaries vary substantially and consist of either natural (seagrass, large woody debris, natural rock, etc.) or man-made structures. Research from OSU over the last two decades indicates that (1) the fish communities in Oregon estuaries are changing, and (2) natural estuary habitats, particularly seagrasses, play an outsized role in the feeding and growth of juveniles fishes, particularly in years of poor ocean conditions. Given that ocean conditions on the west coast are changing, maintaining healthy natural habitats may become even more important in the future.

Scott Heppell is an Associate Professor in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Oregon State University. His interests include the physiological ecology and conservation of fishes, particularly how physiology, behavior, and life history traits affect the interactions between fish populations, their respective fisheries, and the environment. He has worked on bluefin tuna in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, on groupers throughout the tropical western Atlantic, on rockfishes in Oregon and Alaska, on sharks in the Adriatic, on forage fishes in the Bering Sea, and on salmonids in Japan and the high deserts of Oregon and Nevada. Scott serves on the Habitat Committee for the Pacific Fishery Management Fishery Council, is chair of the Science and Data Committee for the Pacific Marine and Estuarine Fish Habitat Partnership and is president of the Oregon Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. He teaches classes in Fishery Biology, Salmon Biology and Management, and Fish Physiology, plus an undergraduate, non-majors course called Food from the Sea, which explores the social, cultural, biological, environmental, and economic aspects how seafood ends up on our plates.

JOIN US NOVEMBER 4TH AT 6:30 FOR OUR NOVEMBER COMMUNITY MEETING

Oregon's kelp forests are vital habitat for an amazing variety of marine species that sustain life and livelihoods on the Oregon coast. Changing ocean conditions and unchecked sea urchin populations have thrown the ecosystem that supports these highly productive forests out of balance, but a highly motivated group of researchers and community members on the Oregon coast is taking action to better understand and save Oregon's kelp forests. In our November community meeting, we will be hearing from Tom Calvanese, the coordinator of the Oregon Kelp Alliance (ORKA). ORKA aims to promote the health of Oregon's kelp forests through monitoring and researching conditions in kelp forest ecosystems, reducing urchin density in key areas to promote kelp forest regeneration, and engaging communities that rely on these systems. They recently received notice of a large federal appropriation to engage coastal communities in coastwide kelp surveys that will greatly enhance our ability to understand these systems and to promote kelp forest stewardship.

Along with being the coordinator of ORKA, Tom Calvanese also manages the OSU Port Orford Field Station. The field station supports a wide variety of research and community activities throughout the year. He also served two terms as a commissioner for the Port of Port Orford. He earned his master's degree in fisheries science while studying the movement behavior of rockfish at the Redfish Rocks Marine Reserve and Marine Protected Area and spent several years as a commercial sea urchin diver. He has a wealth of knowledge about marine ecology and the many stakeholders that use the marine resources of the Oregon Coast.

Join us: Thursday October 7th , 2021 at 6:30 PM

In 2004, the HMSC Visitors Center, which receives about 150,000 visitors each year, became a laboratory for studying free-choice learning (FCL). In this presentation, Dr. Shawn Rowe who started the FCL Lab will discuss what we’ve learned from the 16 years of work here in Newport as well as how it has sparked a host of other research programs internationally. Dr. Rowe will also talk about how the things they’ve learned from working with visitors can help us be more effective communicators (and learners) about climate change and building resilient coastal communities worldwide.

Shawn Rowe, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Oregon Sea Grant, Oregon State University College of Education. For nearly two decades, Dr. Rowe has been carrying out research and teaching related to the intersections of everyday knowing and thinking with the interdisciplinary teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). With a background in applied linguistics and developmental psychology, his work has focused on family interactions in informal learning environments and how exhibits and activity support or undermine learning. In addition to this work with families, Dr. Rowe also works with learning in a wide-variety of everyday settings including citizen science activity, climate change decision making, professional development for teachers, dance and musical performance, and communicating science.

We all know the importance of our watersheds, and this is doubly true for watersheds that are source water areas for cities and towns. Municipalities in Oregon have worked to acquire and protect these areas to ensure a permanent source of clean water. This process can be both ecologically and economically beneficial. 

Our meeting will feature Ben Hayes from Springboard Forestry, who has helped the City of Astoria implement their innovative approach to watershed protection. Ben is a sixth generation Oregonian with a family history of forestry. He now runs Springboard Forestry, and has worked as a consultant for Astoria and other municipalities with a strong focus on conservation, drinking water, and finance.

We’ll also get an update on local efforts in Yachats from John Theilacker. John is well versed in the combined efforts of Yachats, Waldport, Southwest Lincoln PUD, and the U.S. Forest Service to manage and restore their combined watersheds and is happy to share this information with our central coast community.

Use the following link to register for this event:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcrfu2pqTkuGtxmGJJa_HDZu1ZQtAT1Lh9U

A related meeting will be hosted by our friends at the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition. For more information, visit: https://oregonshores.org/events/webinar-drinking-water

Virtually gather with us on Thursday, August 5th 2021 at 6:30 PM.

Our meeting will feature Aaron Groth, who works with OSU Extension Services as the Regional Fire Specialist for the coast. He will be joined by Debbie Pickering, the Oregon Coast Ecologist from The Nature Conservancy, to discuss local fire management practices.

Prescribed fire serves land managers as an essential tool. This talk will cover the use of prescribed fire on the Oregon Coast, with special attention to The Nature Conservancy's Cascade Head Preserve. It will also provide an overview of ecological objectives and goals for using prescribed fire. Prescribed fire’s use at Cascade Head and other sites must be differentiated from catastrophic wildfire, such as the Echo Mountain Fire Complex (September 2020).

In addition to his work at OSU Extension services, Aaron is completing a Ph.D. degree program from University of Texas at Austin’s Department of Geography and the Environment in Geography, focused on landscape ecology and management, forest conservation, biogeography, and integrated watershed studies. Aaron is a former Peace Corps Volunteer, where he worked in the areas of agroforestry and reforestation in the Andes Mountains of Peru during 2006 – 2008. Aaron holds a B.A. degree in History and International Studies from the University of Wisconsin and an M.A. in Geography from the University of Missouri. Aaron also holds graduate certificates in Conservation Biology and Geographic Information Science.

For our June Community Meeting we are excited to have journalist and bestselling author Kristin Ohlson with us to discuss her book:

The Soil Will Save Us: How Scientists, Farmers, and Foodies Are Healing the Soil to Save the Planet

To register for this free event, CLICK HERE

Thousands of years of poor farming and ranching practices—and, especially, modern industrial agriculture—have led to the loss of up to 80 percent of carbon from the world’s soils. That carbon is now floating in the atmosphere, and even if we stopped using fossil fuels today, it would continue warming the planet. In The Soil Will Save Us, Ohlson makes an elegantly argued, passionate case for "our great green hope"—a way in which we can not only heal the land but also turn atmospheric carbon into beneficial soil carbon—and potentially reverse global warming.

Her articles have spanned many subjects, from zebrafish bioengineered to glow in the presence of pollutants to abandoned coal mines that catch fire and burn for decades to feminist philanthropy to the biology of moral decision-making to watching Indian soap operas with a roomful of men in Kabul.

Some of her many Honors and Awards include:

Best American Science Writing, 2011
Creative Workforce Fellow, 2010
Best American Travel Writing, 2008
New York Times bestseller, 2007

To register for this free event, CLICK HERE

This month we are excited to have the Director of Communications & Outreach for The Xerces Society with us to deliver what is sure to be a wonderful presentation on pollinators and what we can do to protect and restore their populations. See below for a description of the talk Matthew will be presenting and some information on his impressive background in this field.

To register for the event, please CLICK HERE

Hope to see you there!

Bring Back the Pollinators!

Bees are struggling due to habitat loss, pesticides, and disease, but the good news is that there are things we can do to make our landscape better for bees—and if we all do something, together we can have a big impact. Matthew Shepherd of the Xerces Society will introduce you to the diversity and natural history of North America’s native bees, and present straightforward ways in which you can make your garden—or neighborhood or city—a pollinator haven. Find out how to select flowers, provide nest sites, and why you should avoid pesticides. There are also community science projects to join in and other ways to engage your community.

Matthew Shepherd

Director of Communications & Outreach, The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

Matthew Shepherd has spent more than thirty years working with people from all walks of life to create better places for wildlife. Matthew’s career began in England and took him to Kenya before his arrival in the United States two decades ago. He has worked for the Xerces Society since 1999, initially at the vanguard of a national effort to protect pollinators, but now focused on communications, community engagement, and urban conservation. Matthew is author of numerous articles and other publications and coauthor of books, including Attracting Native Pollinators (Storey Publishing, 2011) and Gardening for Butterflies (Timber Press, 2016). He learned gardening at his mother’s side and has created and maintained wildlife gardens everywhere he has lived.

To register for the event, please CLICK HERE

Who’s in the Stream?  Finding Species Through eDNA Sampling

At the MidCoast Watershed Council’s next virtual Community Meeting, Dr. Kellie Carim will discuss sampling using environmental DNA. To register for the talk click HERE

Or cut and paste the following link into your web browser:

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUrdemgrjopH93iWqN-SSgMSSCQHjCVjcth

DNA is the genetic material that is found in all organisms and each species has its own unique patterns of the genetic code. Environmental DNA (eDNA) is simply DNA that organisms shed into their surrounding environment (water, snow, soil, or even air) through the sloughing off of cells. Biologists can collect and analyze this DNA to understand what animals are in a given area. For example, a glass of water collected from a stream along the Oregon coast will contain the DNA from the organisms living upstream of where that sample was collected. Biologists now have the power to quickly identify the animals present in that stream by filtering out the DNA in that glass of water and analyzing the various genetics codes that are present. Fish, frogs, mammals, mussels - all from a single glass of water. That is pretty amazing!

While it may sound like magic, eDNA is becoming common tool in aquatic research and management. In particular, this tool is exceptionally useful for finding species that are rare, elusive, or invasive. For example, the technique has found endangered frogs, fish and marine species when other methods could not find them. Here in western Oregon, it’s helping us understand lamprey, freshwater mussels and other fish and shellfish distributions.

On Thursday April 1 at 6:30, please join the MidCoast Watersheds Council’s zoom meeting, as Kellie Carim, Ph.D. and eDNA expert, guides us through this fascinating field, and learn how the MCWC is applying this cutting-edge technology to inform conservation and management in our watersheds. 

Dr. Carim’s talk will focus on work with federal, state, tribal, and non-profit partners to understand the presence and distribution of Pacific lamprey in the Columbia River basin and in our Mid-Coast watersheds.

To register for the talk click HERE. Or cut and paste the following link into your web browser:

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUrdemgrjopH93iWqN-SSgMSSCQHjCVjcth