Astoria, OR: Oregon’s north coast is home to a wide array of birds each spring and summer, from seabirds like cormorants, common murres, brown pelicans, and tufted puffins to shorebirds like black oystercatchers and snowy plovers. Each spring and summer, volunteers collect data on these birds to help scientists and natural resource managers track the health of the birds’ populations and inform management activities on the coast. Data collected by volunteers has shown that the population of black oystercatchers in Oregon is small but relatively stable at approximately 500-600 birds, cormorant nesting success is highly variable from year to year and by location, and that the endangered western snowy plover is making a comeback on the north coast. Birds also serve as indicators of environmental health, so tracking their wellbeing can alert us to changes in ocean conditions that impact people.
Interested in participating? You can find out more about what these volunteer opportunities involve and find the project that best suits your interests and schedule – the webinar from March 30th provides additional information.
“This will be a light and engaging overview of four community science projects focused on birds, plus a bit of information about other community science opportunities in our area. It’s a low-pressure way to find out if this kind of volunteer project is for you,” said Margaret Treadwell, Program Coordinator for Friends of Cape Falcon Marine Reserve.
“We’d love to have your participation in this year’s bird survey effort! Help contribute to bird protection and have fun at the same time,” said Joe Liebezeit, Staff Scientist and Avian Conservation Manager at Portland Audubon. “The nice thing about these projects is they can be done in a COVID-19 safe way. This year, we are planning for more volunteer involvement while following protocols to keep everyone safe.”
“Bird Monitoring: Get outside and get involved!” with Friends of Cape Falcon last night, you can watch the video here: <iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/iV7DzYZa4zI” title=”YouTube video player” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen></iframe>
Learn about volunteer efforts led by Portland Audubon to collect data on birds, what these volunteer opportunities involve and find the project that best suits your interests and schedule. The program also covered volunteer opportunities with Haystack Rock Awareness Program and other ocean-focused coastal conservation groups. Stay tuned for information on those opportunities towards the end of the program.
If you’re interested in attending one or more training sessions, please see the information below to get signed up!
Allison Anholt, Coastal Community Science Coordinator for Portland Audubon, will be leading coordination of volunteers for Plover Patrol, Oregon Black Oystercatcher Project, and Seabird Colony monitoring. Below are links to the upcoming virtual training sessions for these projects. Please contact Allison at asopcoastalbirds@gmail.com to sign up.
Plover Patrol trainings: April 2/3 and 10/11
– April 2 and 3: https://audubonportland.org/event/plover-patrol/
– April 10 and 11: https://audubonportland.org/event/snowy-plover-patrol-training/2021-04-10/
Oregon Black Oystercatcher trainings: May 5 or May 8
Seabird Colony training for Cape Falcon: June 5
– https://audubonportland.org/event/seabird-nest-colony-monitoring-training-at-cape-falcon-20/
Joe Liebezeit, Staff Scientist and Avian Conservation Manager for Portland Audubon, will be coordinating the spring Brown Pelican survey which will take place on Saturday May 15. There will be a virtual training for that on April 29. Please contact Joe at jliebezeit@audubonportland.org to sign up.
– https://audubonportland.org/event/virtual-brown-pelican-survey-community-science-training/
You can learn more about these community science projects at Portland Audubon’s website. Visit Friends of Cape Falcon’s website for information on many more upcoming events, to subscribe to our newsletter, or make a donation to support local ocean conservation.
– Friends of Cape Falcon: https://www.nehalemtrust.org/capefalconmr/
– Portland Audubon: https://audubonportland.org/get-involved/community-science/
Friends of Cape Falcon Marine Reserve
Phone: (503) 298-5190
Website: http://www.nehalemtrust.org/capefalconmr/
Like us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/CapeFalconMR
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/capefalconmr/
Watch and subscribe to our videos at: https://tinyurl.com/CapeFalconVideos
The Friends of Cape Falcon Marine Reserve is composed of volunteer residents and organizations working to increase understanding and appreciation of the marine reserve. The group coordinates education events and promotes scientific research in the area through several community science projects. The Friends of Cape Falcon Marine Reserve is fiscally sponsored by the Lower Nehalem Community Trust. Find out more at http://www.nehalemtrust.org/capefalconmr.
Portland Audubon, founded in 1902, is one of the oldest conservation organizations in Oregon. We work to protect birds and habitats across the state and connect people to nature to support and help us in these efforts. Together for Nature!