'Tidepool Exploriences' in Lincoln City Give Close Looks at Oregon Coast Lifeforms

Published 04/11/22 at 6:22 PM PST
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Lincoln City, Oregon) – Any minute now, it will be tidepool season in the central Oregon coast town of Lincoln City.

Part of the Lincoln City Visitor & Convention Bureau's (LCVB) Exploriences program, it starts to shift gears a little, more to the wetter side of things: the tidepool clinics. These take place on various dates throughout the season, including April 19, April 21 and May 20 – the full roster is listed below.

Times vary slightly, but on April 19 it happens at 9 a.m. All of them take place at the NW 15th St. access in Lincoln City, featuring the town's most prolific tidepools. All events are free and open to everyone.

With the Tidepool Clinics, you get an up-close and personal primer on the colorful and dynamic lifeforms of the Oregon coast. It's an introduction to rocky shore ecosystems, where you'll get to witness sea anemones, urchins, sea stars, as well as the wildly colored sea slugs – among other tiny, engaging critters.

CoastWatch / Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition is teaming up with the LCVB for these special sessions on the central Oregon coast, a talk mixed with a field trip excursion. After a two-year hiatus because of the pandemic, the Explorience program is back in full swing and so are the Tidepool Exploriences, happening through spring and summer. This talk and rocky shore exploration will be led by Fawn Custer, formerly CoastWatch’s volunteer coordinator, who still assists the program with in-the-field training.

Each session begins with a brief talk before Custer takes participants on a field trip to the tidepools to identify their inhabitants, including those listed above as well mussels and much more. The clinic lasts about an hour. Questions are encouraged, and there are few better ways to dig deeply into your Oregon coast experience.

To get to the NW 15th St. access, from Highway 101 turn west onto 15th street (at the Jasmine Thai Restaurant) and continue west towards the ocean. There is ample street parking as well as a public parking lot nearby. Parking is also available at the Sea Gull Beachfront Motel near the beach access. Those attending should arrive 10 to 15 minutes early and dress for Oregon coast weather, which means layers in case of rain or sunshine – or a mix of both. Things can get suddenly warmer then cooler. Rubber gloves, a rain jacket, and sunscreen would all be advisable. For more information on the tidepool clinics, call (800) 452-2151 or visit the Lincoln City site, click on Exploriences.

In case of inclement weather, you will want to check with Fawn at (541) 270-0027, fawn@oregonshores.org, to make sure the walk is still taking place.

These Tidepool Clinic part of the Exploriences programs happen simultaneously with other programs such as the Clamming Exploriences and the Crabbing Exploriences, where you can snag your own seafood grub. See the Exploriences article for further information.

The dates and times for the Tidepool Clinics are:

Thursday, April 21, 2022 @ 10:30 AM
Friday, May 20, 2022 @ 10 AM
Sunday, May 22, 2022 @ 12 PM
Saturday, June 4, 2022 @ 9:30 AM
Thursday, June 16, 2022 @ 8:30 AM
Saturday, June 18, 2022 @ 10 AM
Sunday, June 19, 2022 @ 11 AM
Sunday, July 17, 2022 @ 9 AM

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