Last summer, I got eaten alive by mosquitoes while doing fieldwork. In all his optimism, my professor told me that I should consider myself a grandparent to mosquitoes because my blood helped create their eggs. (Fun fact: Only female mosquitoes take your blood because they use the protein and iron in it to develop their eggs.) While I won’t be baking cookies for my mosquito grandchildren anytime soon, I try and take comfort in helping to create life, as I uncontrollably scratch at my five mosquito bites.
Mike Miller Park, where the views are worth the bug bites
Things are moving along with Shop at the Dock! For those of you who didn’t read my last post, Shop at the Dock is an event where OSU staff teach people about Newport’s commercial fisheries and how to buy seafood directly from fishermen. This is fantastic for so many reason- it supports local businesses, promotes understanding of local fisheries, and encourages a sense of responsibility in consumers. Flyers for the event are done and the dates are set for every Friday, beginning July 15th.
This week, I began developing a survey to assess the economic impacts of Shop at the Dock. It will be administered to both fishermen and participants at the event to gauge the economic impacts of the program and to understand ways in which the event can be improved, week to week. Still adjusting, but should be done soon!
In keeping with the theme of promoting understanding and stewardship of the ocean, Oregon Coast Aquarium celebrated World Oceans Day this past Saturday. The theme was “Healthy Oceans, Healthy Planet” and the goal was to bring attention to the important role the ocean’s health plays in the well-being of the planet and how stopping plastic pollution can benefit the ecosystem. My fellow Summer Scholars and I took the Better Bag Challenge and pledged to avoid disposable bags for at least a year. Such an easy way to make a difference!
Thanks for reading! I’ll leave you with a great song by a great band, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Lead singer Karen O once said “mosquitoes are one of my least favorite things”, and I really couldn’t agree more.
A survey that allows both big picture economic assessment and weekly program adjustments sounds like a powerful tool indeed. I look forward to learning about the various iterations of your programming – and appreciate that you approach it with “continuous process improvement” in mind. I wonder if mosquitos do that??
Those mosquitoes on the coast are huge and aggressive! At least there is that very narrow silver lining that you are helping create life.