The last two weeks have been absolutely crazy! Joshua and I went to Tillamook, OR and Long Beach, WA last Tuesday-Friday for field work. We sampled mud shrimp and ghost shrimp in both Tillamook Bay and Willapa Bay. In Washington, we got the opportunity to go out in an air boat and work with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. At the beginning of the summer, I couldn’t pull up a single core but by the end of last week, I was pulling several in a row! We also had the chance to go to Cape Disappointment and, no, it did not disappoint. It was beautiful!
Biggest oysters I’ve ever seen from Tillamook Bay, OR. “World’s Longest Beach” in Long Beach, WA.
Because my internship has been more of a scientific research project, I haven’t been exposed to much science policy and outreach with the public. Therefore, my view of science policy has not really changed that much. I always knew it was a complicated balance of different group’s needs and wants, but never quite realized just how complicated that process can be. I presume other science policy organizations in Oregon, like me at OSU and USDA-ARS, must find that balance of ecology vs economy. The overarching question in our meetings is always “how can we keep these shrimp that are important to the ecosystem but also manage them for good oyster growing conditions?” That being said, I must be pretty inspired because I am going to start my Marine Resource Management master’s program in the fall where I will learn more about science policy and continue this line of work in my future endeavors.
Joshua and I with the WDFW airboat. Inside a giant hollowed out tree at Cape Disappointment.
Now that you’ve been on the job for several weeks, how has your view of science policy changed (if at all)?
The boring (but truthful) answer is that my view of science policy has not changed. Given that I worked as a Summer Scholar last year, my knowledge for how the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) and state-run reserve systems has not really increased. Last summer, understanding how NERRS worked was one of my primary goals.
Do you have a better understanding of how policy organizations work?
Again, I wouldn’t say my understanding has become better because of how much I had already learned last summer. However, being around members of an organization governed by multiple levels of the government helps keep what I learned last summer fresh in my mind.
Have you had a chance to attend any agency-level meetings?
Last year I had the chance to attend education team meetings, full South Slough staff meetings, and a NERRS meeting. This year, so far, I have only participated in education team meetings (as those are the ones I can contribute meaningfully in).
Discuss any tradeoffs you see in your organization between serving the public good and being able to respond nimbly.
I don’t believe that serving the public good and being able to respond nimbly to different issues are mutually exclusive practices. In some cases they could be, but I believe the trade offs that would occur are very situation-specific.
On wilderness reserves, there tends to be somewhat of a dilemma between protecting the natural environment and allowing people to enjoy it. In almost all circumstances, the more human traffic there is in an area, the worse off the environment will be. Of course, for a place like the South Slough, there can be a proper balance… but at what point are there too many people walking the trails? At what point is the natural environment being altered in a negative way by human activity?
Fortunately, too many visitors has not been a significant problem at the South Slough (that I am aware of), but if it became an issue, decisions would have to be made about limiting the number of visitors. In such a circumstance, I could see where serving the public good (allowing more people to experience a beautiful natural setting) and being able to act nimbly (responding quickly to negative environmental changes) could come to a clash. Though, one could also argue that taking the necessary precautions to protect the reserve by limiting visitors would still be serving the public good by preserving the reserve’s beauty for future visitors. Under this belief, serving the public good and being able to act nimbly are complementary actions, rather than opposing.
Do you have a better understanding of how science policy operates in the state of Oregon?
My understanding of science policy has not changed all that much since last summer. Last summer is really when I went from not knowing much at all to feeling that I had a pretty decent grasp on the basics of science policy in Oregon.
Does your agency have ties to other states, and/or to national-level organizations?
Yes, the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve (SSNERR) is tied to the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS). Fun fact: the South Slough was the very first NERR and was designated as so in 1974. Now there are a total of 29 NERRs across the country.
The 29 national estuarine research reserves that compose NERRS. The South Slough is showcased with the red arrow. This map can be found at https://coast.noaa.gov/nerrs/
Are you inspired to continue with this line of work into the future?
Absolutely — I am very interested in pursuing lines of work that allow me to work with management of reserve systems and public outreach in the future. I think that getting people excited about the beauty that nature has to offer and protecting wild places work hand-in-hand. Through both informing management decisions with science and teaching future generations how to protect and enjoy the wilderness, I believe that beautiful natural areas can be conserved and restored.
At the start of my internship I thought I would be mostly completing what I’ll call techy/computery tasks (GIS, database management, etc.) for the Oregon Coastal and Ocean Information Network’s (OCOIN’s) Coastal Research Explorer tool. However, my daily work walks the line between science and policy more than I imagined.
Our main goal at OCOIN is to facilitate the exchange of novel research happening in Oregon through a Coastal Research Explorer tool, both for the benefit of researchers in the ocean science realm but also to make research more accessible for policymakers. In other words, the Coastal Research Explorer is really a science communication device. I’ve come to understand, over my last 6 weeks at OCOIN, that science communication is an essential bridge between scientific discoveries made by researchers and the creation of science-based management and policy. Prioritizing effective communication and easy user experience have guided many updates to the Coastal Research Explorer this summer, including the creation of new legends for our mapping tool and the inclusion of links to journal articles for each research project.
In addition to discussions of effective science communication surrounding our own webmapping tool, I also had the opportunity to learn more about the inner workings and implementation of coastal policy at a meeting with the Ocean and Coastal Services team from Oregon’s Department of Land Conservation and Development. It was intriguing to learn more about web-mapping tools, similar to OCOIN’s Coastal Research Explorer, that are created and operated by DLCD to educate the public on management areas like the Rocky Habitat Web Mapping Tool. Webmaps can be an effective research sharing device (like OCOIN’s Coastal Research Explorer) but can be just as user friendly for the end of the policy-making process, informing the public!
Science policy has always appeared to me as something done solely at the federal level. While I knew this assumption wasn’t entirely correct, I always found myself imagining people in DC tackling topics concerning the public good and ethics of science. My Haystack Rock Awareness Program internship has allowed me to see the different levels and sides that play into science policy. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting with an Oregon Fish and Wildlife employee and was able to pick their brain about the different career options within government jobs and their role in the policy. Based on my interactions with the general public and those working under organizations, I have come to notice that for the most part, the people that are most involved and interested in nature and its well being, tend to be the ones that have some sort of understanding of science policy and how it affects what they love.
HRAP provided me with a deeper understanding of how local organizations can help uphold the policies put in place to protect nature. The staff works graciously with the tourists and locals that come to the beach and do their best to educate them on not only the ecology at the rock but also on why and how this marine garden became a marine protected area. In my opinion, this form of enforcement has been incredibly beneficial for the beach and for the onlookers. I’ve also come to realize how hard it can be to enforce laws targeted towards marine conservation and preservation because of the general lack of understanding behind why conservation and preservation are so important. I’ve come across people who think that the rock’s protection isn’t important and that they should be allowed to climb it. On the other hand, I’ve also come across people that have a deep understanding of how the ecology of the rock has changed over the years and have come to care for its preservation and appreciate the work done by HRAP.
As I dive deeper into my project, the more I learn about the importance of science communication and how it can help with the communication gaps between scientists, the general public, and policymakers among many others. The general public involvement in the scientific research happening in their communities or around what affects their communities is something that I believe they are entitled to, and in this regard should be more accessible for individuals that have not been scientifically trained. For me, facilitating the dialogueand providing the public with accessible language to science is something that I see myself doing whether I’m doing the research myself or I find myself in a science communication role.
During my time with HRAP I have come to realize that there is so much more to science policy than I originally thought. Before this summer I had thought that I wanted to pursue Environmental Law because that was the best way to make a widespread impact on environmental issues that I cared about. However, after getting to spend time involved in the science outreach and education that HRAP does I am less sure about going into law or policy. I have really come to enjoy the hands-on, local conservation efforts that I am a part of.
Additionally, I have gotten to see up close how local organizations work and how many people need to be involved to make any sort of meaningful change. I also think that because it is a smaller organization we get to be more in tune with the community and its needs which I think is also very important. For example, last week I worked on a field trip for a group of kids and their parents and getting to talk to them individually about stewardship and how to get involved was very eye opening and I got to feel like I was connecting and making an impact on those people. I also have gotten the opportunity to talk to some people who do work in state and federal level policy positions and something that is brought up frequently is how they have to deal with bureaucracy and often feeling like they are stuck or being slowed down by the bureaucratic systems that are in place.
Part of the bird station for field trips
I do think that working in science policy would be a very rewarding experience and enable me to be part of the large level changes that I want to see and be a part of, but working at a local level has also shown me how fulfilling working at a smaller scale can be.
I came into this internship wanting to learn more about the policy side of conservation and environmental work and the intersection of science and policy. I can confidently say that after 6 weeks working for ODFW that I have vastly improved my knowledge about the policy side of this work. Aside from the various meetings that I have participated in, I’ve also been able to connect with various professionals one-on-one and follow part of the process of HB3114 that just got signed by the governor this week! In addition, I’ve been able to build many other skills such as graphic design that I never knew would be so useful in this field.
ODFW biologist surveying shellfish and their habitats which is one of the projects HB3114 will help fund (source: ODFW SEACOR)
Listening and participating in all these meetings has given me an insight into how long of a process it takes to establish a new law, management plan, etc. I had to pleasure to talk to Cristen Don, the Marine Reserves Program Leader, who informed me that it took almost 10 years to establish the marine reserves as it’s a very intensive process. The process of establishing regulations etc. is much more engaged of a process than I had initially thought with steps that include not just scientific research and negotiation but also community engagement. I have been pleasantly surprised by the number of opportunities the public is given to interact with any step of the process. Fishermen, scientists, lawmakers, and everyone in between is given a chance to have their say in the process and collaborate with one another to find the best solution to the issue at hand. I’ve also noticed how far-reaching some of these collaborations can be, for example, the Pacific Coast Collaborative brings together people from California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. On the other hand, there is definitely this trade-off between this long process has it hinders the ability to act quickly to problems as they arise. For example, HB3114, which invests $1 million into the study of ocean chemistry and problems related to acidification and hypoxia, has been in progress for about 2 years and just got signed this week.
My brother enjoying the water at Haystack Rock
With my current path leading to starting my master’s program in the fall at UC Davis in Environmental Policy and Management, this internship has definitely inspired me to delve further into my studies. I had so many questions going and I accumulate more and more questions as I continue on. I hope to maybe connect with people in the California Department of Fish and Wildlife or non-profits like the California Ocean Science Trust while I’m at Davis and continue working at the intersection of science and policy.
Prior to this experience I did not understand how much work goes into writing and distributing a survey. We have had the opportunity to sit in on several meetings where the content and format of a survey (not the ones we are doing) is being ironed out and it has been eye-opening. So much thought goes into how each question is worded, what order they are presented in, if there is too much jargon or is it too dumbed down.
While the questions and wording are getting dialed in, a whole other conversation is being had. Who gets the surveys? How many need to be sent out? How many need to come back? How much does all this cost? It takes months to get all these ducks in a row before the final product reaches a person and even then, there can still be major issues.
Because so much goes into planning a survey-based study it can make it difficult to get needed information quickly. The survey we are giving out to visitors this Summer is gathering data for a report due next year. After we get everything put in the database, the statistical analyses will begin. I can only imagine the work that goes into deciding what types of statistical operations that will be carried out.
I think this internship has opened my eyes to what actually happens at the agency level of research. While I don’t think I hear social science research calling my name, I definitely want to learn more about the process that takes place on the marine biology side of the operation.
A map of Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve near Florence OR. This orange pins are the locations of our sample sites: From North to South they are Devil’s Churn, Cape Perpetua Visitor Center, Washburn State Park, and Heceta Head Lighthouse.
I hope everyone is doing well. The past two weeks have been interesting. My perspective of science policy has changed a bit. At first, I was uninterested in the topic and my lack of interest in science policy has grown. I was under the impression that I wanted to pursue a career in science policy. This internship has introduced me to the ins and outs of science policy. I am not as interested as I thought I was. Additionally, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) has provided me the opportunity to learn more about policy. Like I mentioned before, it is my forte. I have learned enough to understand it Is not my favorite. Therefore, I do not think I could continue with this line of work. I would like to work with the public, but that would consist of outreach and interpretative work. I wish to stay away from policy. I would like to add that through this experience, I learned how hard working with the public can be. Like my intern-friend, Jessica, I will never turn down a survey. I understand the struggles of speaking to strangers and asking to fill out a survey. This can be difficult; however, I will try to fill out any survey I encounter. Lastly, I have had the opportunity to travel to Cape Falcon. This is another marine reserve location, and one of the furthest. It is two hours away from Newport. I have been enjoying the view and the people have been nice. I hope all the interns continue to excel and finish off the internship strong!
These past few weeks have been a roller coaster of responsibilities, emotions, and experiences! I have attended many Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife agency meetings and better understand the inner workings of their mission and obligations to the public. What I have learned is that there are pros and cons to working for an agency. The collaborative and “team” aspect of agency work seems the most fulfilling. However, the biggest con of working for an agency like ODFW is that as the face of the agency, an employee needs to directly reflect the agency’s mission in all professional actions. To some degree, I would like my future career or professional goals to allow me the freedom to be an environmental advocate or activist. Also, there will always be some level of inefficiency within agency level work at the state or federal government level. I have realized how collaborative ODFW is with other working bodies like Oregon State University, PISCO, and other organizations.
Beach walk @ Agate Beach with Jessica French and Lisette Perez
I would say I have learned a lot about science policy this summer. Historically, there has been a gap between science and policy communication. I think during my lifetime and beyond, this gap could either widen or narrow and that it is our responsibility as future scientists and policy makers to realize these will always be interconnected. Win/win scenarios can occur with policy and science. It is still a very complicated dilemma, and many of us already realize this from our experiences this summer. I see state level agency work potentially weaving in and out of my future. However, I will always be a steward of the earth and our environment and this will truly be what guides my career direction.
Visit from a very small portion of my Idaho family.
Overall, I have learned a lot from working with ODFW and have met great people with different educational and career backgrounds. By far, my interactions with the individuals within the Marine Reserves Division of Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife have been genuine and sincere. I hope to one day carry that much passion and grit in my future endeavors.
My internship this summer is driven by two primary roles: 1) assist in leading summer science camps for kids K-12 and 2) work on the creation of a touch-screen water quality exhibit at the South Slough Interpretive Center. The exhibit will be used to show how different water quality parameters are closely tied to the success of local ecosystems and how those same parameters can change.
What I’ve been doing in the first couple weeks of my internship:
As I am living in Corvallis, all of the work I do on non-camp weeks is remote. Last week was a non-camp week and so I was primarily working on establishing the layout of the water quality exhibit and how it will be organised for visitors to interact with.
This week, however, was a camp week… much more exciting! On Monday, for a non-camp related educational workshop, I collected animals off of the docks of Charleston with my mentor, Jaime Belanger, and brought them to Reedsport Elementary in oxygenated tanks. There, we taught the kids about local sea life and how to make observations.
A crab in its megalops stage of development that I caught off the docs of Charleston and got to show the campers this week… which were members of the Megalops Camp.
On Tuesday, our Megalops Camp (for 2nd and 3rd graders) started. During camp this week, I lead educational hikes and activities, maintained a safe learning environment, drove campers from place to place, and taught lessons about how the major habitats that can be found at the South Slough.
Each day of camp is different, but everyday involved tasks like leading hikes with specific educational goals in mind, catching animals for the kids to observe, creating and leading educational games (i.e. South Slough Jeopardy), handing out snacks, cleaning up, preparing supplies for various activities, etc.
This is me leading the kids through a game yesterday morning before taking them on an educational watershed hike.
Is COVID-19 affecting my work routine this summer?
While we still need to where masks during camps, COVID has played less of a role in how camps can be conducted this summer, compared to last summer, my first as an OSG intern. There are still many regulations we have to follow when leading the camps, but there is more freedom now in where we can take kids to learn.
What is my favorite on-the-job activity so far?
My favorite moments this past week were all associated with seeing the faces on campers when they saw and interacted with animals. When I got to lead an activity on the docks, the kids were stoked to see and touch kelp crabs, jellyfish, starfish, etc. They would see an animal and scream for me to catch it. Shortly after catching the critters, I’d let them go, but it was great to see the enthusiasm in the kids.
There was also a moment yesterday when all of the campers got to see two parent tree swallows feed their big baby that had not yet fledged. We all creeped towards the nest quietly and then stood still for a couple of minutes. After patiently waiting, they were rewarded with a pretty cool sight!
A common murre near the Charleston docks, where I was leading an activity and catching animals for kids to observe more closely.
