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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (July 28, 2016)
JULY 28, 2016 // 23 BOOK SHELF // GLIMPSE // WILDLIFE // POP CULTURE // WORDS // Q&A // FOOD // FUN Anthopleura xanthogrammica Giant green anemone By LYNETTE RAE MCADAMS Found primarily along the west coast of North and Central America — from Alaska all the way to Panama — the giant green anemone is a favorite for anyone who loves a tide pool. Clinging readily to rocky shores that host intense wave action, these fascinating crea- tures are very much at home along our local coastline, and the low tides of summer, with daylight at a maximum, ofer the perfect opportunity to enjoy them up close. Growing up to 12 inches tall and six inches wide, A. xan- thogrammica has a tube-like, columnar body, adorned with a crown of tentacles, which, when open and extended, resembles a lowering dahlia or chrysan- themum. These tentacles, which develop in rings, center around the mouth, and are packed with microscopic stinging cells that release a venom strong enough to paralyze prey or help defend against enemies. Don’t worry: The poison is inefective on humans, and besides, green anemones prefer to dine on sea urchins and mussels, which they digest very slowly before regurgitating the waste back out through their mouths. Appearing in striking shades of green and bluish-green, the hue of a sea anemone is partly owing to the animal’s unique and symbiotic relationship with a speciic algae that lives inside its gut. The algae is allowed to thrive and lourish, and the anemone, in turn, takes extra nourishment from the plant’s process of photosynthesis — all in all, a beautiful friendship. Sea anemones that inhabit shady or deep spaces in the intertidal zone tend to be much paler than those exposed to direct sunlight. When ocean waters recede and anemones are exposed to open air, they close their tentacular crowns and retreat into a tight little brownish-green bundle that looks like a round sponge. This action helps protect their delicate interior as well as conserve much-needed moisture until the tide turns again. Mostly a solitary creature, giant green anemones do occasionally appear in groups, and though they can move slowly, using a sort of muscular foot, they tend to stay in one place for their entire lives. In the wild, that can be as long as 150 years. To learn more about local tide pools, visit oregontide- pools.org, and remember: When it comes to these fragile envi- ronments, it’s easy to “love them to death.” Look mostly with your eyes, and never, ever, pry an animal of a rock or remove it from its habitat. PHOTO BY LYNETTE RAE MCADAMS A. xanthogrammica, a giant green anemone, clings to the rocks near Cannon Beach. PHOTO BY MATT LOVE The Appelo Archives Center ofers a photo collection, genea- logical research, a library, maps and all things Finnish heritage. A G LIMPSE I NSIDE By MATT LOVE Appelo Archives Center One half of Naselle’s version of Samuel Beckett’s tandem in “Waiting for Godot” sat on a bench in front of the library. He was, of course, waiting, but this being modern existential times, he was waiting with his phone, scrolling, scrolling, waiting for someone or something to show up — on his phone. That’s the new Godot these days. I was waiting too, for the library to open, but I had the time wrong so I had an hour to burn. I asked the young man if there was an attraction in the area to visit and expected him to suggest the nearest conve- nience store for a corn dog and 2911 Marine Dr #B Astoria, OR 97103 503-325-3276 Mon-Sat 10 am - 8 pm Sun 12 Noon - 6 pm Where Astoria Shops! Great professional, friendly service in a relaxed atmosphere along with a wide selection of the best of Oregon brands and growers High CBD and THC Flowers * Extracts * Concentrates * Edibles * Topicals To see our full menu, go to thefarmacy420.com or come by our store and take with you a small gift, compliments of The Farmacy staff. Must be 21 years old. No medical marijuana card needed. Every Day is 420 at The Farmacy, with Cash Back Rewards!! energy drink. He looked up from his phone and said, “Appelo Archives Center,” described it as a museum, and gave me direc- tions; it was just down the road. I thanked him and headed out while he kept on scrolling. A few minutes later I walked inside the Appelo Archives Cen- ter and soon came to discover one of the more charming and personalized local history muse- ums I have ever visited. Not only does it present the pioneer history of the Naselle- Grays River Valley area, but it ofers a photography collec- tion, genealogical research, superb lending library, maps, a bookstore and all things Finnish heritage, including nearly 2,000 Finnish-language books, and a weekly Saturday morning screening of Finnish and Swed- ish ilms. I think my favorite exhibit might have been the display of vintage wedding dresses, one made from an old silk parachute! The Appelo Archives Center is the brainchild of Carlton E. Appelo, now a resident of Asto- ria, who ran the local telephone company for decades and had a tremendous passion for collect- ing, writing and publishing local history. The Center is located in what used to be the Appe- lo-owned general store and gas station; walking through it is a unique historical experience all of its own. The Center is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free. There’s probably no better time to visit the Center than during the annual Finnish-American Folk Festival in Naselle. This year’s festival runs from Friday, July 29 to Sunday, July 31. Matt Love is the author/editor of 14 books, including “A Nice Piece of Astoria” and “The Great Birthright.” His books are available at coastal bookstores or his website, nestuccaspitpress.com
