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
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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