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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (March 9, 2017)
2 // COASTWEEKEND.COM Learn all about brown pelicans SEASIDE — Skimming the waves and plummet- ing beak-first for fish, the California brown pelican is one of the most iconic and easily recognizable seabirds on the Oregon Coast. At 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 15, join Astoria wildlife biologist Deborah Jaques at the Sea- side Public Library to explore the natural history of brown pelicans, from their breeding grounds off Mexico to their summer feeding grounds off the Oregon Coast. The event is the third of this year’s wildlife-themed Listening to the Land presentations from North Coast Land Conservancy and the Necanicum Water- shed Council. Admission is free. Use of DDT and other pesticides decimated breed- ing populations of brown pelicans off southern Cal- ifornia by the early 1970s. Pelicans recovered from the pesticide era, but their numbers continue to rise and fall, impacted by environ- mental conditions here and in their breeding grounds and by natural and unnatural mortality events. Jaques has been closely observing brown pelicans since the 1980s. She’ll share information about the birds’ natural history and migration patterns, informed in part by results from a recent elec- tronic tracking study. She will discuss her work monitoring communal root sites and responding to events such as the oil spill off Santa Barbara in May 2015, and she will high- light conservation concerns such as the importance of preserving key forage fish populations. Jaques will share photos of her expe- riences with these birds, including images from a December trip to the heart of the breeding range in the Gulf of California, Mexico. Jaques is an independent wildlife biologist based out of Astoria. Her work over the past 30 years has taken her from the coastal margins of Antarctica to the Olympic SUBMITTED PHOTO Wildlife biologist Deborah Jaques will speak about brown pelicans March 15. Peninsula and has most often involved seabirds and other colonial water birds. Jaques did her graduate research at the University of California, Davis, on California brown pelican habitat use and dis- tribution in the non-breeding range, including evaluation of northern range expansion and communal roosting behavior. Brown pelicans are a focus of her monitoring and conserva- tion efforts on the West Coast. Listening to the Land is a monthly winter speaker se- ries offered January through May in partnership with the Seaside Public Library. For more information, visit NCLCtrust.org See local art at the Picture Attic LONG BEACH, Wash. — Local artists who are members of the Northwest Artist Guild will be showing their new- est work at the Picture Attic during the month of March. An opening night featur- ing music, refreshments and the artists will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, March 10. The Picture Attic is located at 711 Pacific Highway N. The Northwest Artist Guild consists of over 17 members who are profi- cient in watercolor, collage, acrylic and ceramics, as well as stone sculpture. Each artist is encouraged to hang at least three new pieces at each show. Members include: Linda Marsh, ceramics; Kent Toepfer, collage; Betsy Toepfer, watercolor; Al Bet- ters, acrylics and doll house furniture; Sharon Strong, watercolor and collage; Jean Nitzel, watercolor; Annie Unwin, watercolor; Judy Leonard, acrylics and watercolor; Ann Sadler, watercolor; Wes Moen- hke, watercolor; Maxine Brown, watercolor; Joan Taplin, watercolor and oils; Cindy Keyes, watercolor and acrylics; James Ack- erman, watercolor, acylics and oils; Susan McCloud, acrylics and watercolor; Stan SUBMITTED PHOTO “Clam Tide,” a watercolor by Betsy Toepfer. notforsale SUBMITTED PHOTO “Spring,” a watercolor by Kathryn Murdock. Riedesel, watercolor; Patsy Chapel, watercolor and acrylics; Kathryn Murdock, watercolor and oils; and Ray Wolken, stone sculpture. The group is open to serious artists who are committed to showing their work and presenting new art every three months or so. There is a process by which new members are accepted; if you are interested in join- ing the group, contact any member or check in at The Picture Attic for a member- ship invitation form. The guild meets every month on the first Monday and after the business meeting there is a presentation by a member in their fun in art program.
