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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.