Guest Speakers

Sunlight shining through Sitka spruce forest.

NPS Photo by R. Francom

Nature Matters: Where Nature and Culture Meet

A lively monthly conversation about the intersection of nature and culture, takes place on the fourth Thursdays of the month at 7 p.m., October through May, at the Fort George Brewery + Public House in Astoria, Oregon. Doors open at 6 p.m. to purchase dinner or beverages at the George before the event. The series delves into the many ways that human beings look to the natural world for inspiration, sustenance and survival - the intersection of nature and culture. The collaborative series is hosted by Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, Lewis & Clark National Park Association and the North Coast Watershed Association in partnership with the Fort George Brewery + Public House and is free to the public.

Nature Matters talk on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024
Living Amongst the Green Giants

The Oregon Coast is home to some of the most immense life forces on the planet, with the Pacific Ocean and the rainforest coming together at the sea cliffs. That’s why North Coast Land Conservancy does our work in this region, to protect and care for this rare and wonderful place and its vast biodiversity. Enjoy an evening of celebrating life among these lands and waters—from the coastal prairies and wetlands to the peaks of the Coast Range and from the dynamic rocky intertidal to the expansive Cape Falcon Marine Reserve—and learn about the incredible impacts of local conservation with a presentation by NCLC Marine Coordinator Angela Whitlock and NCLC Executive Director Katie Voelke.

The 7 p.m. presentation on February 22, 2024 takes place in the Lovell Showroom at the Fort George Brewery. The event is free and open to the public. Doors will open at 6 p.m. for those wanting to purchase dinner or beverages before the event.

Katie Voelke was raised in a home under oak trees where she spent many hours collecting bugs, making mud pies with her sister, and camping and hiking with her parents in the summers. She is sure that this life-long exposure to the natural world is what led her on a path to study biology in school. Katie settled on Oregon’s north coast with her husband Scott in 2003 and spent time doing field work with the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife before she finally found her calling: working in land conservation with NCLC. In 2005, Katie started as NCLC’s first Stewardship Director, working under founding Executive Director, Neal Maine. After three years of learning the ropes alongside Neal, she took the helm in 2008 as Executive Director. Although her job at NCLC keeps her inside more than she would like, she manages to get her fix of the outdoors by following in her parent’s footsteps: bug collecting with her three sons and spending the summers hiking and camping with family.

Raised in Portland, Angela Whitlock spent ample time on the coast with her family hiking, camping, biking, crabbing, fishing, and exploring the beaches. She worked as a professional goldsmith for 25 years—a career that enabled her to move to the northern Oregon Coast in 2000. While attending Clatsop Community College, she became the first recipient of the Environmental Steward Certificate through the college, in partnership with Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition. She also became involved in volunteer conservation efforts, including marine debris surveys, salmon stream surveys, and CoastWatch’s Adopt a Mile program. In 2020, she joined Cannon Beach’s Haystack Rock Awareness Program (HRAP) as a lead environmental interpreter and became immersed in the world of rocky intertidal habitat, satisfying the longing she felt as a child to be a marine biologist. She joined the Tidepool Ambassador Program (TAP) at Cape Falcon Marine Reserve in 2021 and served two seasons. In March 2023, she started as NCLC’s Marine Program Coordinator, giving her an opportunity to further her passion for coastal conservation. In her leisure time, she enjoys nature journaling; walking outdoors with her dog Cricket; bird watching; and exploring tide pools (she’s still holding out hope to find evidence of the existence of mermaids).

 

Nature Matters: March 28, 2024
Sea Level Rise Adaptation Workshop


Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) developed the Sea Level Rise Adaptation Planning Toolkit to promote sea level rise adaptation planning at the local level. Join Carl Hendrickson, a NOAA Coastal Management fellow, who will lead a workshop utilizing the toolkit to visualize sea level rise impacts, show potentially impacted areas, and identify important community assets together.

The 7 p.m. presentation on March 28th takes place in the Lovell Showroom at the Fort George Brewery. The event is free and open to the public. Doors will open at 6 p.m. for those wanting to purchase dinner or beverages before the event.

DLCD has held workshops with local community organizations to hear from residents living in Clatsop County, most of whom have experienced sea level rise in their lives. The workshop series held meetings throughout Clatsop County in Arch Cape, Cannon Beach, Seaside, Lewis & Clark, and Brownsmead, as well as schools in the county.

Carl Hendrickson is a NOAA Coastal Management fellow with the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development. As part of the Oregon Coastal Management Program, Carl works with communities in Clatsop County to help support sea level rise adaptation planning. Before this fellowship, he received a Masters from San Francisco State University working on restoration projects of native oysters and eelgrass. In his free time, Carl enjoys working in the garden and spending time in the mountains and the ocean, often with his partner and dog.
 

Upcoming Nature Matters Discussions:

October 26th, 2023 - North Coast Salmon and Trout Habitat Snorkel Surveys
November - No Nature Matters program - Thanksgiving day
December 28, 2023 - Crossbills & Community
January 25, 2024 - Steward Udall & the Politics of Beauty Documentary Viewing
Februray 22, 2024 - Living Amongst the Green Giants: From anemones to old-growth trees, a celebration of life on the Oregon Coast
March 28, 2024 - Sea Level Rise Adaptation Toolkit for Communities
April 25, 2024 - Car Tires, Coho Salmon, and Water
May 23, 2024 - Oregon Silverspot Butterfly Recovery
 

Last updated: February 5, 2024

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Contact Info

Mailing Address:

Lewis and Clark National Historical Park
92343 Fort Clatsop Road

Astoria, OR 97103

Phone:

503 861-2471
Rangers are available to answer your calls between the hours of 9 - 5 PST.

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