Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area Volunteer Training and More

 April 18 - 21

While Matthew has been working these past 3-ish weeks, I began training on Friday. The first day was paperwork, finding uniform gear, orientation to the facility and resources, and training at the Interpretive Center's front desk. Everyone is so very nice, which makes everything easier. 

Saturday I  was training with Andrew at the tidepools. Lighthouse tours are given when staff is available, and the tour only enters the lower building and level of the lighthouse because the stairs need to be reinforced after over 150 years of use. Since we were on the early shift and not many people were around, Andrew took Matthew and I up into the lighthouse tower. a perk of volunteering. This continues to be a working navigational aid and is lit 24/7, although it is automatic now and no longer staffed.  

Glass inserts to allow light into the lower levels

Yaquina Head houses a first order Fresnel Lens

Looking down at Cobble Beach and the tidepools

Lighthouse tour complete we made our way down to Cobble Beach and the tidepools. I saw some of the largest seastars ever, as well as many giant green anemones, aggregating anemones, and tons of purple sea urchins. While beautiful, the large number of urchins signal a disruption in the ecology. Sea otters eat urchins, but the otters were hunted to extinction in this area, resulting in the proliferation of urchins, which then decimated the kelp beds that the otters and other critters lived in. No kelp beds means no otters have moved back, no otters back means more urchins, and so on. 

A red urchin

Gumboot chitons fascinate me because I have never seen one before, despite exploring many tidepools in my life. They look like a meatloaf or rust rock and have plates under their fleshy exterior like pill/sow/roly-poly bugs.

We are scheduled at various sites/tasks usually in 2-hour blocks, and I spent the rest of Sat, Sun and Mon alternating between the the tidepools and the IC desk.

Limpets

Driftwood on cobbles

Matthew was on Roving - essentially wandering around areas where visitors are to engage and answer questions. He climbed Salal Hill and got some beautiful photos.

Overlooking the Interpretive Center, Communication Hill, and Agate Beach

Moolack Beach and Cape Foulweather, named by Captain James Cook, whose explorations we saw documented in Alaska and in Newfoundland. What an amazing person.