2018 Freshwater Field Trips

Freshwater Field Trips: Tuesday, July 31, 2018

1. Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge—Kayaking and Cultural Tour

$64/person

Vans depart from PSU; 8:30 am – 4:00 pm

In the morning, we will take a guided kayak tour with wildlife viewing on Lake River in Ridgefield, Washington. In the afternoon, we will visit the Cathlapotle Plankhouse on Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge and participate in unique opportunities for cultural and environmental education in the Columbia River Floodplain that are not matched anywhere in the region. Learn how these programs have been recently revitalized to better align with current standards and stay true to the indigenous legacy of land management along the Lower Columbia River. Limit 22 participants.

2. Tour of the Bull Run Watershed

$20/person

Bus departs from PSU; 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Join interpreters from the Portland Water Bureau on a journey behind the scenes at Portland’s own water supply system. It’s not snow melt! Visit the pristine, gated valley that collects and naturally filters rainwater through forest soils. Tour the dam, see the vast reservoir, learn the history of water delivery to the city. Discuss the treatment of water prior to entering the big pipes, and current issues such as filtration and cryptosporidium. Learn and share your knowledge. Limit 24 participants.

3. Cycling the Riverfront

FREE!

Departs from PSU @ 2:30 pm

Join Oregon Zoo Educator and long-standing NAME member Tom Gaskill on a tour of our urban riverfront on Portland’s own public bicycle fleet. On this relaxed pedal along the Willamette River bike paths, we will learn about innovative planning and infrastructure Portland has developed to protect water quality, encourage active transportation, and improve livability for our residents. The trip ends back in town on the East Bank at the Hair of the Dog brewpub for happy hour, and then back to PSU.  Participants will receive a free day-long bike pass to use a Bike Town bike for the day of the field trip. Many thanks to BIKETOWN, Portland’s bike share program, for providing the bikes for this field trip!

4. Tryon Creek State Park

FREE!

Trimet from PSU; On your own, times open

Visit this gem of an urban natural area located nearby, next to Lewis and Clark College. Explore the visitor’s center, learn of the park’s history and its educational programs. Take a hike on one of many looped trails, and observe the restoration efforts of the past, largely done by volunteer and school groups, from trail maintenance to exotic-invasive species removal, to the planting of natives and stream habitat improvement.

5. The Willamette River in Big Canoes w/Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership

FREE!

Trimet from PSU; 8:30 – 1:30 + eating picnic sack lunches on Ross Island during trip

Paddle the river to key local destinations in the city. Explore the history of the river and its development. See the rookeries on Ross Island, where many Great Blue Heron and a few bald eagles nest. Discuss river issues through time, problems and solutions, and current challenges. Spit in the river. For more information, including what to bring, please visit the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership Canoe Paddles page. Limit 24 participants.

6. Secret Places on Sauvie Island

$20/person

Vans depart from PSU; 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

Join Pat Willis and Amber Horn touring and discussing Place-based Education at the Sauvie Island Wildlife Refuge, the  largest wildlife refuge in the Portland area. The group will travel to the far northern end of the island along the Columbia River to Ruby Lake, a 126 acre wetland restoration project connected to tide changes along the Columbia River.  See how the area has changed and learn how the 7th and 8th grade students from Sauvie Island School participated. Along the way, we will also visit the Dairy Creek project, a $6 million mile long restoration project Sauvie Island school students are correctly working on. Some hiking will be needed. Limit 22 participants

7. Columbia River Gorge Tour

$20/person

Van departs PSU; 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

Take the old scenic highway! See the new State Park at the CONFLUENCE of the Sandy and the Columbia. Learn the geology of the Sandy River Canyon and of river issues over time. Visit a “ghost forest” left by lahars from Mt. Hood’s previous eruptions. See spectacular views from the cliffs of Women’s Forum State Park and Crown Point, a brief history of both sites and an overview of the Ice Age Floods that authored the gorge. See several waterfalls including Multnomah Falls. Eat lunch in Cascade Locks Park and discuss the legend of the Bridge of the Gods, evidence for a massive landslide that indeed may have dammed the river there and narrowed the channel to its present state. Eat a great ice cream cone at Marie’s East Wind Drive In. Limit 22 participants.

/by

2018 Lodging & Travel Information

Lodging

Conference housing for the 2018 conference is available through Portland State University. Use the Portland State University Summer Housing & Conferences website to reserve a residence hall room. A minimum stay of 3 nights is required.

Rooms can be used for one or two people and all come with twin beds. All rooms have private bathrooms. Linen and towels are provided to all guests. Lamps and fans are provided, but the rooms are not air conditioned. Guests are able to access the campus network both via WiFi and Ethernet. The Broadway building has rooms with kitchenettes and mini-refrigerator.

If you have any questions about housing, please contact us at shc@pdx.edu.

[WD_Button id=30077]

Getting Around

Portland State University Interactive Campus Map | PDF Map

TriMet Trip Planner

/by

2018 Pre-conference Workshops

Friday, July 27, 2018

Using ArcGIS Online to Collect, Analyze, and Share Data

9:30 am to 3:30 pm
Water Resources Center, Vancouver, WA

Join us for this free hands-on STEAM workshop at the beautiful Water Resources Center on the Columbia where we will explore how to use ArcGIS Online and a variety of other methods to collect, analyze, and share data. Janice Elvidge from the National Park Service will team up with Rick Reynolds from Engaging Every Student and other partners of The River Mile project to show how GIS and other tools can be used to engage students in important real-life science investigations while meeting the Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core State Standards. Learn how The River Mile’s network of schools has been helping biologists and wildlife managers by collecting and presenting data on native and invasive crayfish, and how ArcGIS can be used to implement countless other meaningful scientific inquiries with students. Participants will create ArcGIS maps and add information and data layers to them, in addition to utilizing other digital and non-digital data analysis tools.

Space is limited, so please RSVP to Janice Elvidge with your name and organization: Janice_Elvidge@nps.gov.

Saturday, July 28, 2018

Engaging Students with Crayfish and Water Quality Monitoring

9:30 am to 3:30 pm
Water Resources Center, Vancouver, WA

Learn to engage students in fascinating crayfish studies and water quality monitoring in this hands-on STEAM workshop with partners from The River Mile Network. Janice Elvidge from the National Park Service will team up with Debra Berg, veteran teacher from Columbia High School, Cory Samia from the Water Resources Education Center, and Rick Reynolds from Engaging Every Student to step you through student activities including scientific investigations in your local watershed to benefit people and wildlife. Learn methods to monitor native and invasive crayfish, as well as a variety of factors which impact water quality, while meeting the Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core State Standards. Learn about ways to participate with The River Mile’s project helping biologists and wildlife managers, and how different tools can be used to collect, analyze, and share data and student observations.

Space is limited, so please RSVP here, or send questions to Janice Elvidge: Janice_Elvidge@nps.gov. Participants are asked to bring their own tablet and/or other mobile devices, if possible.

/by

2018 Presentation Information

[WD_Button id=29987]

The Northwest Aquatic and Marine Educators (NAME) invites you to present at our 43rd Annual Conference, entitled “Confluence.”  This year’s conference, hosted by the Oregon Chapter, will take place in Portland, Oregon from July 29 through August 2, 2018.

NAME was founded in 1976 and became a chapter of the National Marine Educators Association (NMEA) in 1980 dedicated to supporting water literacy in the Pacific Northwest.  Originally, NAME focused mainly on marine ecology, education and environmental issues. Then, in the early 1990s, NAME expanded its mission and membership to include all aquatic environments – saltwater, freshwater and everything in between.  As the name suggests, NAME spans the entire bioregion of the Pacific Northwest coast of North America comprising four chapters: Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon. As such, NAME pushes for education, research and advocacy beyond political boundaries and is one of only two international NMEA chapters with Canadian representation.

“Confluence” is an all-encompassing theme. It refers to the point at which two or more bodies of water meet and flow together.  It also refers to the process of merging ideas toward common understanding and to the creation of community from diverse perspectives.

For this conference, three strands will also be woven into metaphorical confluence: Education, Culture and Science.

  • Education—Topics with a focus on prepared materials for educators fulfilling the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) opportunities.
  • Culture—This includes topics with a keen focus on the traditional, indigenous knowledge, and/or the role of art in environmental education, STEAM, (includes artistic innovation).
  • Science—Topics elaborating the most up-to-date scientific knowledge/discoveries giving educators the background and tools needed to fulfill STEM and NGSS.

We encourage any and all topics to be presented that represent one or more of these strands.

Oral Presentations and Workshops 

Monday, July 30 & Thursday, August 2

Presentations should be either 45 or 90 minutes. This year, presenters will be asked to highlight their presentation with a 5-minute “preview” at the morning plenary session, so that all participants get a sense of the concurrent options before we break out into sessions. Presenters are encouraged to collaborate with other educators and to run presentations that are as hands-on as possible! Power-point discussions on a theme relevant to the conference are also welcome.

Poster Presentations/Sea Faire

Wednesday, August 1

Poster presentations and Sea Faire will be held during the dinner and auction. Sea Faire is a marketplace of ‘ideas’ where individuals, agencies, organizations and vendors can share educational programs, equipment, curricula, and other materials appropriate for marine and aquatic educators and is intended to allow participants to share resources and ideas. Participants in Sea Faire who wish to sell items are welcome to do so but are encouraged to keep the items for sale relevant to the conference and the NAME organization.

Please submit proposals online on the NAME website (preferred), or complete the Call for Proposals form (available soon) and return via e-mail to: oregon@pacname.org

Application deadline is May 31, 2018

Questions? Contact Melissa Keyser at oregon@pacname.org

/by

2018 Registration Information

[WD_Button id=30096]

We will be offering the following registration options:

Full Conference Registration—includes all sessions, events and meals* from Sunday evening, July 29 through Thursday lunch, August 2, including the NAME Awards Banquet and Auction. *Conference registration does not include dinner on Monday & Tuesday evenings, or any of the freshwater field trips on Tuesday.

Single-day Registration—includes all sessions, plus lunch and coffee breaks only on the day/s registered. Available for Mon, Wed, Thu only. Registration for Monday includes the Sunday Reception & Dinner at the Oregon Zoo. Registration for Wednesday includes the Coastal Field Trip & NAME Awards Banquet and Auction.

NAME Member Non-member
Full Conference
Regular (beginning May 1, 2017) $275 $300
Single Day
Mon (7/30), Wed (8/1), or Thu (8/2) $125 $150
Extras
Sunday Reception & Dinner at the Oregon Zoo – guest ticket $35
NAME Awards Banquet and Auction (Wednesday) – guest ticket $30

Cancellation of Conference Registration:
Cancellations submitted by July 23, 2018 will be refunded.
No refunds for cancellations after July 23, 2018.

If you are paying by check (US funds, payable to Northwest Aquatic and Marine Educators) or purchase order, please send your payment to NAME-Oregon:

Fawn Custer – NAME Oregon Treasurer
PO Box 90
Seal Rock, OR 97376

541.270.0027
envtgsldrfawn@aol.com

Fax 541.563.6851 – upon request 

/by

2019 Conference Schedule

Read more
/by

2019 Field Trips

Field Trips: Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Please note, more field trips details will be added as they are finalized. You are welcome to complete your registration without adding any field trips; send an email to registration@pacname.org at any time to add or change a field trip on your registration, or to add a guest to a field trip.

1. Elwha River Trip (Full day—offsite)
The Elwha Ecosystem Restoration Project is a 21st-century project of the U.S. National Park Service to remove two dams on the Elwha River on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state, and restore the river to a natural state. It is the largest dam removal project in history and the second largest ecosystem restoration project in the history of the National Park Service, after the Restoration of the Everglades. We’ll depart Port Townsend in the morning via shuttle and join experts along several points of interest along the Elwha River and learn more about this tremendous restoration project.   Please note: this an all day field trip.

Cost: $40 per person

2. Kayaking Port Townsend (2-3 hours, morning—onsite @ Fort Worden)
Paddle along the beautiful shoreline of Fort Worden and learn about the natural history of the Salish Sea including seabirds, intertidal life and the marine mammals that call these waters home. No previous padding experience necessary. Please dress to get wet and be sure to wear plenty of sunscreen.

Cost: $60 per person

3. Low Tide Beach Walks (2-3 hours, morning—onsite @ Fort Worden) [low tide 9:27am (-0.81ft)]

Explore the ebbs and flows of the marine coastal environment on a low tide walk led by Port Townsend Marine Science Center naturalists. Meet at the Marine Science Center located at the Fort, and explore tide pools and learn about how marine organisms are adapted for the challenges of living in the intertidal zone. Weather-appropriate clothing and shoes with good traction for moving around on wet slippery rocks are recommended.

Cost: Free

4. Western Flyer Tour (1-2 hours, afternoon—offsite, in Port Townsend)—FULL
The Western Flyer is a fishing boat, most known for its use by John Steinbeck and Ed Ricketts in their 1940 expedition to the Gulf of California. The Western Flyer Foundation was formed in its honor with the goal of educating youth about the intersection of science and literature. Join Chris Chase , the Project Director for the Foundation and a longtime shipwright, on a tour of that will share the history, restoration process and the exciting future of the Western Flyer.

This is a mid-afternoon field trip so it could be paired with another morning field trip.

This field trip has reached capacity and will no longer be available for new registrants

5. Northwest Maritime Center Facility and Pilothouse Simulator Tour (1 hour, afternoon—offsite, in Port Townsend):

Come learn about the maritime education programs going on at Northwest Maritime Center on the waterfront in downtown Port Townsend. See summer sailing programs and youth camps in action. Visit our boatshop where wooden boats are being built and repaired. Visit the pilothouse simulator that simulates a ship’s bridge used for Merchant Mariner’s training. Note: this field trip can be paired with the Western Flyer afternoon field trip

Cost: $10

6. Historic Longboat Expedition (3 hours, afternoon—offsite, in Port Townsend)

Head out rowing and sailing aboard a historic 26 foot long wooden vessel patterned after Captain George Vancouver’s ship’s boats. These boats are used as modern exploration platforms for students aged 12 and older to learn how to work together as a crew and develop awareness of the local marine environment and navigation. Learn about the unique programs that NWMC offers in partnership with local and regional schools.

Cost: $50 

/by

2019 Keynote Speakers

Dr. Deborah Giles

Science & Research Director, Wild Orca

Dr. Deborah Giles (she goes by her last name) received her PhD from the University of California Davis in 2014. Her master’s thesis and PhD dissertation both focused on the federally listed southern resident killer whales. Formerly the research director at the Center for Whale Research, she is currently a resident scientist and lecturer at the University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Labs, where she teaches Marine Mammals of the Salish Sea and Marine Biology. Since 2009 Giles has been the vessel captain for Dr. Samuel Wasser’s project – University of Washington’s Center for Conservation Biology – utilizing a scat detection dog to locate floating killer whale scat to monitor the physiological health of southern resident killer whales.

Starting in 2010, Giles also began work with an ongoing collaborative project with Cascadia Research Collective and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service deploying acoustic suction-cup recording tags on killer whales to measure received noise levels by whales. Giles is the killer whale scientific adviser for the Orca Salmon Alliance, a program advisor for Killer Whale Tales, and is on the Steering Committee for the Salish Sea Ecosystem Advocates (SalishSEA).

Jessica Plumb

Director / Writer / Producer, Plumb Productions

Jessica Plumb is an award-winning filmmaker and writer, known for exploring the relationship between people and place. She is the Producer, Co-Director and writer of Return of the River, a feature documentary about the restoration of the Elwha River, and the largest dam removal in history. Recognized with a dozen festival awards, including “Best Storytelling” by the International Wildlife Film Festival, the film was reviewed as “hell-raising documentary filmmaking at its best”. Her short environmental films and video installations, described as video poetry, have screened in galleries and theaters throughout the United States and internationally. Plumb directs a video production company that creates educational and promotional films for clients. Her freelance writing has been published in the Seattle Times op-ed pages, Mountaineers Magazine, and Boston Sunday Globe among others. Before moving to the Olympic Peninsula, she worked in Boston and Beijing, and served as interim editor of the Yale China Review. Plumb holds a B.A. from Yale University and an interdisciplinary MFA from Goddard College.

Betsy Peabody

Director, Puget Sound Restoration Fund

Betsy Peabody is executive director of Puget Sound Restoration Fund (PSRF), a nonprofit organization founded in 1997 to restore marine habitat, water quality and native species in Puget Sound.  She is also President of the Pacific Shellfish Institute, a research organization developing and disseminating scientific information to foster sustainable shellfish resources and a healthy marine environment. In 2012, Betsy served on the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Panel on Ocean Acidification, and continues to be actively involved in efforts to mitigate the effects of ocean acidification.  In 2013, she collaborated with NOAA to establish a conservation hatchery at NOAA’s Manchester Research Station dedicated to restoring native shellfish and other living marine resources.  Betsy has a bachelor’s degree in English from Stanford University – and a strong appreciation for the role that marine resources play in our human story.

/by

2019 Lodging & Travel Information

Lodging

Lodging is still available on a first come, first served basis! Lodging will be in the Fort Worden dormitories, which were built in 1904 and originally served as barracks for soldiers stationed at the Fort. Both single and double rooms are available with shard bathrooms down the hall. Lodging cost includes breakfast. Guest lodging can be purchased during registration. Please contact us if you have any questions about lodging or meals during the conference.

Single Occupancy Double Occupancy
Full Conference $400 $330
Two Days (Sun-Tue or Tue-Thu) $200 $165

Lodging Cancellation Policy:

  • Lodging cancellations submitted by May 3, 2019 will be refunded.
  • Lodging cancellations submitted May 3, 2019 through July 8, 2019 will be refunded 50%.
  • No refunds for cancellations after July 8, 2019.

Camping

A limited number of camping spots at Fort Worden have been reserved for the conference. If you are interested in registering for a tent site, or a motor vehicle site, please contact Casey Ralston.

Getting Around

Download Fort Worden map here

Getting from Ft Worden to Northwest Maritime Center

Catch local shuttle bus #2 on Eisenhower Ave, across from Puget Sound Coast Artillery Museum and Gift Shop. 

Fees—Unlimited Rides All Day:

  •   Adult: $1.50
  •   Honored (>60 or disabled): $1.00
  •   Youth (7-18): $1.00
  •   Children (<7): Free
Leave Ft Worden Arrive Haller Fountain Downtown Port Townsend
9:11 am 9:19 am
10:11 am 10:19 am
11:11 am 11:19 am
12:11 pm 12:19 pm
1:11 pm 1:19 pm
2:11 pm 2:19 pm
3:11 pm 3:19 pm
4:11 pm 4:19 pm
5:11 pm 5:19 pm
6:11 pm 6:19 pm

Walk east from Heller Fountain down Washington St. Take a right on Monroe and then a left on Water St. The Northwest Maritime Center will be on your right.

Getting from Northwest Maritime Center to Fort Worden

It’s easier to walk than it is to take the shuttle bus.

NAME Banquet Shuttle

Catch the shuttle in the front parking lot of the Commons at Fort Worden.

Leave Fort Worden for NWMC:

5:15 pm

5:45 pm

6:10 pm

Leave NWMC for Fort Worden:

9:00 pm

9:30 pm

10:00 pm

/by

2019 Masters & Mavens of Aquatic & Marine Education (MAME)

NAME Old-Timers AKA “MAME”—the “Masters & Mavens of Aquatic & Marine Education” will be gathering to share stories and photos of the good old times from past conferences and our work together.

We will meet at the Day Use Beach Shelter adjacent to the Beach Campground at Ft. Worden for a BBQ at 5 pm on Monday August 12. Parking at the beach will require a WA Discover Pass. NAME will have a registration table set up in the lobby at the Commons at Ft. Worden and can provide instructions on arrival.

Registration costs for past NAME members who are only attending the Masters & Mavens event on Monday:

  • BBQ cost—$15

Additional options for Masters & Mavens:

  • Senior/Limited-Income Member Dues—$15/1-yr; $25/2-yr
  • If attending Monday-only sessions—$75

Register

/by