CoastWatch Challenge

Submitted By: katie@oregonshores.org – Click to email about this post

Oregon Shores is launching our first ever coastwide bioblitz—The CoastWatch Fall Challenge. This challenge is an Oregon coast community science effort to motivate the public to learn about our coast’s animals, plants, and algae for ten days from September 23 to October 2, 2022. From the Winchuck River in Curry County on the Oregon-California Border to Fort Stevens State Park at the mouth of the Columbia River in Clatsop County, the shoreline is waiting for you to find its wild occupants!

This project encourages volunteers and the public to make and share observations on rocky shores, sandy beaches, dunes, and near-shore estuaries all along the Oregon coast while learning how to use iNaturalist. This event was inspired by Snapshot Cal Coast, where for two weeks every year starting in June, the California Academy of Sciences mobilizes and organizes partners along the California coast to make and share observations of as many species as possible to build an annual snapshot of biodiversity along the California coast.

Create a free iNaturalist account and find our project, “CoastWatch Fall Challenge 2022” (www.inaturalist.org/projects/coastwatch-fall-challenge-2022). When the challenge begins, go to the coast, take pictures of all the species you observe, and use iNaturalist’s image recognition software to help you identify them. iNaturalist is available as a free app and accessible through any web browser.

Two participants will earn a Pacific 2023 Northwest Tidelog—prizes will go to whoever submits the most observations and the individual who observes the highest number of species throughout the challenge.

For more information about the event or CoastWatch, contact Jesse Jones, CoastWatch Volunteer Coordinator, at (503) 989-7244, jesse@oregonshores.org.