Every day people make decisions that affect the natural, cultural and aesthetic resources of their coasts. Sound coastal stewardship requires that people regularly making decisions about estuaries and coastal wetlands have the best available science at their fingertips. The South Slough Reserve strives to keep decision makers informed of the latest science about estuaries and coastal wetlands through the Coastal Training Program.

 

The goal of coastal training is better-informed decision-making to improve stewardship of our coasts. CTP seeks to achieve this goal by providing skills training and knowledge through workshops, field trips, classes or other outreach. The CTP provides public information and technical assistance to accomplish specific training or outreach objectives.

CTP facilitates discussion and collaboration among decision makers and opportunities to work with partners to support coastal decision makers in their efforts to understand the role of human activity in the coastal environment.

 

 

 

 

 

In 1988, educators at the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Florida began a series of bimonthly training workshops to assist coastal managers and other decision makers participating in planning and regulation of Florida's shores. Eventually these training workshops were expanded to provide similar services throughout the state.
 
Encouraged by the program's early success, in 1993 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration adopted the Florida model as a blueprint for a new Coastal Training Program for the National Estuarine Research Reserve System. Coastal management training workshops began at 11 National Estuarine Research Reserves, including South Slough NERR. Each reserve identified specific, unmet needs for training related to the estuaries in its region, identified affected audiences, and began developing training strategies.

 

Coastal training programs are now running at 23 of 27 National Estuarine Research Reserves around the nation.

 

The National Estuarine Research Reserves have gained valuable experience in developing and conducting technical training, and have initiated networks and dialogue with hundreds of decision makers within their respective communities.

A guiding principal of the South Slough reserve is to seek the advice and partnership of others and incorporate their ideas in reserve projects. Partnerships play an important role in the CTP. Partners have included the Coos Watershed Association, the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the Coos Soil and Water Conservation District, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, the Oregon Coastal Environments Awareness Network, the Coastal Environments Learning Network, and the Coquille Indian Tribe, the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, Southwestern Oregon Community College, Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, Oregon Sea Grant, and the Oregon Coastal Management Program.

Restoration Practitioners’ Training Needs Assessment

 

 

Wetland Benefits Snapshot - Coos County, Oregon

Estuary Assessment Training

Understanding Oregon's Estuaries

CTP Final Strategy Revision

 

Assisting Coastal Decision Makers in the Lower Columbia Biogeographic Province: A Strategy for the Coastal Training Program (81kb)

 

Visit our Resource Library to access documents from the

Earthquake Tsunami Connection workshop. 

Be sure to download the Family Disaster Supplies Kit.