Tillamook Coast Visitors Association kicked off our new Volunteer Adventures program this past weekend by hosting Portland area Girl Scout Troop 45210. The girls participated in a weekend of stewardship and educational activities designed to give back to our area while learning more about some of the issues that affect our natural spaces.
On Saturday, the troop sat down with Angie Whitlock from North Coast Land Conservancy for a discussion about marine debris and plastic pollution. Afterwards, they took to the beach in Manzanita for a beach cleanup where they collected 10 bags of trash. For fun, they participated in a scavenger hunt hosted by Manzanita Visitors Center – and the scouts beat the adults!. After a break, they sat down at Hoffman Center Manzanita with a panel of women leaders from local government, stewardship, and arts and culture organizations for a discussion on the importance of leadership and volunteering. Panelists were: India Downes LeGuin, Executive Director, Hoffman Center for the Arts; Linda Kozlowski, Council President, Manzanita City Council; Mary Faith Bell, Tillamook County Commissioner; Claudine Rehn, Deputy Director, Tillamook Estuaries Partnership (TEP).
After a night camping and s’mores at Nehalem Bay State Park, they spent Sunday with Jessi and Maria at Heart of Cartm where they transformed beach trash into art projects, while learning about the importance of recycling and reusing.
Next up – a group of students and faculty from Linfield College join us in October for two days of volunteer projects at Alder Creek Farm with Lower Nehalem Community Trust.
Turn visiting into volunteerism through learning and stewardship
Visitors are adopting the Tillamook Coast volunteer culture with enthusiasm and initiative. Throughout the past year, the Tillamook Coast Visitors Association has made a concerted effort to build a culture of thoughtful stewards. TCVA is looking for schools, work groups, churches, community organizations and families to help care for the natural areas in the beautiful, diverse locations all along the 70-mile Tillamook Coast.
“My hope is that our volunteer adventures program will help create a deeper awareness of how special this place is,” says Dan Haag, TCVA Director of Trails, Outdoor Recreation and Accessibility. “The Tillamook Coast is not just a pass-through vacation or a place to buy t-shirts. We want our visitors to understand and care about local stewardship and conservation as our residents do. The best part is, there are plenty of local non-profits that could use the volunteer help. They run on volunteer power and often can’t get to their projects.”
TCVA will design a custom adventure to fit your groups’ needs, featuring itineraries of one to two and a half days. Meals, transportation, lodging and activities are included. Tools and supervision are provided by the host organization.
Crews typically consist of 8-15 volunteers, as well as a TCVA staff member. If you know of a group or would like to put together a group to create your own volunteer adventure, contact Haag at 503-842-2672 or email dan@tillamookcoast.com.
If you’d like to learn more about our Volunteer Adventures program, visit https://tillamookcoast.com/what-to-do/tourism-adventures/
To begin planning a Volunteer Adventure for your group, contact TCVA Trails & Recreation Director Dan Haag at dan@tillamookcoast.com.