Convening to Celebrate 10 Years of Oregon’s Marine Reserves
Celebrating a Decade of Ocean Conservation and Inspiring Future Action with Managers, Partners, and Communities
Project Brief
In 2022, Oregon's five Marine Reserves reached a major milestone: a full decade since their initial creation beginning in 2012. The Nature Conservancy hired Sea & Shore Solutions (S&S) to coordinate and facilitate a two-day Celebratory Summit to honor this milestone and mark the conclusion of significant multi-year grants from the Packard Foundation, Harder Foundation, and Lazar Foundation. The goals of the event were to: 1) Celebrate the 10-year milestone of Marine Reserves; 2) Highlight what we have learned; 3) Give participants a sense of what will happen with marine reserves over the subsequent 12-18 months; and 4) envision what can happen longer-term.
Objectives
As the primary event coordinators and facilitators, S&S:
Curated and moderated a diverse and engaging agenda featuring informational presentations, group discussions, and breakout sessions.
Secured and coordinated 31 speakers and panelists from multiple sectors
Developed a comprehensive portfolio of branded event materials and participant gifts
Organized and led two engaging post-summit field excursions
Integrated a participatory art experience to illuminate the connection between art, science, and community
Context
Oregon’s Marine Reserves are managed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and supported by a diverse village of community members, researchers, nonprofits, and funders. The Nature Conservancy has engaged with Oregon’s Marine Reserves since their initial planning and inception, and has hosted a total of three Marine Reserve Summits, this event being the most recent one. Previous events focused on the science of the Reserves, implementation plans, community outreach, and other ongoing initiatives; this final Summit was a group celebration to recognize and appreciate accomplishments and milestones over the last 10 years.
Collaboration
The Oregon Marine Reserves Celebratory Summit was a testament to a decade of extensive collaboration between conservationists, scientists, state agencies, ocean users, and coastal communities. The Summit convened community teams, managers, scientific partners, and organizations to reflect on their shared progress. As facilitators, we aimed to help these groups to connect, share successes, and look toward the future of their joint conservation work. The gathering was a powerful acknowledgment that the success of the marine reserves belongs to the dedicated experts and communities that have supported them.
Strategy
Strategy was at the heart of the Summit's success. Our primary objective was to create an event that not only celebrated past accomplishments but also fostered forward-looking discussions. The planning process included:
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We developed a curated list of 160 invitees who have been heavily involved in Oregon’s MPAs, and managed communications through targeted emails and direct outreach to ensure strong attendance.
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Through site visits and regular coordination meetings, we managed all event logistics, from venue layout and catering to the technical needs of a hybrid event. Two full-time coordinators were on-site to troubleshoot challenges and ensure a seamless run-of-show.
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Weave together art and ecology through a hands-on experience to immerse the meeting participants in creating full scale art installation on the beach
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We created a unique event logo and a full portfolio of materials, including agendas, speaker biographies, and branded takeaways like Hydroflasks, to create a memorable and unified experience
Science
Science is a foundational pillar of Oregon's Marine Reserves, which serve as "living laboratories to learn about the nearshore ocean." (ODFW) The Summit provided a platform to honor this work and created a unique forum where researchers could share about their scientific studies in the region.
Presentations at the Summit highlighted the diverse and innovative research underway at Oregon’s Marine MPAs and Reserves:
A Decade of
Learning
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The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife shared highlights from 10 years of science, partnerships, and community engagement, including findings from the 10-year synthesis report.
Groundbreaking
Human-Centered Science
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The summit featured a new study designed to estimate how Oregonians value the reserves beyond economics, using a "National Happiness Index" approach to quantify concepts like awareness, knowledge, and well-being.
Fusing Art
with Science
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In a truly innovative approach to science communication, the summit highlighted the connection between art and science. Community paint nights combined artistic expression with stories and findings from scientific reports, successfully raising awareness by making complex information engaging and accessible.
Ongoing Ecological Monitoring
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The program's ecological team shared updates from the field, from preparing temperature and oxygen sensors to training volunteer citizen scientists for hook-and-line surveys, showcasing the active, ongoing collection of crucial ocean data.
Innovation
Summit execution leveraged an innovative approach to event management and stakeholder engagement:
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A key innovation was the direct integration of art into the Summit's agenda. We coordinated a participatory "Art on the Beach" installation and featured presentations from artists Duncan Berry and Josie Iselin, whose kelp curtains also decorated the venue. This approach created a powerful connection between the scientific importance of the marine reserves and the sense of place they provide for local communities.
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By offering a virtual connection, we expanded the reach of the summit, allowing for broader participation and ensuring that valuable insights could be shared widely. We conducted technical check-ins with virtual speakers to guarantee a smooth experience for all attendees.
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The summit went beyond presentations by offering two field excursions, including kayaking and birdwatching. These hands-on activities provided participants with a deeper connection to the local ecosystems at the heart of the celebration.
Outcomes
This project culminated in a highly successful Summit that honored a decade of conservation. We delivered a full portfolio of event materials, managed complex logistics for 80 attendees and 31 speakers, and synthesized the outcomes into a comprehensive final report. The event successfully brought together collaborators, legislators, and community groups, strengthening partnerships and providing a clear vision for the next chapter of Oregon's Marine Reserves Program.
Please contact deanna@sea-shoresolutions.com to learn more about this project or related work.