Oregon Summit Themes

Maybe you’ve seen the video of a sea turtle with a plastic straw stuck in its nose, or the headlines about whales washing ashore with stomachs full of plastic. With so much plastic pollution floating in the ocean, it’s too easy for wildlife to mistake it for food — and too often, they pay the price with their lives. The good news is that communities, states and companies can move away from the single-use plastics we don’t need. These decision makers will only put wildlife over waste if they hear loud and clear from young people that it’s time to move beyond single-use plastics.

After all, nothing we use for a few minutes should pollute our environment and threaten wildlife for hundreds of years.

Climate change is one the biggest threats of our time and researchers and conservationists are already scrambling to understand the effects it’s having on our ocean. From sea level rise, to eroding kelp forests and mass crab die-offs, our coastal habitats are facing changes and challenges that they've never seen before.  

That's why it’s crucial that ocean advocates are aware of the latest challenges and make their voices heard now. Together we have the opportunity to make sure Oregonians know that climate change is here. We need to encourage our state and local leaders to look for policy solutions instead of turning a blind eye to the effects of our warming climate. By letting them know that young voters won't allow them to deny the threats our wildlife is already facing, we can encourage them to develop policies to slow the warming trend and help conserve what we have left.

Sea otters are one of the most beloved animals on earth, known best for their adorable faces and playful personalities. But these affable aquatic mammals are more than just cute attractions for boaters and beachgoers — they play a vital role in the health and balance of kelp ecosystems.

Sadly, they disappeared from Oregon over 100 years ago and their absence has been a huge problem for Oregon’s coastal ecosystems like kelp forests. Momentum is growing to bring sea otters back to our shores. Learn more about why they disappeared, what problems that’s caused, and what’s being done to bring them back.

Estimates suggest that over 10 billion trees call Oregon home – that’s a lot of forest. It’s easy to picture scenery lush with Douglas firs, redwoods and oaks. However, our forests aren’t just on land, they’re also in our ocean and nearshore ecosystems. Kelp forests and eelgrass meadows, for example, can be found just offshore of our craggy, rocky coastline and in our estuaries, and are immensely important for Oregon. They help protect against the negative effects of climate change, sequester carbon and serve as the habitat and hunting ground for a whole host of species.

If they were to disappear it would spell disaster for our nearshore environment and sadly, it looks like that’s happening. Learn more about why these areas are struggling, what we can do to help them, and what the potential solutions are.