Oregon Coast Aquarium brings the Amazon Basin to Grand Ronde

By Alexander Bliven

Smoke Signals intern

The Grand Ronde Tribal Library hosted the Oregon Coast Aquarium in the Tribal gym Wednesday, July 8, as part of the Tribe’s Summer Reading Program.

As part of the event, the presentation “Amazon Basin: An Adventure for the Senses,” introduced Tribal youth to animals native to the Amazon Basin in South America.

Oregon Coast Aquarium Community Engagement Specialist Kathleen Hackett led the presentation and engaged the audience with questions about animals including sloths, vampire bats, matamata turtles and nine-banded armadillos.

A display table allowed participants to pick up free stickers, browse a pamphlet of Amazon Basin animals, touch ocelot pelts and examine skulls from animals such as a caiman and a toucan.

Following the presentation, participants were invited to create their own Amazon animals by selecting paper cutouts of heads, bodies, legs, wings and tails belonging to several species including butterflies, macaws, ocelots, piranhas, hoatzins, bats, iguanas and anteaters. They then used crayons and glue to color and assemble their creations.

Hackett encouraged youth to think about how their animals might live in their environments by considering whether they would be predators or prey and how they’ve adapted to thrive in those environments.

Every year, the Tribal Library invites guest presenters to participate in the Summer Reading Program based on a central theme. This year’s theme, “Plant a Seed, Read,” focuses on the environment.

Tribal Library Aide Crystal Bigelow said she enjoys bringing the aquarium to Grand Ronde because the presentations always “educate youth in a fun way.”

“This is, I believe, their third visit out here,” she said. “They always do a really good job; the kids always enjoy it and it’s really educational material and the kids always get to do a craft or activity after the presentation.”

Bigelow said she hopes that participants will leave the event with a greater awareness of different parts of the world and “how we can help preserve those areas.”

The Tribe plans to host the Summer Reading Program again next year and encourages people of all ages to participate.

Located in Newport, the Oregon Coast Aquarium has welcomed more than 16 million visitors since opening in May 1992. The aquarium is home to more than 15,000 animals across 300 species, including sea otters, sharks and puffins.

The aquarium partners with scientific organizations to provide public education, conduct scientific research and support conservation efforts for marine life. According to its website, it is “one of three facilities in the Pacific Northwest and the only in the state of Oregon authorized to provide critical care to endangered marine animals like sea turtles, Guadalupe fur seals and snowy plovers.”