Abigail Caoile – Summer Internship 2023 Summary

Posted on by

Over the course of Summer Term 2023, from June 26 to August 25, I have been an intern with the Oregon Sea Grant Extension Tourism Program under the guidance of Associate Professor for Sustainable Tourism, Miles Phillips (https://seagrant.oregonstate.edu/tourism). I received four credit hours from the College of Forestry’s Forest Ecosystems and Society program. I am in the Tourism, Recreation, and Adventure Leadership major, with a concentration in Sustainable Tourism Management. Over the course of the term, I have been working approximately 20 hours per week and working on a wide range of tasks. My main internship objectives were to 1) gain knowledge of key tourism organizations in Oregon, 2) gain knowledge of Oregon tourism impacts, 3) gain knowledge of OSU Extension, Sea Grant, and the Tourism Program, 4) gain experience and skills in writing blog articles for public education, 5) gain knowledge of key elements of customer service, and 6) gain knowledge and experience in providing customer service training.

A central focus of my internship involved writing at least 10 blog articles for Extension’s Sustainable Tourism Blog. Each of these articles were a few hundred words long, which allowed me to enhance my skills in creating engaging content while deepening my knowledge of Oregon’s tourism industry. A couple Tuesdays of my internship I worked in the College of Forestry’s marketing and communications offices, where I was able to get direct feedback from the college’s Director of Marketing and Communications, Kevin Lee. Below are my blog article topics:

Perspective on finding a job in the tourism industry in 2023
How Oregon Tourism is Structured and Funded by the Transient Lodging Tax
Economic Impacts of Tourism in Oregon
What is OSU Extension and Specifics of Extension Tourism Program
Sustainable Tourism Management major at OSU
Practical Customer Service Course
Tourism Industry Representative Organizations
Hawaii Conference Announcement
Oregon Trails Summit Announcement
OCVA Summit Announcement
NET Conference Announcement

A smaller task that I did regarding the blog was reposting old blog posts about local flora and fauna. This task taught me how to schedule blog posts and about general blog organization. I also did general research on Costa Rica, and put together a fact sheet for guests on a group trip. This was for guests on an experiential learning trip to Costa Rica that Extension is hosting in late August. Furthermore, I also completed the Practical Customer Service Training offered by Sea Grant Extension and assisted in converting the course to a new platform. My role for this task was ensuring that the course was user friendly and well put together from the student’s perspective.

I also dedicated time to creating a GORP Master List, consolidating information from numerous Excel spreadsheets. This experience provided me with hands-on expertise in meticulous data organization, ensuring the Master List’s accuracy and usability. The Oregon Coast Visitor Association was in need of a more specific subset of data, and I was able to easily extract this from the Master List through data manipulation. Also for GORP, I did some research on guided tours, and compiled a list of interview questions that could be used in order to create a case guide for a certified guide’s experience.

This internship had a few opportunities for me to meet more people in the industry as well. I was able to meet with Marie Simonds, who is the Executive Director of the Wild Rivers Coast Alliance at the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. This meeting offered me valuable insights into real-world industry needs and challenges, specifically in employment and community needs. During my internship there was also a summer gathering for Sea Grant. This allowed me to network and learn more about the different sectors and projects that Oregon Sea Grant is doing. A goal of this meeting was to generate ideas for broadening Oregon Sea Grant’s impacts, reaching a wider audience, and improving connections. Attending this event was extremely informative for me, and I was able to learn about the education, research, and extension roles in Sea Grant. Lastly, I sat in on a meeting with Curry County Tourism, learning about their current and future projects.

A final task for my internship was a grant proposal. With assistance from Miles, I drafted and submitted a proposal for a grant to the Marine Debris Foundation. This grant proposes to reduce plastic pollution along the Oregon Coast through regenerative tourism, by providing training and equipment for GORP certified guides to be able to implement marine debris awareness and removal as part of their tours, thereby also educating and involving a large number of people who visit or live along the Oregon coast. I believe that this introductory grant writing experience has given me a foundation to draft grant proposals in future positions. The proposal requested $26,800.

This internship concludes my time as an OSU student! I recommend this type of internship.

Red Alder (Alnus rubra)

Posted on by

Red Alder (Alnus rubra)

The red alder (Alnus rubra) is a deciduous tree native to the U.S. Pacific Northwest that has proven important to both Native Americans and wildlife in the region. Its range extends from southeastern Alaska to southern California, generally within 125 miles of the ocean.

This tree is a pioneer species that establishes rapidly in openings created by forest disturbance, including landslides, logging or fire. It is a host to nitrogen fixing mycorrhizae that lives on its roots. This association allows alder to enrich nitrogen-poor soils which enhances the growth of other trees such as Douglas-fir.

Red alder is one of many trees in the U.S. Pacific Northwest used by Native Americans. The bark was used for dyeing basket material, wood, wool, feathers, human hair, and skin.

The wood is low in pitch, which makes it a good wood for smoking meat. Native Americans also used the bark to treat many health problems from insect bites to lymphatic disorders.

For wildlife, red alder provides an important deciduous component in the predominantly coniferous forests found in the region. Most of the seeds remain on the tree well into the fall and winter months, providing valuable resources for birds, insects, and mammals when other foods are scarce.

Beavers eat the bark and build dams and lodges with the stems. Red alder trees also provide valuable nesting for birds and thermal cover for black-tailed deer and other wildlife.

Pacific Chorus Frog (Pseudacris regilla)

Posted on by

Far outside the city the tree frogs were calling her,
and the deep, rhythmic pulse of their voices
set the blood flow to her heart.
— Ann Patchett, Author

Spend time out of doors in the Pacific Northwest and you will hear the call of the Pacific Chorus or Tree Frog. These cute little treefrogs are the smallest frog species in Oregon (at about two-inches) and can be found from northern California into Canada and as far east as Idaho. A few have even been introduced in Alaska.

But do they really call or sing? Yes! Male Pacific treefrogs use sound to attract females as part of the breeding process. It is amazing how loud these little critters can be as they attempt to attract females. The best time to hear them is usually from December through May depending on altitude. The song includes “ooh-yeeh” or ribbiting sounds (like “Krr-r-r-eek”) that are made through the males very stretchy, dark vocal sac that puffs out as they sing.

The frog’s skin is often a shade of green or brown but will change color seasonally to better match the environment. Depending on the season, they may also be tan, reddish, gray, brown, cream, or black with a variety of markings, stripes, and small bumps. The frog’s skin is highly permeable and thus very susceptible to chemical poisoning.

The frogs are predominantly nocturnal and can be found in a variety of riparian habitats often near water. This could include wetland, woodlands, and grasslands, chaparral, pastures, lakes, streams, and even in back yards with a water source nearby during mating season. Their range outside of mating season can include significantly larger and dryer areas.

To find them, look under rotten logs or rocks, in long grass or leaf litter, tree cavities, and hunting in shrubs and trees. Their toe pads, which are long and slightly webbed and coated with a sticky substance. This waxy, sticky substance helps keep their skin moist and helps them climb and hang-on to surfaces. They also have a sticky tongue! What a great advantage when hunting and ambushing spiders, beetles, flies, ants, slugs, snails, etc.  And, eat insects almost as large as they are by slightly expanding their bodies.  

Predators can include snakes, raccoons, birds (like herons, egrets), and other small mammals and reptiles (such as newts). They can be very difficult to spot because they blend so well into their environment when holding still. Their comparatively giant hop gives them away as they try to escape.

Protection. Treefrogs are on the decline in Oregon and are very sensitive to pesticides and herbicides.  The Pacific treefrog is classified as Nongame Wildlife (OAR 635-044). It is unlawful “to purchase, sell or exchange or offer to purchase, sell or exchange” treefrogs (ORS 498.022). It is also unlawful to move or relocate treefrogs without a permit from Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Anyone who wants to capture frogs or their larvae for educational or scientific purposes must first obtain a Wildlife Scientific Taking Permit from a local ODFW office (ORS 497.298, OAR 635-043).

For more information on treefrogs and inviting them into your garden see:  Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Frogs and Toads page at https://myodfw.com/wildlife-viewing/species/frogs-and-toads. For more indepth information download the ODFW Living With Wildlife flyer on the Pacific Treefrog at: https://www.dfw.state.or.us/wildlife/living_with/docs/LWW_Pacific_Treefrog_final.pdf. For more great quotes see https://www.wisefamousquotes.com/quotes-about-frogs/.