The day will also feature a 1 p.m. Facebook Premiere event, during which you will learn more about North Coast Otters from the project creator and volunteers. View the livestream on Facebook.
North Coast Otters arose from a desire to share what we are learning from the river otter citizen science program with the community. The project provides a delightful opportunity to connect with and cultivate an appreciation for the charismatic northern river otter (Lontra canadensis) in our clean water habitats. More than 100 otter art sculptures have been decorated depicting our themes of “clean water’‘, “wild places”, “local vibe”, “Native art”, and “merging art and science”.
The sculptures will be hosted at sites in five North Coast counties, with opportunities for people to visit and interact with them. Due to COVID-19, the placement of the sculptures has been postponed. The May 27 virtual launch will allow people to see high-resolution photos of all the submitted otters in the meantime. The festival transition from virtual to “in person” will be timed to ensure safety and to support local businesses, and will provide an opportunity to celebrate our North Coast community.
“We hope that this project instills a greater sense of responsibility and care for our region’s river otters and the water filled habitats we share with them,” says Jeff Black, North Coast Otters coordinator and HSU Professor of Wildlife. “I hope you will join us and our many partners in this merger of citizen art and science.”
For more information, visit otterart.humboldt.edu. On May 27, a link on that site will be available to view all North Coast Otters.
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Email otterart@humboldt.edu for more information.