- Home
- Activities
- Past General Meetings 2020 to 2024
Past General Meetings (2020-2024)
OOPS General Meeting - November 20, 2024: OOPS Budget, 2025 Events, and Board Elections
This was a hybrid meeting. Here is the recording
The meeting contained presentations on the OOPS budget and membership dues, 2025 club events, and board elections. Treasurer Robin Smith shared information on our revenue and how funds are spent, and discussed membership dues. Events Director Janell Niemann-Ross talked about our planned events for 2025 and mention how volunteers are key to the success of these outstanding activities. Last, we elected the Board for 2025. Nominations were summarized in the recent President's newsletter.
OOPS General Meeting- October 30, 2024 : SSTIKS
This was a hybrid meeting. Here is the recording
This was a presentation by OOPS members Joanne Barta and Paul Steinberg who spoke to us about "SSTIKS", South Sound Traditional Inuit Kayaking Symposium". We learned about traditional Inuit paddling techniques and equipment, including the Greenland paddle.
OOPS General Meeting - September 25, 2024: Kayak Adventures in Baja, Mexico
This was a hybrid meeting. Here is the recording
We had a wonderful presentation by long-time OOPS member Ginni Callahan, owner of Sea Kayak Baja Mexico, who told us stories of her 25 years kayaking the warm waters of Baja Mexico. Ginni joined us by Zoom from Mexico.
OOPS General Meeting - August 28, 2024: Willamette River Water Quality
This was a hybrid meeting. Here is the recording
A presentation by Peter Abrams, Monitoring Coordination and Analysis Manager with the City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services for a presentation on Willamette River water quality and related testing programs.
Peter manages a small group that coordinates all of the sampling and analysis performed by Field Operations and the Water Pollution Control Lab. He will provide an overview of regular monthly as well as seasonal testing programs, including the Check the Rec public water quality reporting website where you can check on water quality before your paddle outing.
OOPS General Meeting - June 26, 2024: The Surfrider Foundation - activists for oceans, waves and beaches
This was a virtual-only meeting. Here is the recording
We were joined by Megan Hoff, Beach Cleanup Coordinator with the Newport Chapter, and Kaia Hazard, Oregon Regional Manager as they discuss the Surfrider Foundation.
The Surfrider Foundation is dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s ocean, waves, and beaches, for all people, through a powerful activist network. Learn more about the different Oregon Surfrider Chapters and what types of causes they fight for, their successes to date, and their rewarding volunteer opportunities including water quality testing, beach and river cleanups, Hold onto your Butt campaign, ocean friendly restaurants, and more!
They also provided us with the following links:
-
Presentation Slides - link
-
Cleanup Database - link
-
National website - link
OOPS General Meeting - May 29, 2024: RECREATION AT PACIFIC POWER HYDROELECTRIC SITES
This was a hybrid meeting. Here is the recording.
Hear Todd Olson, Director of Hydroelectric Dam Compliance and Operations for Pacific Power, an operating division of PacifiCorp, discuss recreation, dam removal and fish and wildlife programs. An overview of Swift Reservoir and Lake Merwin (WA) will be featured. Todd will share insights on the Condit (White Salmon River) and Klamath River Dam removal projects.
OOPS General Meeting - April 24, 2024: Nigel Foster Presents Iceland by Kayak
This was a hybrid meeting. Here is the recording. 
During this meeting Nigel Foster described his epic journey - the first circumnavigation of Iceland by kayak and the topic of his latest book. The trip was planned in the days before home computer, cellphone, Google, and the World Wide Web. It was completed in the days before dry suites, portable VHF radios, or digital cameras. The trip took nine months to plan, and nine and a half weeks to paddle. The book took 46 years to write at an average of six words per day <grin>.
OOPS General Meeting - March 27, 2024 - Josie Iselin: An Artist's Journey into the Science of Seaweed and the Stories of the Kelp Forest
This was a virtual meeting. Here is the recording.
Josie Iselin is a Bay Area artist, author, book designer, and ocean activist who has recognized the power of art and storytelling in scientific communications.
Join Josie as she takes us on her journey from making algal imagery, to writing and designing various books on seaweed, to her current project, a webstory called The Mysterious World of Bull Kelp. Josie works with Above/Below, a collective committed to telling kelp forest stories. She will walk us through the development of this comprehensive website about bull kelp.
Also hear from Gay Lewis, OOPS Librarian, about the new OOPS library online program.
OOPS General Meeting - November 29, 2023 - Andree Hurley from Washington Water Trails
This was a hybrid meeting. Here is the recording. Note: This was recorded in the meeting room. The audio may be spotty in places.
Executive Director Andree Hurley presented an overview of Washington Water Trails including the various trails they have developed such as the Cascadia Marine Trail, Northwest Discovery Trail, Willapa Bay Trail and Lakes to Locks Trail.
OOPS General Meeting - October 25, 2023 - Annette Pearson from Willamette Riverkeepers
This was a hybrid meeting. Here is the recording . Note: This was recorded in the meeting room. The audio may be spotty in places.
Annette Pearson joined us in October to talk about the Willamette River Water Trail.
Annette Pearson grew up on a lake in Michigan, which is where her love of being on the water began. She spent time as a whitewater rafting guide in North Carolina and Colorado and moved to Portland in 1997 seeking a place where rivers ran year around. When she moved to Portland and got a job
at Alder Creek Kayak and Canoe she got to work with and learn from some of the best paddling coaches and instructors on the West coast. Over the next decade, she spent her time leading trips and teaching courses and pursued training through the BCU and ACA. Most recently she guided sea kayak expeditions in remote wilderness areas of SE Alaska. She also enjoys multi-day trips in canoes on any moving water river and believes one of the most overlooked gems is the Willamette River. After being a long time volunteer of Willamette Riverkeeper, she recently became part of the staff and spends her time coordinating and assisting with on water events for the organization, coordinating volunteers and getting to know the Willamette Water Trail and all it has to offer.
OOPS General Meeting - September 27, 2023 - OOPS Presents Jim Todd - Prepare for the Solar Eclipse!
This was a hybrid meeting. Here is the recording . Note: This was recorded in the meeting room. The audio may be spotty in places.
Where will you be for the 2023 solar eclipse? On the water? Jim Todd, Director of Space Science Education at the Oregon Museum of Science & Industry (OMSI), RCA President, joined us to help us prepare for the 2023 Annular Solar Eclipse and 2024 Solar Eclipse! This annular eclipse is the second of three notable solar eclipses viewable from the US. It follows the US total eclipse of August 2017 and comes six months before the North American total eclipse of April 2024.
On October 14, 2023, annularity, where the Sun forms a ‘ring of fire’ around the Moon, is visible along a narrow path that crosses from Oregon to Texas. It then passes over Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, plus parts of Central America, Colombia, and Brazil. Portland will observe a strong partial eclipse of 86% at 9:19 AM.