Friends of Otter Rock Marine Reserve Programs and Internships
Devils Punchbowl State Natural Area, P.O. Box 1074, Otter Rock, OR 97341
About
Friends of Otter Rock Marine Reserve Programs and Internships offers high school students and community members roles in the Academic Year High School Internship, Volunteer Interpretive Program, and Tidepool Ambassador Program. Participants can also take part in community science projects such as the NOAA Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project, Sea Star Survey, Nesting Surveys, CoastWatch Collaboration, Beached Bird Surveys, and the Oregon King Tides Project. Otter Rock Marine Reserve, where these efforts are focused, is the smallest of five designated sites along the Oregon Coast where no fishing, no wildlife removal, and no ocean development are allowed and is 1.2 square miles in size.
• Ages: 14–18 years old
• Schedule: Academic Year High School Internship runs from mid-October to mid-June; Volunteer Interpretive Program runs June through Labor Day; Nesting Surveys run May through August; the Oregon King Tides Project runs November to January; marine debris surveys, Beached Bird Surveys, and CoastWatch data collection are conducted monthly year round.
• Price: The Academic Year High School Internship is a part-time paid internship; the Tidepool Ambassador Program offers paid internships to high school students; the Volunteer Interpretive Program includes free, in-depth training for each program.
Founded in 2020, Friends of Otter Rock Marine Reserve brought together independent volunteer conservation efforts under one organization. Its mission is the protection and preservation of rocky shore intertidal life, nesting and migrating sea birds, and marine mammals that inhabit Devil’s Punch Bowl State Natural Area, Otter Rock Marine Gardens, Otter Rock Marine Reserve, and the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge. Friends of Otter Rock Marine Reserve offers free, in-depth training for each of its programs and offers programs and paid internships that invite local community members and students to deepen their understanding and appreciation for fragile coastal ecosystems, the marine life they support, and the area’s geological, colonial, and Indigenous histories.
The Tidepool Ambassador Program is unique to Friends of Otter Rock Marine Reserve and offers paid internships to high school students interested in ocean related sciences, with interns selected through an application process that begins in early spring. Through the Tidepool Ambassador Program, students deepen marine science knowledge, build confidence in communication and leadership skills, gain field experience, engage with tidepool visitors of all ages, and have year-round opportunities to participate in community science projects. The Volunteer Interpretive Program stations trained volunteers at the Punchbowl Overlook to connect with visitors from around the world, share information about ecology, wildlife, and natural history, and help ensure visitor safety and minimize disturbance to nesting seabirds.
Friends of Otter Rock Marine Reserve invites the public to participate in coast-wide community science projects, including the Oregon Black Oystercatcher Project with Portland Audubon each summer at the Devils Punchbowl State Natural Area. CoastWatch Collaboration is overseen by the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition, Beached Bird Surveys are conducted for the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team’s (COASST’s) Beached Birds project, and the Oregon King Tides Project is co-coordinated by the Oregon Coastal Management Program and CoastWatch. The Tidepool Ambassador Program is made possible with support from the Oregon Coast Visitors Association (OCVA) and Oregon Coast STEM Hub. The organization commits to respecting each tribe’s history, cultural contributions, and living descendants, including those of the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians, in its work of promoting coastal conservation and works in support of the Indigenous people who continue to steward these coastal lands today.
Friends of Otter Rock Marine Reserve is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and its film “Otter Rock Marine Reserve: Where Science and Stewardship Meet” was selected for the 2024 Big Blue Film Festival where it was well-received. The leadership team includes Program Coordinator Cloud Spengler; Board President Dennis White; Treasurer Fawn Custer; Secretary Genevieve Coblentz-Strong; and Board Members Amelia O’Connor and Marilyne Coblentz. Staff and board members bring backgrounds in marine sciences, wildlife ecology and conservation, environmental outreach and education, mathematics, management, oceanography, mechanical engineering, marine resource management, and international management, along with experience in community science projects, coastal bird monitoring, and mentoring student interns.
Last updated December 29, 2025.
• Ages: 14–18 years old
• Schedule: Academic Year High School Internship runs from mid-October to mid-June; Volunteer Interpretive Program runs June through Labor Day; Nesting Surveys run May through August; the Oregon King Tides Project runs November to January; marine debris surveys, Beached Bird Surveys, and CoastWatch data collection are conducted monthly year round.
• Price: The Academic Year High School Internship is a part-time paid internship; the Tidepool Ambassador Program offers paid internships to high school students; the Volunteer Interpretive Program includes free, in-depth training for each program.
Founded in 2020, Friends of Otter Rock Marine Reserve brought together independent volunteer conservation efforts under one organization. Its mission is the protection and preservation of rocky shore intertidal life, nesting and migrating sea birds, and marine mammals that inhabit Devil’s Punch Bowl State Natural Area, Otter Rock Marine Gardens, Otter Rock Marine Reserve, and the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge. Friends of Otter Rock Marine Reserve offers free, in-depth training for each of its programs and offers programs and paid internships that invite local community members and students to deepen their understanding and appreciation for fragile coastal ecosystems, the marine life they support, and the area’s geological, colonial, and Indigenous histories.
The Tidepool Ambassador Program is unique to Friends of Otter Rock Marine Reserve and offers paid internships to high school students interested in ocean related sciences, with interns selected through an application process that begins in early spring. Through the Tidepool Ambassador Program, students deepen marine science knowledge, build confidence in communication and leadership skills, gain field experience, engage with tidepool visitors of all ages, and have year-round opportunities to participate in community science projects. The Volunteer Interpretive Program stations trained volunteers at the Punchbowl Overlook to connect with visitors from around the world, share information about ecology, wildlife, and natural history, and help ensure visitor safety and minimize disturbance to nesting seabirds.
Friends of Otter Rock Marine Reserve invites the public to participate in coast-wide community science projects, including the Oregon Black Oystercatcher Project with Portland Audubon each summer at the Devils Punchbowl State Natural Area. CoastWatch Collaboration is overseen by the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition, Beached Bird Surveys are conducted for the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team’s (COASST’s) Beached Birds project, and the Oregon King Tides Project is co-coordinated by the Oregon Coastal Management Program and CoastWatch. The Tidepool Ambassador Program is made possible with support from the Oregon Coast Visitors Association (OCVA) and Oregon Coast STEM Hub. The organization commits to respecting each tribe’s history, cultural contributions, and living descendants, including those of the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians, in its work of promoting coastal conservation and works in support of the Indigenous people who continue to steward these coastal lands today.
Friends of Otter Rock Marine Reserve is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and its film “Otter Rock Marine Reserve: Where Science and Stewardship Meet” was selected for the 2024 Big Blue Film Festival where it was well-received. The leadership team includes Program Coordinator Cloud Spengler; Board President Dennis White; Treasurer Fawn Custer; Secretary Genevieve Coblentz-Strong; and Board Members Amelia O’Connor and Marilyne Coblentz. Staff and board members bring backgrounds in marine sciences, wildlife ecology and conservation, environmental outreach and education, mathematics, management, oceanography, mechanical engineering, marine resource management, and international management, along with experience in community science projects, coastal bird monitoring, and mentoring student interns.
Last updated December 29, 2025.
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