November 26, 2024
By Maddie Gard, WSG Science Communication Fellow
SOUTH BEND – Last month, Washington Sea Grant (WSG) staff participated in an official ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the grand opening of Bendiksen Landing, a historic building that has been redeveloped from an aging seafood production facility to include the new WSG South Bend Office. This new office space will deepen WSG’s work to serve communities along Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor, focused on issues such as coastal resilience and the preservation of opportunities for fishing, aquaculture and other marine resource-based livelihoods and cultural practices.
Washington Sea Grant staff and community members in the new Bendiksen Landing South Bend office
The new South Bend location will be the home office of three WSG staff: Aquaculture Specialist Ashleigh Epps, Fisheries Specialist Brandii O’Reagan, and Community Engagement Specialist Sanpisa Sritrairat. The office will provide these staff greater opportunities to practice their extension work in community with the people they serve, and act as a hub for other WSG staff who work with coastal partners.
Terrie Klinger, WSG faculty director, welcomed community members to the Bendickson Landing grand opening, which was hosted by the Port of Willapa Harbor: “We are thrilled to be part of the Port of Willapa Harbor’s vision for redeveloping Bendiksen Landing in a way that honors heritage, community, and innovation.” Though based at the University of Washington’s Seattle campus, WSG has a long history of extension staff living and working in communities across the state, including on the southwest coast. “The opening of the Washington Sea Grant South Bend Office continues this tradition of serving communities along Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor while also acknowledging the interconnected nature of ongoing and emerging issues on the Pacific Coast,” Klinger said.
Washington Sea Grant provides statewide research, outreach and education services addressing the challenges facing our oceans and coasts. For over 50 years we have served and partnered with shellfish growers, fisherfolk, tribal communities, resource managers, educators and families throughout Washington state. WSG’s neighbors within Bendickson Landing are Linda’s Fish and Chips, Boondocks Marketplace, and Taylor Shellfish Farms. Bendiksen Landing is located at 313 E. Robert Bush Dr. in South Bend.
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Washington Sea Grant, based at the University of Washington, helps people and marine life thrive through research, technical expertise and education supporting the responsible use and conservation of coastal ecosystems. Washington Sea Grant is one of 34 Sea Grant programs supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in coastal and Great Lakes states that encourage the wise stewardship of our marine resources through research, education, outreach and technology transfer.
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NOV
2024