Geology, intertidal life and marine mammals are just three of the topics on the seminar schedule for would-be Shoreline Education for Awareness volunteers.

SEA begins its once-a-month seminar series on Jan. 12 to teach area residents about the marine environment.

The yearly educational program runs from Jan. 12 through May 10, with extra sessions for docents before the ocean interpretive season beginning in mid-April. All seminars are on the second Saturday of each month at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology Boathouse Auditorium in Charleston.

Registration for each seminar begins at 8:30 a.m. with coffee and refreshments; and  seminars run from 9 a.m. to noon with an hour break for a catered lunch, then continue from 1 to 3 p.m. (unless otherwise noted), which might include a field trip nearby.

Seminars are $5 per person (free for SEA members). The catered lunch is $6 per person, or attendees are welcome to bring their own bag lunch. Yearly SEA membership is $20 for individual or $35 for a family of two or more living in the same household.

Each year the presenters provide basic information about marine mammals, intertidal invertebrates and birds and because research is on-going, they also offer any new information that has become available, a press release stated.

Current and past docents are urged to attend, with notepads and pens, to ensure the information they share with the public is up to date.

The 2008 schedule includes:

Jan. 12 — "Local Geology for the Layman" by Dr. Ron Metzger of Southwestern Oregon Community College, and "Native Americans" by Don Ivy of Cultural Affairs in the Coquille Tribe, who will show how local tribes were affected by geological events.

Feb. 9 — "Intertidal Life" by Stephanie Miller, interpretive ranger, Sunset Bay State Park. This presentation begins at 3 p.m. with a field trip at 4:30 or 5 p.m., from daylight into darkness. Flashlights, warm weather-proof clothing and boots are a must.

March 8 — "Marine Mammals" by Dr. Jan Hodder, Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, with an afternoon field trip to view marine mammals at Simpson Reef.

April 12 — "Oceanography for the Layman" by OIMB professor Dr. Alan Shanks, will clarify some of the ocean's mysteries, such as how waves are formed, currents, rip tides, etc. In the afternoon, Paul Heikkila, of the Oregon State University Sea Grant program, will provide answers to the many questions docents receive from the public, such as, "what are those fishing boats fishing for" and "is it okay for divers to be out there"

May 10 — "Birds of Our Coastal Areas" by David Ledig, manager, Southern Oregon Coastal Wildlife Refuges, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. A field trip follows in the afternoon.

Many people who attend the lectures would like to become docents, but hesitate because they are unaccustomed to speaking one-on-one with strangers. There will be two or three more on-site training sessions for new and returning docents to increase their comfort level and to learn nuts and bolts information.

For more information, those interested can call Bill Binnewies, SEA president, at 260-7770 or Sara Duvall, vice president, at 347-9234 or e-mail: info@sea-edu.org or log onto the web site at http://www.sea-edu.org.