A combined Lunch and Learn and Saturdays about the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve will be held this week, offering participants a chance to explore the nearshore ocean and estuary waters.

The Thursday Lunch and Learn will be held from noon to 1 p.m. at the Milner Crest Education Center, 1255 Hemlock Ave., Coos Bay. The topic will be the water channel of the South Slough. There is no cost for the lecture, and participants should bring a sack lunch.

The Saturday on the Slough will meet from 9 a.m. to noon at the Charleston Visitor Center Center. A South Slough interpreter will conduct a field trip to learn more about the open water channel. Participants should dress for the weather.  

Each month’s Lunch and Learn and Saturday at the Slough will have its own theme and include a Saturday field experience. The lecture is free, and field day is $5 per person.

Participation in the lecture will enhace the field experience but is not required for the field trips. Registration for both is required.

For more information and to register, those interested can call 888-5558. For more information about becoming a South Slough Volunteer, those interested can call Public Involvement Coordinator Deborah Rudd at 888-5558, ext. 58, or e-mail deborah.rudd@state.or.us.