Gold Beach, Oregon
Who says you can’t kelp it?
Getting creative and crafty with seaweed
Sea basket class: Kachina Starr and Terry Austin take part in the unique art of kelp basket-making.—photo courtesy Heidi Fogle
When you’re beachcombing, you probably do not lug home 12-foot pieces of seaweed that resemble some kind of mythical snake.
Not so with Terry Austin, who mistook the green stuff for ready sea basket material. She was bringing the gifts from afar like an offering for the local sea basket class.
“It was heavy and I carried it a long ways,” she reluctantly admitted. As she learned, however, if not dried properly bull kelp rots and becomes pulpy like old zucchini. Ideally it should be dried naturally on the beach and can be found in shorter strands resembling lightweight strips of bark or in longer lengths that look like grapevine.
Austin was preparing for a sea basket class held Wednesdays in the club room at Turtle Rock Resort. The dried seaweed is scrubbed to remove the salt, mould and other deposits, stored in a large tub until class, then soaked again to make it limber and ready for basket making.
The base of the basket is a flat single piece of kelp. Sides of the basket are formed by stitching pieces of kelp together with waxed jute.
The finished product must be stuffed with newspaper so it holds the desired shape while slowly drying. Kelp naturally has winsome irregularities of holes, splotches and little lumps throughout the surface. Sometimes mistaken for banana peels or birchbark, the unique skins of the baskets are lightweight and striking.
“No two turn out alike. They have a mind of their own,” said the instructor, Kachina Starr.
During the classes, participants are encouraged to follow their own creative instincts in making decorative items from the seaweed. Starr has guided hundreds of local residents and park guests to explore the possibilities.
“Even if you don’t think you’re creative, everything turns out no matter what you do,” Starr said.
Austin sent her baskets as Christmas gifts from the sea to her children and grandchildren who live inland.
“It’s exciting to collect things from the beach that can be made into useful items,” Austin added.
Classes are held at Turtle Rock each Wednesday during the tourist season and slightly less often this time of year. If you’re interested in learning more, call 541-247-9203 for the class schedule.
Bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana)
Most easily found on beaches following storms. Fastest growing seaweed in the world. Reaches lengths of over 100 feet. Can grow nearly a foot per day. Native Americans used the dried bull kelp blade like potato chips. Forms underwater forests along the Pacific coast from Alaska to California. Offers refuge for rockfish. Resting area for shorebirds and sea otters. Shelters marine creatures like crabs and shrimp. Reduces beach erosion by softening the impact of waves on shorelines.
