Haystack Rock Happenings

By -
It's been another great week at Haystack Rock. Our beautiful Marine Garden has been protected by the Haystack Rock Awareness Program for 30 years, ensuring that each new generation can enjoy the marine life and nesting birds that call Haystack  Rock home!


Haystack Rock at Low Tide
Photo courtesy of Carolyn Propst

There are a number events in the coming weeks that will inform and educate you about the history of HRAP and opportunities to get involved. Consider joining us for one or all of these events.

Welcome the Tufted Puffins

On Earth Day, Wednesday April 22nd at 10 am, the Tufted Puffins will be welcomed back to Haystack Rock by children from local schools. Haystack Rock Awareness Program interpreters will be on the beach from 7:00 am to 1:30 pm.

Thirty Year Anniversary Exhibit

The Cannon Beach History Center & Museum and Cannon Beach's Haystack Rock Awareness Program have partnered to celebrate HRAP's 30th anniversary. For thirty years, HRAP has valiantly protected the delicate ecosystem of Haystack Rock. The exhibit celebrates the program's aspects of "educating, protecting, and inspiring." HRAP is a professionally staffed and volunteer driven program. The exhibit will explore the tide pools through the eyes of those who have dedicated their lives to the protection and preservation of Haystack Rock. The exhibit will be on display April 18th through June 18th. Don't miss this fabulous show!

Volunteer Training

A spring training session for HRAP volunteers will be held on Saturday April 25th. This is an opportunity to open your eyes to natural wonders and prepare to become a volunteer at Haystack Rock. You will learn about interpreting to the public and the geology, nesting birds, and intertidal life at the rock. The training will be held at Cannon Beach City Hall (163 E Gower St) from 9am to 2pm. 
RSVP by email: hrapvolunteer@ci.cannon-beach.or.us or phone: 503-436-8095


Gull in the exposed Intertidal at Haystack Rock
Photo courtesy of Carolyn Propst

We look forward to seeing you at one of these HRAP's events or on the beach!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Nudibranchs in the Tidepools

By -
Image
Nudibranchs, also referred to as sea slugs, can frequently be spotted in the tidepools at Haystack Rock. There are many species of nudibranch, most having outstanding markings and colors. The nudibranch feed on bryozoans, hydroids and sponges and it's color can be changed by the food it eats.   The nudibranch has a pair of sensory projections on their head, called rhinophores, which allow them to smell and taste. Virtually all nudibranchs have some form of eyes but they are not well developed and in most cases are little more than a pigment spot in the head near the rhinophores.  The nudibranch breathes through gill projections which extract oxygen from the seawater. The Pacific Northwest has more than 200 species of nudibranchs. The Opalescent Nudibranch ( Hermissenda crassicornis ) could be called 'showy'. It is found from Alaska to Baja, California and can grow to two inches in size. At Haystack Rock, it can be found in the sandy bottom of a tidepool. It is slender wit
Read more

What Is That Foam?

By -
Image
Visitors to Haystack Rock were recently greeted with an intertidal covered with a brownish foam and, naturally, asked 'What is That Foam?' The foam has been prevalent up and down the north Oregon coast during the last week, evident both in the surf, on the beaches and in the intertidal zone. Sea Foam on Cannon Beach, Spring 2014 Photo Courtesy of Carolyn Propst The foam is not pollution but is created by microscopic phytoplankton. Phytoplankton are one-celled organisms that are at the bottom of the ocean's food chain. Diatoms are the most common form of phytoplankton on the north Oregon Coast. The phytoplanktons contain a fatty-like material, called cytoplasm, that holds them together. When the phytoplanktons die, the cytoplasm 'glue' the individual skeletons together. This creates layers that trap air within the ocean water, increasing the surface tension and creating the bubbles. When there are a lot of phytoplankton more of them die creating even more
Read more