N. Oregon Coast's Haystack Rock Program Ends 33rd Season

Published 10/20/2018 at 6:54 PM PDT
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Cannon Beach, Oregon) – Cannon Beach’s Haystack Rock Awareness Program (HRAP) is about to close out its latest season, with its last day on the beach on October 24. The group’s almost daily presence around the big Oregon coast landmark of Haystack Rock has provided an abundance of fun and useful info to visitors and is looking back on an especially good year.

This is HRAP’s 33rd season of education and stewardship. Throughout those three decades, HRAP communications director Kari Henningsgaard said it has educated over one million visitors and thousands of students.

Henningsgaard said 2018 has been an eventful season for HRAP, crammed full of art projects, outreach events, citizen science and community partnerships.

“As of September, the environmental education program had interacted with over 85,000 visitors, ran nearly 70 education programs, rescued and transported 35 birds to the Wildlife Center of the North Coast, and attended over 100 events,” she said. “This season over 160 volunteers selflessly donated their time to the program, and without them the season’s accomplishments would not have been possible.”

Over the year, HRAP has continued its work and partnerships with a variety of citizen science projects from around the state, including Seabird Nest Monitoring, Brown Pelican Monitoring, Sea Star Monitoring, COASST Dead Bird Surveys, Black Oystercatcher Abundance Surveys, Black Oystercatcher Nest Monitoring, and Marine Debris Surveys. Henningsgaard said joining forces with these groups helps provide valuable information to scientists about the abundance and health of wildlife on the Oregon coast and its ecosystem.

Looking back, one highlight was the tufted puffins, Henningsgaard said. They left the first week of September, but the group’s monitoring of the cute little creatures made for some striking images of the babies over the summer. Henningsgaard said they had a good year with preliminary data showing an increase of nesting pairs from last year.

Also a big success this year: the new Beach Wheelchair Program has been increasingly popular and has provided beach access to over 265 visitors so far this year, Henningsgaard said.

That program continues to accept donations to purchase a thirdchair. Interested donors should visit https://squareup.com/store/haystack-rock-awareness-program/ to donate or contact the Wheelchair Program Coordinator, Andrea Suarez, (503) 440-2598, suarez@ci.cannon-beach.or.us.

HRAP’s official last day on this iconic Oregon coast beach will be October 24 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Rocky Shore Environmental Interpreters will be on the beach at low-tide everyday until then. To find their full schedule visit https://www.ci.cannon-beach.or.us/hrap. HRAP will
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