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Earth Day on Oregon Coast Features Festivals, Global Warming Talks

Newport's beaches are perfect for exploring nature on Earth Day

(Oregon Coast) – The Earth has its day in a big way on the Oregon coast, a place where the worship of nature and all things wild just comes with the territory.

Earth Day happens on Sunday, April 22, and it gets three days worth of fun and frivolity in the region. There’s a three-day festival in Cannon Beach and a Saturday full of lectures about climate change at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport.

“Earth Day at the Hatfield Marine Science Center” starts at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, with a talk by Dr. Karen Shell from the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences. Her lecture is entitled “Uncertainty and Climate Change.”

At 12:30 p.m., Dr. Mark Hixon, from OSU’s Department of Zoology, will talk about “Ocean Warming: Threats to the Pacific Northwest.”

At 1:30 p.m., Dr. Peter U. Clark, from the Hatfield’s Department of Geosciences, will talk about "Ice and sea level changes: Where are we headed?"

The day rounds out with Dr. Jeffrey Shaman from the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences talking about “Change, Human Health and Local Ecology.” That begins at 3 p.m.

All the presentations are in the visitor center’s Hennings Auditorium. Admission is free to all events. Hatfield Marine Science Center, 2030 Marine Science Dr. Newport, Oregon. 541-867-0167. hmsc.oregonstate.edu/

Haystack Rock's marine gardens

On the north coast, Cannon Beach pulls out all the stops with the 2007 Earth, Wind & Sea Celebration, happening Friday through Sunday, a series of events that also features the Puffin Kite Festival. Events happen at various spots around town, but one of the centerpieces on each of the days is low tide at Haystack Rock, where the marine gardens sprout up when the tide is out.

It all starts on Friday, just before low tide (which is at 9:38 a.m. and is a minus one), with the Gaylord Nelson Award Reception from 7 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. at the Haystack Gardens. It’s an informal reception to honor this year's recipient of the Gaylord Nelson Award, where poster design winners and kite exhibits and kick off the celebration. Light refreshments available. Keynote Speaker: Rep. Deborah Boone & Diane Enright, Oregon Dept of Energy.

On Saturday, low tide is a minus 0.6 at 10:30 a.m.

Three Birding Walks are scheduled to showcase the sites within Cannon Beach that are on the Oregon Coast Birding Trail.

The first starts at 8:30 a.m. with Ecola State Park Bird Hike. Meet at the parking lot kiosk. A shuttle will be available from the Chamber.

From 9 a.m. to noon, the Haystack Rock Awareness Program will present various programs at Haystack Rock. There’s the Haystack Rock Intertidal Beach Program at 9 a.m. and bird talk at 10:30 a.m.

Interesting objects found at low tide in Cannon Beach

At 11 a.m., there’s the Earth Day Parade through downtown Cannon beach. Join Taffy the Puffin in her electric car. The parade forms at the intersection of Spruce & Third Streets. Everyone is welcome on foot, bicycle or in energy efficient vehicles. Parade wanders down Hemlock and ends at Coaster Theater.

At 1 p.m., the Coaster Theater hosts the Green Building Panel & Home Tour. Bill Boone, Doug Ray and Tim Lindsey will discuss the latest technology in green building and energy efficiency. A tour of an affordably designed solar efficient home will follow.

A street fair gets under way at 3 p.m. at the US Bank parking lot. Join various vendors for demonstrations, games and information that will help you have a more earth friendly lifestyle.

Haystack Rock

On hand will be Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, Star of the Sea (Worm Farming Program), Environmental Toxicology Program, Oregon Dept. of Energy, Seaside Aquarium, Western Oregon Waste, Wildlife Rehab Center, Haystack Rock Awareness Program, Coastal Nature History Center, King Fisher Farms, Tillamook Bay Estuary Partnership, NW Natural Gas, North Coast Land Conservancy and the North Coast Watershed Association.

At 5:30 p.m. there’s the Downtown Lagoon Tour and Trail Dedication, held at the Cannon Beach Chamber. Gather there for a guided tour of the lagoon area and the dedication of the Oregon Birding Trail. After a potluck dinner, Dawn Grafe from US Fish & Wildlife Service, will give a talk on coastal birding.

Meanwhile, while all this is going on, the Puffin Kite Festival is happening at the Surfsand Resort from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Start off your day by hanging out in the Surfsand’s lobby at 10 a.m. to have your face painted. Duck out to see Taffy the Puffin ride her electric car in the Earth Day Parade, then come back at Noon and join in on the Kids Craft Hour and create a kite made out of recycled material. After that, it’s off to the beach to watch them fly away along with others who will be flying that day.

After all the fun, you and your kids will be ready for the Wiener Roast at 2 p.m., which is finished off with a scoop of Tillamook Ice Cream. From 3 to 4 p.m., watch the camp scholarships being handed out.

On Sunday, low tide happens at 11:27 a.m. at minus 0.1.

At noon, it’s the Ecola Creek Forest Reserve Walk. Join Ecola Creek Watershed Council and the 2006 Gaylord Nelson Award Recipient, Jerome Arnold, for the hike in Ecola Creek Forest. This marks the 3rd anniversary of the Ecola Creek Forest Reserve. 503-436-2623 ext. 3. www.cannonbeachchamber.org.

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