At the end of my last blog post, I left you hanging with what is human dimension research and how does it play into my work this summer. If you haven’t looked up the definition in the last two weeks, or read blog posts by my fellow Summer Scholars,human dimension research examines how we interact with and utilize the environment around us. This information is commonly gathered through surveying the general populous, as well as specific interest groups. For instance, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has conducted surveys at various marine reserves to understand how who is visiting these areas, in addition to their overall experience while at the reserve. When looking at this “who?” question, surveyors may look at everything from education level to income to ethnicity to what city exactly the person in question lives. In order for a natural area to garner more attention, and in turn building up public’s desire to protect nature, surveyors may also question what can be done better. Sometimes it is providing more facilities, such as campgrounds or hotels at which travelers can stay, or picnic tables where families can eat their lunch. In other instances, it may be offering more educational programs so guests understand the value of the refuge, reserve, park, etc…

In my case, Haystack Rock Awareness Program (HRAP) has been looking to gain a better understanding as to where our visitors come from and if they both understand and value this unique place. While the organization has collected a great deal of data for over fifteen years, including the number of people we talk to during a shift and the number of people walking on the rocks instead of the sand, they have never delved into the background of these visitors. Therefore, my human dimension research centered on a survey that asked our guests these questions. I utilized a platform called Survey123 by ArcGIS to create the survey, as with ArcGIS’s technology we were able to ask people to pinpoint exactly where they live. This was an important component to HRAP as we talk to people from all over the world, not to mention many people who have lived here in Cannon Beach for a long time.

Based on my interactions on the beach and speaking with staff members who have been with the organization ranging from a year and a half to over sixteen years, I knew that the survey needed to have a range of questions – some of which were directed more specifically towards locals and some which more highlighted the experience of tourists. I also knew that while some people had never visited Haystack Rock, we also have a large portion of visitors who have come back for many years. Given all of this information, I built the survey with a few distinctive sections in mind. Like many surveys, I began with demographic questions, the most important of which being where does the person live. Other questions in this section focused on their socioeconomic background, including gender, age, income, and ethnicity among other personal details. It is important to note that the person was free to skip any question which they did not feel comfortable answering.

The next section centered around the frequency with which the person visited Haystack Rock and what brought them to our reserve. Questions encompassed the number of times and how recently they had visited, how they first heard about us, and why they visited Haystack Rock. Obviously, the format of the question varied between local and tourist, but each addressed the same question – why do you visit the Rock? Within this portion of the survey, I also wanted to find out just how well known our organization was to those who had not been to Haystack Rock before. HRAP is constantly trying to spread its presence as we believe this is one of the ways we can help ensure the conservation of the Rock.

The final section moved a little more into the nitty-gritty scientific details. For one, we were curious as to whether or not the public understood that Haystack Rock is actually two different parts of the same whole according to US Fish and Wildlife Service. One part being the Marine Garden, or intertidal area littered with smaller rocks, while the other is the rock standing at 235 feet tall, which is part of the Oregon Islands Wildlife Refuge. Our theory when formulating the survey was that many people perceive our asking them not to stand on the rocks as HRAP’s personal rule, when in fact it is a federal regulation. To test this, a few questions were dedicated to the subject’s understanding of these regulations. The other half of the section asked whether education and enforcement needed to be improved/expanded at Haystack Rock as well as up and down the coast in other natural areas.

Can you tell what is the Marine Garden and what is the Wildlife Refuge based on this photo? Photo Credit: Haystack Rock Awareness Program

There is much more to the survey than what I have simplified it to in this blog post, so please check it out in the link below. Even better, if you have been to Haystack Rock, please take the survey! It only takes a few minutes and I am trying to get as many responses as possible in the next week. I am not including any of the results I have gathered to this point in this post because I don’t want it to skew anyone’s responses.

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On a completely unrelated note, I cannot believe I only have two weeks left here in Oregon before I return to the Sunshine State, but I have seen some incredible places and met some even more incredible people!