This summer I’ve been met with an abundance of new experiences. Before this summer I’d never been on the Oregon coast or seen a tufted puffin. Although I’d been to tidepools before, I’m leaving this internship with a whole new world of knowledge about the species found there as well as the seabirds that live on Haystack Rock.  My internship with Haystack Rock Awareness Program (HRAP) allowed me to spend my days thinking about how science communication could be used to increase awareness and action within marine conservation. While a lot of my time was spent reading literature on the topic and conducting research, I also gained so much from just speaking to people on the beach or around Cannon Beach. Before this internship, I didn’t think of myself as someone that could just spark a conversation with a stranger. Through this internship, I have been able to improve my communication skills and have grown considerably in my ability to casually relay scientific information. 

Since I recently graduated from college I am currently looking for jobs and have a few job prospects in environmental consultant firms. I believe that the skills that I have developed during my internship will provide me with a strong foundation for starting my career and will benefit me further down the road when I choose to go to grad school.

Doing an internship through Oregon Seagrant has been an incredible experience. Working alongside the Haystack Rock Awareness Program and Friends of Haystack Rock has provided me with invaluable experience. Approaching the end of the internship feels a bit bittersweet. I am excited to see the manifestation of my project, but I’m also fully aware that the days of watching the puffins jump off of the Haystack Rock are coming to an end.

Through this internship, I’ve been able to learn a lot about people’s passions regarding nature. Throughout the summer I have spoken to many people that have shared stories about what the tidepools looked like when they were younger or about how their love for the outdoors always leads them back to the rock. I’ve learned that many people have traveled all around the world, but Haystack Rock remains special in their hearts. They often talk about how they came as kids, and how they ended up bringing their own kids. While I’ve learned a lot about the marine environment and species identification, I’ve also learned that Haystack Rock is also home to many people and that’s why its protection is important. It has been mentioned to me time and time again that there is a feeling of hopelessness a feeling that there is little they can do as individuals to help. I’ve realized it is a common notion to feel helpless and alone when it comes to the state of the natural environment, however, we have this feeling as a collective. Collective hopelessness, about individual impact. I believe that through effective methods of science communication, this feeling can transform into a feeling of collective hope and community. Science communication is more than just making research more accessible, it is also a way to bring people from all different backgrounds together for the things that matter. 

Something that surprised me this summer was the large disparity between female and male volunteers and staff. I noticed that the majority of the staff and volunteers were female and as introductions were being made and I attended meetings, I realized that most of the people I was meeting were women. This was something that made me feel empowered because throughout my college career I have felt imposter syndrome because of the lack of representation within stem for women and people of color. Seeing women in the different positions and involvement in marine conservation provided me with a great perspective and a better sense of the different roles I can see myself in, in the future. 

If I could start the internship again with what I know now, I would start by asking more questions in the beginning. I would give myself the flexibility to be more curious about my project and not just take it as a set of tasks that need to be completed. While I wouldn’t really change anything about my approach to the project, I would make sure to give myself the room to feel the confidence and comfort I feel coming towards the final weeks of the internship. Confidence is something I’ve always valued, but it is something that I know comes with practice.

Science policy has always appeared to me as something done solely at the federal level. While I knew this assumption wasn’t entirely correct, I always found myself imagining people in DC tackling topics concerning the public good and ethics of science. My Haystack Rock Awareness Program internship has allowed me to see the different levels and sides that play into science policy. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting with an Oregon Fish and Wildlife employee and was able to pick their brain about the different career options within government jobs and their role in the policy. Based on my interactions with the general public and those working under organizations, I have come to notice that for the most part, the people that are most involved and interested in nature and its well being, tend to be the ones that have some sort of understanding of science policy and how it affects what they love. 

HRAP provided me with a deeper understanding of how local organizations can help uphold the policies put in place to protect nature. The staff works graciously with the tourists and locals that come to the beach and do their best to educate them on not only the ecology at the rock but also on why and how this marine garden became a marine protected area. In my opinion, this form of enforcement has been incredibly beneficial for the beach and for the onlookers. I’ve also come to realize how hard it can be to enforce laws targeted towards marine conservation and preservation because of the general lack of understanding behind why conservation and preservation are so important. I’ve come across people who think that the rock’s protection isn’t important and that they should be allowed to climb it. On the other hand,  I’ve also come across people that have a deep understanding of how the ecology of the rock has changed over the years and have come to care for its preservation and appreciate the work done by HRAP. 

As I dive deeper into my project, the more I learn about the importance of science communication and how it can help with the communication gaps between scientists, the general public, and policymakers among many others. The general public involvement in the scientific research happening in their communities or around what affects their communities is something that I believe they are entitled to, and in this regard should be more accessible for individuals that have not been scientifically trained. For me, facilitating the dialogue and providing the public with accessible language to science is something that I see myself doing whether I’m doing the research myself or I find myself in a science communication role.

Throughout the last two weeks, my project has begun to take on a more definitive shape. I am learning that through trial and error, more ideas have come and more ideas have been pivoted, but ultimately these pivots have provided me with a more streamlined point of focus. During my first week, I had a very broad idea of what I would be doing, and over the past weeks I have been actively working with The Friends of Haystack Rock, a graduate student from OSU, and with my primary host, The Haystack Rock Awareness Program. While they all have different pieces of the puzzle that is my project, ultimately, they all have the general basis of strengthening science communication efforts to maximize engagement and interest in marine life and health.  

My routine at first was pretty monotonous during the first weeks because I was reading paper after paper about science communication and marine conservation. As we wrap up week 4, my days and weeks have been looking differently. Some days I’m on the beach talking to the visitors of Haystack Rock, or I’m helping out with an event like the Puffin Watch that was broadcasted on Facebook Live. Some days I spend the entirety of the day inside the office reading and writing about my project. As far as meetings go, I have a weekly check-in on Wednesday with my supervisor and working meetings throughout the week with the graduate student and Friends of Haystack Rock. This week I will be sharing my progress at a board meeting and doing some collaboration with the communications coordinator at  HRAP for some ideas I’ve come up with. What I’ve been really enjoying about this internship is the flexibility and immense opportunity in engaging in activities outside of my project. I saw the opportunity to assist on a field trip for Spanish speakers and decided to take it on! While it might not entirely align with my project, I believe this will provide me with an incredible opportunity. One of my favorite on-the-job activities currently is when I’m out by the tidepools and seeing what’s different for the day. Sometimes I look for the biggest Giant Green Anemone and sometimes I try to see how many puffins I can see flying over me. Somehow inventory of these things makes me feel more tied to my project and gives me perspective on what the overarching goal is. This is really important when you are balancing multiple small projects at the same time. 

The supervisor at HRAP, Kelli Enis, has been incredibly supportive and has provided me with multiple opportunities to connect with others in fields that I am interested in. This past week we drove down to Newport and met up with a few people from the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Service. This meeting gave me incredible insight as to what I should be doing and what I should look for moving forward with my career. 

To stay motivated and energized after the afternoon slump I like to walk down to one of the local coffee shops and try a different drink. Different in my own definition just means choosing an iced americano with oat milk as opposed to a cold brew with oat milk. Still a fun activity nonetheless! Another fun activity is watching the puffins and the dogs at the beach. As of this morning, I have a newfound appreciation for watching puffins flying off cliffs. They look like they’re jumping off into the sea, but just as you think they won’t swim, they catch the wind and start flying.  Overall, my day in life as a summer scholar at Haystack Rock Awareness looks really fun! Even when I’m reading or writing for most of the day.

Coming into the second week of this internship has made me reflect on the previous week’s work. Although it has only been a week and a few days, it feels as if I’ve been here for months; in the best way of course. This summer I am working with the Haystack Rock Awareness program and I am working on a human dimensions study to further understand the knowledge gap between research communities and the public at large. This project could facilitate a productive two-way dialogue that could help bridge the gap between science and speculation. In order to do this, I will be curating a series of surveys that target research professionals,  the general public, and the staff at HRAP. Using my findings I will propose a plan that maximizes engagement and marine conservation prospects among the general public here at Cannon Beach. In addition to the surveys, I will be making the research from the community science projects, that HRAP is involved in, more accessible through a series of informational pieces. 

My first week consisted of reading many research papers and beach days. While the bulk of my work has to be done in the office, there are a few days within the week that call for me to help HRAP with their interpreter beach program. This allows me to talk to people and collect points of focus for my research. On these days I can engage with the public and educate them on tide pool etiquette, marine life, and conservation. One of my favorite memories so far is from my talk with a little boy and his mom. They had been coming to the beach every day and had been interacting with the interpreters from HRAP every day. The little boy was so knowledgeable by day three and carried an incredible amount of curiosity and excitement despite being there many days prior. This interaction made me become more aware of the way that my summer program project could help with engagement and how everyone deserves to be curious and excited about marine life.

My project has a strong alignment with both Oregon Seagrant’s and Haystack Rock Awareness’s mission statement. Through my work, I hope to promote discovery via education and see this research increase marine and coastal curiosities that lead to overall ecosystem health.