The Friends of Haystack Rock Nature Talks series – Exploring Nature’s Treasure Together kicks off on Wednesday, February 14th at 6 pm. (These are recurring lectures with different speakers and topics. They are held on the second Wednesday of every month from December to April), at Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce, 207 N. Spruce Street.
Join us for Katie Voelke and Angela Whitlock “Living Amongst the Green Giants” From anemones to old-growth trees, a celebration of life on the Oregon Coast on Oregon’s birthday (and Valentine’s Day) on February 14th.
The Oregon Coast is home to some of the most immense life forces on the planet, with the Pacific Ocean and the rainforest coming together at the sea cliffs. That’s why NCLC does our work in this region, to protect and care for this rare and wonderful place and its vast biodiversity. Enjoy an evening of celebrating life among these lands and waters—from the coastal prairies and wetlands to the peaks of the Coast Range and from the dynamic rocky intertidal to the expansive Cape Falcon Marine Reserve—and learn about the incredible impacts of local conservation with a presentation by NCLC Marine Coordinator Angela Whitlock and NCLC Executive Director Katie Voelke.
Katie Voelke, Executive Director
Katie Voelke was raised in a home under oak trees where she spent many hours collecting bugs, making mud pies with her sister, and camping and hiking with her parents in the summers. She is sure that this life-long exposure to the natural world is what led her on a path to study biology in school. Katie settled on Oregon’s north coast with her husband Scott in 2003 and spent time doing field work with the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife before she finally found her calling: working in land conservation with NCLC. In 2005, Katie started as NCLC’s first Stewardship Director, working under founding Executive Director, Neal Maine. After three years of learning the ropes alongside Neal, she took the helm in 2008 as Executive Director. Although her job at NCLC keeps her inside more than she would like, she manages to get her fix of the outdoors by following in her parent’s footsteps: bug collecting with her three sons and spending the summers hiking and camping with family.
Angela Whitlock, Marine Program Coordinator
Raised in Portland, Angela Whitlock spent ample time on the coast with her family hiking, camping, biking, crabbing, fishing, and exploring the beaches. She worked as a professional goldsmith for 25 years—a career that enabled her to move to the northern Oregon Coast in 2000. While attending Clatsop Community College, she became the first recipient of the Environmental Steward Certificate through the college, in partnership with Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition. She also became involved in volunteer conservation efforts, including marine debris surveys, salmon stream surveys, and CoastWatch’s Adopt a Mile program. In 2020, she joined Cannon Beach’s Haystack Rock Awareness Program (HRAP) as a lead environmental interpreter and became immersed in the world of rocky intertidal habitat, satisfying the longing she felt as a child to be a marine biologist. She joined the Tidepool Ambassador Program (TAP) at Cape Falcon Marine Reserve in 2021 and served two seasons. In March 2023, she started as NCLC’s Marine Program Coordinator, giving her an opportunity to further her passion for coastal conservation. In her leisure time, she enjoys nature journaling; walking outdoors with her dog Cricket; bird watching; and exploring tide pools (she’s still holding out hope to find evidence of the existence of mermaids).
Friends of Haystack Rock is a nonprofit organization focused on keeping Haystack Rock healthy and thriving. Our mission is to promote the preservation and protection of the intertidal life and birds that inhabit the Marine Garden and Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge at Haystack Rock. We do this in cooperation with the Haystack Rock Awareness Program (HRAP) and other partnerships.
Mark your calendars for upcoming presentations:
March 13th, 2024 Roy Lowe “Shorebirds: Elegant Travelers on Long Distance Journeys”
April 10th, 2024 Chris Wold “Protecting Public Access to Oregon’s Shores”