Celebrate World Oceans Day at Cape Falcon
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In honor of World Oceans Day, we’re hosting a hike at Cape Falcon Marine Reserve!
Join us at Short Sand Beach in Oswald West State Park to learn about Oregon’s northernmost marine reserve, oceanography on the Pacific Coast, and the incredible geological processes that create the rocky intertidal zone. The tide pools found in this area are a vibrant natural resource—home to a unique community of marine creatures. Oceanographer Ed Joyce and NCLC’s Marine Program Coordinator Angela Whitlock will lead the hike.
This outing is approximately 2 miles roundtrip; it requires hiking on uneven ground and traversing sand. There is some elevation gain, and you will visit the shoreline to view tide pools. Pets are not allowed to attend these outings. This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
About the Outing Leaders
Ed Joyce is an earth scientist, educator, and activist with a Ph.D. in Oceanography (from Texas A&M) and a B.S. in Geology. Research interests span from paleoclimate studies using deep marine fossils to the study of nearshore sediment transport. Ed was a research scientist in the oil and gas industry for over 20 years and taught geology at the University of Houston and the University of St. Thomas in Houston for eight years. Presently, he is adjunct faculty at Clatsop Community College where he has taught geology and oceanography since 2015. Prior to moving to Oregon, while a geologic consultant based in Pennsylvania, he served as president of the Philadelphia chapter of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. He is an avid surfer, mountain hiker, snowboarder, and swimmer, and currently serves on the board of Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition.
Angela Whitlock grew up in Portland, where she 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).
