Interim Director Volunteer & Education Coordinator

I have 20+ years of experience with HRAP and bring my passion to private tours, field trips, volunteer trainings and special events, like the Nudibranch Safari. Every species at Haystack is my “Favorite”, especially nudibranchs!

My sons were raised volunteering and working for the program and now they are off flying as adults. One is a corporal in the Marines, the other a freshman at CA State University Northridge and though I am missing them, I pour my soul into educating the next generation.

I learn something new every day and probably should write a book of the adventures of HRAP!

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Email: habecker@ci.cannon-beach.or.us

Office Number: (503) 436-8064

Cell Number: (503) 717-3844

Communications Coordinator

I started with HRAP as a volunteer and quickly realized this job hit all my marks and now am a lead and love it so much! I moved to the Oregon Coast from Montana and am a true beach cowgirl. I was an adaptive recreation instructor and for 20 years I taught equine therapy to veterans and people with disabilities. I also taught ski, rafting, ice hockey and bowling as well. I have a very active family and three rambunctious dogs as well. I love interacting with people and being outdoors and supporting such an amazing ecosystem such as Haystack Rock.

Education Team Rocky Shore Interpreter

Haystack Rock is like a second home for me. I love connecting with new people and sharing all of the fun facts about all of the different creatures. My favorite animal in the tide pools is the Ochre Sea Star, the way they eat is completely fascinating!

Lead Rocky Shore Interpreter

I have been with HRAP since 2023. My friends and family jokingly call me the "Coastal Docent”, so being a real Rocky Shore Interpreter is a dream come true. I love learning about and sharing my love of the ocean. My favorite intertidal animals are chitons and everything else - please do not make me choose! When I’m not on the beach I’m most likely on a walk, in the kitchen cooking, or enjoying a local brewery. I love laughing - laughing is my favorite.

Lead Rocky Shore Interpreter

I have been obsessed with intertidal life since I left Michigan in 2011. The diversity of life that lives just under the surface of the ocean fascinates me. Some of my favorites are nudibranchs, skeleton shrimp, and pink-mouth hydroids. For me, a good day at the rock looks like finding several nudibranch species (the most I’ve found in one day was 7) while the black oystercatchers fly and forage nearby.

Lead Rocky Shore Interpreter

My favorite animals at Haystack Rock are our Black Oystercatchers and Aggregating Anemones! I fell in love with our black oystercatchers the first day I saw them, and heard them! My favorite fact about aggregating anemones is that they clone, and are territorial and will sting individuals from different colonies to keep them away! The first thing I show people are the anemones covering our rocks. I'll gently touch them and it always shocks people when they move! "They're alive!," they say, with a spark of excitement in their eyes. Once they hear about how amazing all of these animals are, they share with their friends and family. When visitors share what they learned, they spread more awareness and stewardship, which gives all of our birds and intertidal critters a better chance to live flourishing lives!

Lead Rocky Shore Interpreter

I followed my family here to Oregon a few years ago. My mom shared her love of the ocean and all the creatures that live in it with me, and soon enough it became something I love as well. Working here has taught me so much about the Oregon Coast, and helped me connect with the wonderful people who gravitate towards this place. My goal while working with HRAP is to make people aware of how we can positively or negatively impact the world around us!

Lead Rocky Shore Interpreter

What I love about Haystack rock is all the interactions we make sharing knowledge about the bird ecology and intertidal invertebrates.

Rocky Shore Interpreter

I moved here with my family from the mountains of Colorado and was immediately pulled in to the fascinating world of tide pools. What’s not to love?! I am enthusiastic about helping visitors to realize everything on the rocks is alive and interconnected. Shouts of “It moved!” absolutely make my day. I get to interact with diverse groups of people who are very grateful for their new knowledge and appreciation of this unique environment.

Rocky Shore Interpreter

I love talking about all things birds! My favorite is of course the Tufted Puffin. I just love watching people’s faces light up when I help them spot one for the first time. Everything about them is so incredible, but my favorite fact is that they always come back to the same nesting grounds after living at sea - and it’s the only land they’ll ever touch in their lifetime. 

Rocky Shore Interpreter

Bio Coming Soon

Rocky Shore Interpreter

My favorite animal in the tide pools is the thick horned nudibranch and my favorite part of the job is seeing the sunrise in the morning.

Rocky Shore Interpreter

The rhythms of the migrating birds to Haystack Rock mesmerize me - their sudden arrival, nest making, tending of their eggs, raising chicks, and fighting the tremendous odds.

Rocky Shore Interpreter

My favorite critter at the rock is the common murre because they kind of look like Batman!

Rocky Shore Interpreter

My favorite critter at the rock is the Lined Chiton with the fact that they have eyes in their shell that the lens is made out of the shell material itself, and that chitons in general have evolved eyes four times in two different ways.

My favorite memory is standing at one of the pools in the center, talking about the anemones as a group gathers, at first just three, and by the end of the spiel a dozen. Talking about the zooxanthellae in the skin of the anemone, the singing cells, the warzones of the aggregating anemones and so on. But after that spiel, seeing those people spread out, some of them telling their friends and families what they had just heard, educating others in turn, and some urging their children and family to stay off the rocks out of protection for those creatures they now knew more about. My favorite thing about the job is seeing that impact, seeing how people's perceptions are changed, seeing in real time that we are having an impact, seeing that we are promoting good etiquette and inspiring stewardship of our shared environs.

Rocky Shore Interpreter

Bio Coming Soon

Rocky Shore Interpreter

Bio Coming Soon

Junior Rocky Shore Interpreter

My favorite animal at the rock is the Black Oystercatcher - despite being called a black oystercatcher, they aren’t black and primarily eat mussels. One time I spotted Raccoons in the saddle near the Black Oystercatcher nest and we helped chase them out at five in the morning. I also enjoy watching Gulls be their dorky, clueless, and bullying selves.

Rocky Shore Interpreter Intern

My favorite part of the job is developing my sense of place here in the Pacific Northwest, growing my ecological knowledge makes me feel more connected to where I am! I have worked in interpreting work in Alaska, so this is slightly different but equally as rewarding. Seeing people get excited about sighting a species they have been looking for their entire life never fails to make my day and reminds me how lucky I am to work at Haystack!!

Rocky Shore Interpreter Intern

This is my first season with HRAP, but I’ve lived near Cannon Beach for a long time. I really enjoy being able to share my love of nature with others and I love talking to people who come to learn. Thick-horned nudibranchs are my favorite. It’s amazing how small and complex each part of the tide pools can be. When I’m not at work, I like to read a book or go hiking on one of my favorite trails.

Rocky Shore Interpreter Intern

My favorite animal at Haystack Rock is the Common Murre. I like the Common Murres because they look like penguins and they have pear shaped eggs that help prevent them from rolling away. My favorite part of working here is coming early in the mornings to see species that are typically hidden beneath the waves. I also love getting to see curious kids explore tidepools. It's a pleasure to answer all the questions these little scientists have for me!