The Context

Friends of Haystack Rock is a nonprofit organization on the Oregon Coast that is devoted to protecting and preserving the natural inhabitants of Cannon Beach’s iconic Haystack Rock. In 2004, they launched a community outreach program designed to educate the thousands of tourists drawn to this landmark about the remarkable birds and intertidal creatures that live there. In particular, they champion the Tufted Puffin, whose rapid population decline necessitates urgent efforts toward conservation. 

The staff and volunteers at Friends of Haystack Rock can only talk to a limited number of tourists each day. They found funding to create a series of interpretive videos that are free and accessible to the public, potentially increasing their reach far beyond the capacity of their small but mighty team. 

The Work

I worked with the project director to outline a series of topics fo three to five minute videos, ranging from species highlights, to geological history, to the conservation efforts of the organization itself. I conducted in-depth research, supplemented by my own lifetime obsession with and observations of the intertidal zone. 

The challenge was to write scripts that would connect with a wide variety of audiences, including visitors with little or no knowledge of nature or conservation. I used simple language and relied heavily on visual and aural descriptions of species, which tied in well with the video footage to help the audience identify and understand each topic.

The Outcome

The video series is now available to the public on YouTube, and will serve as a valuable resource for the Friends of Haystack Rock team in their outreach efforts. They also plan to translate these videos into multiple languages to mitigate challenges with language barriers.