12 Days of Earth Day celebrated

The “12 Days of Earth Day” are celebrated in Cannon Beach every year in April, and this year included a beach clean-up, removal of invasive plants, trail clearing, tree planting, lectures, classes, a parade and street fair, along with a Tufted Puffin welcoming ceremony. Angela Benton, Chair of the “Friends of Haystack Rock”, was awarded the “Gaylord Nelson Award” after being selected by past recipients of the award.

The “12 Days of Earth Day” tradition in Cannon Beach was originally organized by the Haystack Rock Awareness Program (HRAP), Cannon Beach Gallery Group, Parks and Community Services Committee and the Cannon Beach Chamber of Commerce. Beginning in 2020, the City of Cannon Beach included it as a city-sponsored event.

Cannon Beach residents Lynn and Les Sinclair said that “this year we had the most events and the classes were well-attended. We can call it a big success.”

Organized by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson and a young activist named Denis Hayes, the original Earth Day occurred on April 22, 1970 in response to increasing concerns about ongoing environmental degradation. The 1970 event involved an estimated 20 million Americans who participated in peaceful demonstrations calling for stronger environmental protections. The Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act were signed into law a few years after the first Earth Day. Hundreds of millions of people living in over 190 countries now participate in the annual event. “Planet vs. Plastics” was the official theme for the global 2024 Earth Day.