Earth Day: a day intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earths natural environment. Earth Day was founded by Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in first held April 22, 1970. Since then, it has been adopted and adapted by many countries and celebrated in many different ways.

Its safe to say that no one has taken it more seriously, had more fun with it, taught more about the environment to more people and grown the event every year than Cannon Beach. Spearheaded by the tireless and dedicated Suzanne Kindland and her excellent committee, the 12 Days of Earth Day, as it has now evolved, is a major annual event in the citys calendar. There is truly something for everybody, all ages, all interests. All thats required to enjoy these 12 days is an affinity for Mother Earth, in all her manifestations, mysteries and beauty.

On Wednesday, April 13, the celebration kicked off with schoolchildren marching to Haystack Rock carrying a banner and wearing puffin masks to welcome home the tufted puffins, Cannon Beachs Earth Day mascots. Every year around April 1, these pelagic birds show up at the Haystack Rock Hotel and Lying-In Ward to find mates, build nests, lay eggs and rear their chicks. There are very few places on this earth where such large numbers of puffins may be seen up close and personal.

Thursday, April 14, brought Paul Jepson, professor of environmental and molecular toxicology and director of the Integrated Plant Protection Center at OSU, to the celebration. He discussed pollination biology at the Cannon Beach Chamber Hall. Tolovana Art Colony presented an art show at the former Rhodes Stringfellow Gallery Friday and Saturday, April 15 and 16. Many of the artists are familiar to area residents for the beauty and originality of their work and their ability to translate and interpret found objects into unique art forms. On the 15th, local conservation planner Nadia Gardner, along with a local fish biologist, presented Into the Depths of the Cape Falcon Marine Reserve. They discussed the incredible underwater wildlife that live off Cape Falcon and the proposed marine reserve designed to protect them. On the 16th, Friends of the Cannon Beach Trail sponsored a work party on the lagoon section of the Trail. Participants put on their boots and gloves and pitched in! Gary Braasch presented photographs at the Chamber Hall on the evening of April 16. Braasch is a world-famous photojournalist and environmental activist formerly of Nehalem. His remarkable photographs document the planets amazing biodiversity as well as its vulnerability to climate change.

On Sunday, April 17, Christen Allsop conducted a morning yoga class at Chamber Hall. Allsop is ever mindful of the different levels of ability of those in her class and helped each participant to realize his or her full potential on this day, as they honored the sun. On Sunday evening, there was a reception at Icefire Glassworks exhibiting the vase that will be raffled to benefit the Friends of Haystack Rock. The drawing will take place Sunday, April 24.

Monday, April 18, found Kelley Rupp at Cannon Beach Elementary School talking to students about vertebrates. She told the remarkable story of how species of birds, fish, amphibians and mammals survive and thrive in certain habitats. On Tuesday, April 19, Tom Horning talked about the regions geological history at the Chamber Hall. And on Wednesday the 20th, Tom Olsens film, Politics of Sand, a documentary chronicling efforts to keep Oregons ocean beaches public, will be shown at 7 at the Chamber Hall. On Thursday, April 21, Doug Ray will lead CB elementary School students in a session of native tree planting.

TA-DA! Here we are on Friday, April 22 EARTH DAY! The Haystack Rock Awareness Program will be on the beach from 7:45 a.m. until 1:45 p.m., educating beachgoers about the rich tidepool life at Haystack Rock; Neal Maine will be at Little Pompey Wetland, discussing wetlands and redwing blackbirds from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; the City of Cannon Beach will sponsor Cannon Beach Shreds from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at a place to be determined; and from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Chamber Hall, the Gaylord Nelson Award Ceremony will take place, followed by a Community Potluck Dinner. There is no time for a nap today, so put on your roller skates and look alive! The evening speaker will be Angela Hazeltine Pozzi, a teacher and artist from Bandon who collects beach plastic and creates artistic sculptures with what she scavenges. Saturday, April 23, starts with face painting from 10:30 to 11 a.m. on Third and Antler streets, followed by a Pet and People Walking Parade beginning at Third and Antler and ending at US Bank, which is the venue for a Street Fair including 15 environmental groups. Pick up your tickets at the Earth Day booth for the Earth to Table dinner. Neal Main will talk about wetlands and redwing blackbirds again, just in case you missed it, at Little Pompey Wetlands from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. From 2 to 4 p.m., there will be a series of talks at Chamber Hall. Tentative topics include tending small woodland lots, invasive plant removal, backyard chicken husbandry, a worm-composting box and seasonal foraging.

Sunday, April 24, is Easter Sunday, so break out those bonnets, made or decorated with recycled or reused trimmings! Wear them on a Nature Walk led by Jerome Arnold. Then at 4:30 p.m., the North Coast Slow Food Chapter will host an Earth to Table dinner on the beach, weather permitting. This will be a grand celebration of Earth Day 2011. To reserve your place at the table and to learn more, email info@northcoastslowfood.org. This is a real happenin event and will take place, weather or not!

Take in as much or as little as you care to and then have your own personal 12 Days of Earth Day celebration. Take a long walk on the beach and revel in the beauty of earth and sea where they come together in Cannon Beach.