CANNON BEACH — The time has come for the annual Sharing the Coast Conference. This extravaganza of information about coastal natural history, taking place Friday through Sunday, March 2 through 4, in Cannon Beach, is a joint project of CoastWatch and the Northwest Aquatic and Marine Educators (NAME).

This year the Haystack Rock Awareness Program is a local partner. All activities aside from field trips and the Saturday evening party take place at the Cannon Beach Community Hall (207 Spruce St.).

The event kicks off with a speaker 7 p.m. Friday evening. On Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m., we’ll hear talks and panel discussions on such topics as seabirds and shorebirds, tidepool ecology and sea stars, marine debris, marine mammals, “beached marine critters” found on the shoreline and other topics. A Saturday afterparty, featuring the cutthroat trivia contest, starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Public Coast Brewery (264 E. 3rd St.).

On Sunday, an early morning tidepool walk at Haystack Rock is planned (weather permitting). We’ll gather back at the Community Hall at 10 a.m. for a series of short talks about citizen science, then head back out to the beach for field trips. If the weather is overly inclement, we will have additional talks inside.

Sharing the Coast is a chance to have fun learning some intriguing new things about the shoreline and socialize with fellow coast-lovers, but the underlying goal is to provide background information that will assist CoastWatchers in monitoring their miles, and NAME members in educating others about marine and coastal science.

The cost is $35 for current members of either organization (includes Saturday lunch and evening appetizers), or $45 for nonmembers. Those joining either group or updating their memberships when registering can take the discount. Registration will begin shortly; find out how to sign up at oregonshores.org.

For more information, contact Fawn Custer, CoastWatch volunteer coordinator, at 541-270-0027, fawn@oregonshores.org; or Melissa Keyser, Oregon NAME president (and Haystack Rock Awareness Program coordinator) at 503-436-8060 or keyser@ci.cannon-beach.or.us.