A walk on the Oregon coast changed how I see 'natural' places
I visited Cannon Beach last week, a place I've gone for years to clear my head. This time, I really looked at the famous Haystack Rock. The park service signs talk about protecting the tide pools, but what got me was seeing the rock's base. The whole area around it is covered in a thick, black, tar-like goop. A volunteer told me it's from natural oil seeps, which have always been there, but the warming water and changing currents are making it spread more. I always thought of that beach as a pure, untouched spot, but it's actually changing right in front of us, and not in a slow way. It made me realize that even the places we set aside to protect are not safe from the bigger changes happening. It's not just about far-off glaciers. Has anyone else noticed a place they love changing in a clear, physical way like that?