Marine Debris Art Workshop

Marine debris art from Haystack Rock Trash Talk Project. | Photo from HRAP

Pooka Rice from the Haystack Rock Trash Talk Project, will the be the guest speaker for the next monthly meeting of tjhe Portland Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, May 8 from 7-9 p.m.  The event, free and open to the public, takes place at the Portland Patagonia store (

The Trash Talk Project is part of the Haystack Rock Awareness Program (HRAP). This will be an interactive meeting, at which everyone attending will be invited to participate in making art from marine debris. They suggest bringing any molds you might have that can withstand the heat of melted resin (silicon works well), so you can take your piece of art home while the resin dries for three days. 

As an incentive to attend, Patagonia W Burnside is giving everyone who attends the SurfriderPDX Chapter Meeting a special 30% discount in the store. Come in early and shop from 5-7 p.m. to take advantage of this amazing deal. 

More information: The Trash Talk Project was incorporates inspiration found during marine Debris/Micro plastic filtration events with Sea Turtles Forever, Sleepy Monk and SOLVE together with an innovative approach to recycling. HRAP is taking the findings of the filtration events and keeping them out of the landfill (all 240 lbs of it so far to be exact) by making the debris into wearable art for the purpose of furthering discussion surrounding the impacts of plastic on our environment, every level of our food chain and how we consume, with an emphasis on changing patterns of behavior through stewardship. 

Participants in the project carefully take the “nurdles” or small plastic debris and encase it in resin. According to the project's statement, "They look like beautiful gems and that’s just the point. The fish and birds find these microplastics captivating and beautiful as well which is what leads to them eating the debris and ultimately to their demise. This realization should result in an “ah-ha” moment... that moment when we can see so clearly the impact we are having on our environment. When someone wears the jewelry it’s inevitable that discussion will follow. They are irresistible attention getting bits of color that pack quite a punch where discussion of ocean stewardship is concerned. These one of a kind wearable art pieces are the inspiration for our whole project."

About Surfrider Portland: The Portland Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation’s work is focused keeping it clean upstream through programs including #DitchTheStrawPDX, Ocean Friendly Restaurants, Green Streets, Hold On To Your Butt and the Blue Water Task Force water quality monitoring program on the north coast.