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News and Events
October 2023
The Dungeness River Nature Center 's mission is to inspire understanding, respect,
and stewardship of our natural and cultural resources.
1943 West Hendrickson Road, Sequim, WA
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View of the Dungeness River Festival from the bridge, photo by Montana Napier | |
The 2023 River Festival was a success!
A HUGE thank you to all the volunteers and organizations that made it special. You are the true rock stars of the event. There were lots of smiling faces, and great interactions. We can’t wait for next year’s event.
All public 3rd through 5th graders in Sequim attended, as well as private and homeschool students. Staff estimate around 800 students total. If you count the adults, we had another 300 or so. Needless to say, it was a busy day at the park!
If you weren't able to pop by during the event, be sure to check out the wonderful piece in The Sequim Gazette to see photos by Matthew Nash.
To see the article, click here
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Students from Five Acre School checking out the WA Department of Fish and Wildlife tracks and scat table, photo by Montana Napier | |
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Pileated Woodpecker, photo by Mick Thompson
Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society's
Winter Backyard Birding Series Begins Saturday
Winter Birds: Feeding & Watering
—Methods & Equipment
Presented by Christie Lassen, Co-owner Wild Birds Unlimited, Gardiner, WA
Sat., Oct. 7
10 a.m.—noon
Rainshadow Hall
Free, $5 donation suggested
Backyard Birding launches a new, 10-part series with the return of guest speaker Christie Lassen.
In her always-popular seminar, Christie will discuss general bird feeding methods—including the latest on types of feeders and various foods formulated to attract specific birds that promote thriving bird populations and discourage unwelcome mammals.
October is not too early to prepare for the special winter needs of the Anna’s Hummingbirds and other species that make the Pacific Northwest a year-long home.
Christie will highlight some selected products from Wild Birds Unlimited that will be available for purchase at the conclusion of her program.
Admission to each seminar is free. However, a donation of $5 per person supports OPAS ongoing education programs.
Learn more here
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Heermann's Gull, photo by Dow Lambert
Port Angeles Harbor and Ediz Hook Field Trip
Tues., Oct 10, 8 a.m.–1 p.m.
Participant limit: 15 – Registration required.
Signed Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society Liability Form required
Free
Meet near the restroom across from the Ediz Hook boat launch at 8 a.m.
Check out resident and migrant birds close to home: at the beach and along the Port Angeles waterfront. Please join us to help solve the puzzle that is fall and winter plumage. eBird helps narrow down the species found in an area.
Common birds found here in October: Shorebirds such as Black-bellied Plovers and Dunlin are likely. We will see gulls, hopefully Heermann’s, as well as Glaucous-winged and Short-billed, Brandt’s Cormorants, maybe Brown Pelicans, and perhaps resident river otters and harbor seals as well.
The tide will be coming in, hopefully pushing some shorebirds into sight. It will be colder and windier near the water than it is inland, so dress for the weather.
Learn more and register here
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Learning Our Landscape
“Clovis First” is Wrong
Gary Wessen, PhD., RPA
Thurs., Oct. 12
3 p.m.— 4:30 p.m.
Online
Archaeologist Gary Wessen will talk about recent discoveries which show that the ca.12,000 year old "Clovis First" idea, which has dominated archaeological thinking for much of the 20th Century, is wrong. People have clearly been in North America for at least 22,000 years.
He will focus predominantly on western North America and provide some details about 14,000 to 18,000 year old sites in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, as well as the 20,000 to 22,000 year old human footprints at White Sands, New Mexico, which is an extraordinary location with amazing stories to tell.
https://library.jamestowntribe.org/home/ProgramsEvents or Join with Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81505777609
Meeting ID: 815 0577 7609
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Are you thinking about adding a rain garden or
native plants to your property?
Find information on raingardens, including a timelapse video of installation, on the River Center's website. At the bottom of that page is a list of those who can help you with design, native plant purchase,
as well as a myriad of horticultural advice.
https://dungenessrivercenter.org/explore/the-park/rain-garden/
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Fri. - Sun., Oct. 13 -15
Co-sponsored by the River Center
Everything you ever wanted to know about mushrooms--growing, foraging, culinary and medicinal uses, therapeutic use of psychoactive mushrooms, decriminalization. Workshops, symposiums, and displays from internationally acclaimed experts.
Classes, workshops, live music, and a beer garden Fri., Sat. at the Clallam County Fairgrounds. Sunday's workshops will be held at the River Center.
For more information click here
| New arrivals in the River Center Gift Shop | |
Traditional Northwest Coast design makes a great gift!
For your own collection or for gifts, see our unique NW Coast-designed ski caps, baseball caps, mugs, insulated water bottles, coasters, shopping bags, purses, tea towels, bracelets, magnets and children's books, stickers and decals, and ornaments. Plus the River Center's own woodpecker logo, silk-screened on tee-shirts and hoodies in a variety of colors (mens and womens, S to XXL!
Designed by Northwest coast tribal artists, in the US and Canada.
$2.75 to $48
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Rhinoceros Auklet, photo by John Gatchet
Salt Creek County Park
and Elwha River Mouth Field Trip
Leader: Skip Perkins
Thurs., Oct. 19, 9 a.m.
Free
Limited to 20 participants
Registration and signed OPAS Liability form required.
Meeting Place: Salt Creek Recreational Area at 9 a.m, 3506 Camp Hayden Road. After entering the park, follow park road to right and meet at first large pullout looking offshore. Carpooling is recommended.
Features at Salt Creek: Oystercatchers, Harlequin Ducks, murrelets, auklets, eagles, songbirds, gulls, and other waterfowl. At low tide the tide pools can be interesting to explore.
Features at Elwha River mouth: A short hike to water. Gulls, loons, grebes, scoters, and other waterfowl.
ADA accessible restrooms available at both locations.
Further information if needed: Contact Skip Perkins at (715) 580-0822 or email perkinsskip2@gmail.com
Learn more and register here
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Sponsored by the Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society
Learn About the new
Marine Discovery Center Project
Presented by Melissa Williams, Executive Director
Feiro Marine Life
Learning Center
Wed., Oct. 18
7 p.m.
Free
Melissa Williams, Executive Director of Feiro Marine Life Center, will present conceptual plans for the Marine Discovery Center, a collaborative aquarium and visitor services center with NOAA Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary.
This 13,000-sq. ft. education facility will be located on the Port Angeles Waterfront Center campus in downtown Port Angeles, alongside the newly opened Field Arts and Events Hall.
Learn about the seabird aviary exhibit, including design, animal collection policies, research and local citizen science projects, and seabird conservation.
Melissa came to Feiro in May 2014 after positions at the John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, the University of Arizona's Flandrau Science Center in Tucson, and the Adler Planetarium in Chicago. Her academic background includes degrees from New College, Florida, and the University of Illinois, Chicago.
Learn more here
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See a new documentary & enjoy salmon chowder at the River Center
Covenant of the Salmon People
Screening Thurs., Oct. 26
5:30 p.m.–7 p.m.
Rainshadow Hall
$10 per person
Registration required! Please click here
The Nez Perce is the oldest documented civilization in North America, with archaeological sites along Idaho's Salmon River dating back 16,500 years.
The cornerstone of their creation story is an agreement with salmon to protect its continued existence.
Produced in collaboration with the Nez Perce Tribe, "Covenant of the Salmon People" is a feature-length documentary portrait of the Nez Perce exploring how their relationship to salmon has shaped the Tribe's culture, history and spirituality.
As dams and climate impacts threaten to bring salmon (and the animals that eat them, such as orcas) to extinction, we trace the Nez Perce efforts to honor their ancient agreement.
Have a cup of delicious creamy salmon chowder (made with potatoes, onions, celery, bacon, salmon, and cream) with a hunk of warm sourdough bread and butter. Sit back and watch an advance screening of this unreleased, scenic and informative film on the miracle of the salmon return from the sea to the rivers they are born in.
Marc Sullivan, Save Our Wild Salmon, will be available for questions after the screening.
Registration required! Please click here
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The River Center monthly Film Series is a collaboration between the River Center and the award-winning Jamestown S'Klallam Tribal Library.
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Do you like talking with people? This might interest you!
The River Center is becoming known as a great destination for locals and tourists alike. Volunteer opportunities are growing by leaps and bounds. Would you like to become a part of it?
This is a fantastic opportunity to volunteer in a beautiful setting, make a positive impact, and have some fun! The Center’s volunteer software makes scheduling easy.
All you need to do is fill out the application (click here) or contact Linda Gonzales, the River Center’s volunteer coordinator at 303-929-7751 or linda@DungenessRiverCenter.org
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Nature Mart
Call for Artisans!
Since 2006, the River Center has hosted the annual Holiday Nature Mart, a special arts and crafts event to raise funds that support ongoing operations and educational programs.
Crafters work throughout the year to create inventory for this event.
The Nature Mart committee is currently seeking artisans who wish to apply to donate unique, high quality, handcrafted items for sale.
While all offerings are appreciated, the Nature Mart Committee uses a jurying system to coordinate donated items to properly plan for space, product quality control, and diversity.
Please notify the Nature Mart donor coordinator, Wanda Schneider at w.schneider105@yahoo.com or 281-468-3259.
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Madelyn Pickens (left) leading a macroinvertebrate survey with Girls in Science | |
Reflection from the 2023 "Programs & Events" Intern | |
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I remember going to the Dungeness River Festival back in 2016 when I was in the 5th grade and loving it. As an adult, working at the Sequim Visitor Center, the River Center was one of the top three places I told people to check out while they were in town, especially after the Center got its incredible upgrade.
This summer, as a second-year college student, I worked as the Programs and Events Intern for the River Center. The Dungeness River Center has so many unique ways of engaging all members of the community—from nature art to educational talks, and even fancy bridge dinners. I helped with Dine on the Dungeness, the Sunset Speaker Series, and the children’s nature art programs. All of these were great insights into how large-scale or repeating events are set up, as well as how an organization can cater to different interests within a community.
The nature art program taught me a lot about building lessons and directing kids. I worked closely with the education manager, Montana Napier, on programs. Her guidance, examples, and suggestions really helped me feel confident about creating a lesson plan. Presenting the lesson to all the kids was nerve-wracking, but I found I really enjoyed it. In these classes, the kids focused deeply, and asked challenging questions, as they were encouraged to think about the patterns and processes of nature surrounding them. They eagerly learned about birds, pollinators, and being responsible when collecting plant samples.
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One of my favorite parts of this internship was Girls in Science Camp (GIS), which was amazing this year! I had been a counselor for this camp for the previous two years, and I’m so glad I got to be a counselor for another year. I think what happens during that short time is so impactful for the group of girls, and I hope that camp, or at least the spirit and ideas surrounding it continue at the Center. I had never learned how to use a compass until my first year as a counselor at GIS, and this year I got to teach that skill to a new group of girls. Compass skills give them independence and confidence out in the woods—or anywhere they are. Hiking with them, teaching them, swimming with them, and exploring the Peninsula with them made me realize how important it is to encourage kids, especially girls, to be outside and appreciate nature.
Internships are supposed to teach you new skills and give you insight into an eventual career, and I feel like this internship has certainly done that. Driving home after the last day of camp, I caught myself thinking “I wish I could do Girls in Science Camp every single day.”
Overall, my internship at the Dungeness River Nature Center was a fantastic experience. It provided me with experience and insight in environmental education, event planning, and leadership, and reinforced my passion for working with kids. I am so grateful for the guidance and support of the staff and volunteers, as well as the opportunity to work within an organization whose mission I so strongly respect and support.
Madelyn Pickens, Sophomore at University of Washington
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Hurricane Coffee at the River Oct. Hours
Open Tues. through Sat., 9 a.m.–3 p.m., Closed Mon. & Sun.
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The River Center is open daily from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sundays noon - 5 p.m.
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Questions? Call the River Center at 360-681-4076
www.DungenessRiverCenter.org
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