This Week
Program: River Otter Beach Walk/Talk – Wed, May 22nd
Come learn about these cute and curious creatures that live throughout the Puget Sound. This program will be a beach walk on East Beach past the Wansboro Battery at Fort Flagler and discussion about the river otter’s life cycle, behavior, and where you might find them. If lucky, participants may even see one! Bring comfortable shoes, warm clothes, and a rain jacket. The presenter, Jennifer Riker, has a deep passion and love for the Pacific Northwest and all the beauty and wildlife that can be found here. Hosted by Friends of Fort Flagler. Registration here.
Time: 10 am | Location: East Beach past Battery Wansboro, Fort Flagler State Park, 10541 Flagler Rd, Nordlan
Free Rain Garden Training Workshop – Thurs, May 23rd
Are you interested in working with your community to maintain one of your neighborhood’s beautiful green infrastructure solutions? WSU Jefferson County Extension is excited to offer an in-person workshop as a companion to the free online rain garden training program now available for homeowners and non-professionals offered by the Washington Stormwater Center. The workshop includes a presentation by a local landscape designer on rain garden care and maintenance. Following the presentation, the class will break into teams for a hands-on activity structured to get you familiar with the anatomy of a rain garden and the metrics for assessing rain garden health. Register here. A companion online course is available here.
Time: 10 am – 12:30 pm | Location: The Cotton Building, 607 Water St, Port Townsend, and in the field rain gardens located in downtown Port Townsend
Guided Low Tide Walk with PTMSC – Sat, May 25th *New*
Join the Port Townsend Marine Science Center (PTMSC) for a guided walk on the beach at low tide with PTMSC naturalists. Witness the unique adaptations for life to survive and thrive in the intertidal zone. The low tide on May 25th will be -2.5 ft at 11:50 am. Registration is required. More information, including dates for all low tide walks from May through August, and registration links here.
Time: 11 am – 12:30 pm | Location: PTMSC Museum in Fort Worden, 502 Harbor Defense Way, Port Townsend
Wild Church Port Townsend – Sat, May 25th*New*
Sponsored by Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, join Katy Taylor to gather in with creation, with other folks, and with the other beings on this earth. They practice together to move from human being to earth being, in reverence and respect for earth, on the 4th Saturday of every month. There are three mostly equal parts: Greeting/Grounding, Wandering/Wondering, Circling-Up/Sharing. They meet outside, in rain, snow, or shine, unless the conditions are severe enough to pose a safety concern. Please dress for the weather! Children are welcome, but parents need to help guide them. If wandering is not accessible, remaining in the circle is an option, too. Bring a chair! A Discover Pass is required to park. Read more and find directions here, and join the Wild Church email list by contacting Katy Taylor.
Time: 10 – 11:30 am | Location: Fort Townsend State Park, 1370 Old Fort Townsend Rd, Port Townsend
Community Repair Event – Sat, May 25th
Repair Events are free community gatherings in which people with repair skills share their time and talents to fix their neighbors’ belongings. Volunteers donate their time to help with small appliances and electronics, textiles/clothes, bicycle repair, tool sharpening, and other household items. Limit of two items per person. If you know the specific part needed to repair your item, please bring it along. Bring your toaster that no longer toasts, sweater with a hole in the elbow, and excitement to get these belongings repaired while also learning how you could do it yourself next time! Learn more here.
Time: 10 am – 1 pm | Location: Jefferson County Public Library, 620 Cedar Ave, Port Hadlock
History Hikes 2024 – Sat, May 25th
Join North Olympic History Center (NOHC) Executive Director David Brownell for an exciting season of six guided hikes at historically significant sites around the Olympic Peninsula. The May 25th hike will be on the Blyn Olympic Discovery Trail. With his extensive background in history, preservation, and botany, Brownell will provide participants with deep insights into the historical and ecological aspects of each trail. History Hikes invites all who are passionate about history and nature to join in these informative and scenic treks. Don’t miss the opportunity to connect with the past in the great outdoors. Each hike offers morning and afternoon start times, at 10 am and 12:30 pm, limited to 12 hikers per tour. General admission is $60, with Jefferson County Historical Society and NOHC members enjoying a $15 discount. Participants are responsible for their transportation to the hike locations. More history hikes will be offered in June and September. Get more information and reserve your spot here. Email questions here or call (360) 385-1003 x 104.
Nordland General Store Grand Reopening Party – Sat, May 25th, and Tractor Days Parade and Triathlon – Sun, May 26th
After three years, the Nordland General Store will be opening its doors once again as a community cooperative. And the next day, one of Marrowstone Island’s favorite celebrations will take place – the Tractor Days Parade and Triathlon! Bring your tractors and join the line-up. Get there early to snag a good spot for the parade! The triathlon will be a run to Mystery Bay, canoe/kayak to the Nordland General Store dock, then bike to East Beach and return to the store via Meade Road. Please contact the official Tractor Days hosts, Tom & Sue Rose for any questions.
May 25th: Time: 9 am – Ribbon Cutting Ceremony; 11:30 am – Live music & popcorn
May 26th: Time: 11 am – Bring your tractors and join the line-up; 12 pm – Parade begins; 1 pm: Triathlon starts
Location: Nordland General Store, 7180 Flagler Rd, Nordland
Photo: Common Merganser pair, by Beverly McNeil
For the full set of announcements, including Upcoming Events, Recurring Events, Community Notices, Community Resources, and Resilience Readings, see here.
