Lots of bird activity this month: check out a bird photography exhibit and go on a bird walk!
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A black turnstone (Arenaria melanocephala)
Photo by PTMSC Volunteer Wendy Feltham
Octopress Online March 2025
What's New in 502?
"Keep the baleen and keep the skeletons," was the overwhelming request of the staff and volunteers when planning began for the remodel of the museum building.
With Hope the orca happily rearticulated, attention has turned to the intricate mount making for some of the natural history collections that will be on display for visitors and available for students to use in classes and camps. You'll find some of them in surprising new places when we reopen.
Diane Quinn
Coming to the Flagship Landing Gallery:
Aves:
Photographs of Birds
by Kerry Tremain
March 14 - June 8
Friday - Sunday
12 - 3 p.m.
We are thrilled to be able to share Kerry Tremain's work in our gallery this spring. Kerry's photographs in Aves demonstrate the close, patient observation of the natural world that is required to capture a moment of a bird's life. His images are also detailed records of birds we may have seen, but never quite as beautifully as he saw them with his camera.
Brad Matsen writes about Kerry's work:
It is impossible to describe Kerry’s photographing birds without using the word “obsession” in the most kindly way possible. He brought his camera and lens kit up to professional standards and, on countless mornings, rose at dawn to patrol the coastline and forest trails of his new home territory. He went on expeditions with enthusiastic companions in the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii, absorbing their knowledge of wildlife photography and birds... he published the first of two books of collected photographs from these sojourns and mounted several exhibitions, all of which were received with praise but also a sense of wonder. How had this relative newcomer to avian photography created such an astonishing body of work so quickly?
This show provides an ideal opportunity for PTMSC to connect visitors to the natural world, to see life in a new way, and we know people will be awed by what they see.
At PTMSC, our summer day camps allow burgeoning young scientists and adventurers to spend a week exploring beaches, uncovering treasures hidden in our exhibits, playing games, making crafts, and hiking through beautiful Fort Worden State Park.
Camps are offered for ages 6-14.
Join us for a wet, sandy, adventurous, fun-filled week!
Fort Worden State Park West Gate entrance to the Peace Mile trail
Come join PTMSC for a morning of birding in Fort Worden State Park! This bird walk will take you around to some of the different bodies of water in the state park to see how many different birds rely on Fort Worden for food and shelter. We’ll see a mix of seabirds, shore birds, and waterfowl, as well as some forest birds along the way.
The walk is led by Rainshadow Bird Alliance Conservation Chair Steve Hampton; PTMSC volunteer, citizen scientist and photographer Wendy Feltham; and PTMSC AmeriCorps member and bird enthusiast Kelly Kingdon.
Ideal for beginners, but all skill levels welcome! Registration is required.
Join the Port Townsend Marine Science Center at Finnriver for a night of marine science-themed trivia.
The entry fee per team is a sliding scale ($5 - $20/team) with a limit of 6 people per team. There will be four rounds of marine-science themed trivia (think whales, seals, and seabirds - oh my!).
Prizes for the winning team include a guided tasting tour for two at Finnriver Farm & Cidery and a gift card to PTMSC.
Teams are encouraged to wear PTMSC apparel to the event.
All proceeds benefit the Port Townsend Marine Science Center and their future marine science programming.
Join us for this free community gathering in which people with repair skills share their time and talents to fix their neighbors’ belongings.
Limit of 2 items per person. If you know the specific part needed to repair your item, we ask that you 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 they did it and ways you could do it yourself next time!
At this Brinnon Repair Event, we will have volunteers helping with:
Our lecture series, The Future of Oceans, draws on the commitment of professional researchers and educators across all academic spectrums to help define and inspire the health of our oceans.
“Ocean Nomads: The Albatrosses”
Presented by
Peter Harrison
Seabird expert, author, artist and conservationist
Sunday, March 30
3:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Wheeler Theater, Fort Worden
Largest of all flying birds with lifespans that match those of humans, the 22 albatross species are the most itinerant of all life forms, capable of flying more than 1,000 miles a day and over 8.5 million miles in their lifetimes.
Peter Harrison is a renowned seabird expert, conservationist, artist, and author of over a dozen books. In 2021, he published “SEABIRDS: The New Identification Guide”, a comprehensive guide to the world’s 434 seabird species and the culmination of a lifetime dedicated to seabirding.
In recognition of his global conservation efforts, Peter received an MBE from Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, followed by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds’ prestigious Conservation Gold Medal. He was awarded the New York Linnaean Society’s Eisenmann Medal for Excellence in Ornithology. And in 2022, Peter received one of BirdLife’s highest honors for his contributions to the knowledge and conservation of seabirds.
Peter serves on the board of directors for Friends of South Georgia Island and is proud that his efforts contributed to the South Georgia Habitat Restoration Project. In 2023, Peter was selected by BirdLife South Africa as the first patron for the Mouse-free Marion Project to help conserve the albatrosses and petrels of Marion Island.
Please note: Beginning March 1, State Parks will start requiring all day-use visitors to display a Discover Pass in their vehicle when parking anywhere within the state park.
To keep this lecture series accessible to all, regardless of the ability to pay, there is no set charge for these lecture events; however, donations are always welcomed and appreciated.
Thanks to the Darrow Family for their ongoing support
STORE AND GALLERY HOURS
With the Museum at Fort Worden State Park closed for remodeling until early Summer of 2025, we encourage you to check out our website (and future editions of this newsletter) for upcoming programs!
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