Plunge into the new Tool Library, a brand new Lecture Series, and much more!
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A California beach hopper (Megalorchestia californiana) on the beach at Sand Point on the coast (near Lake Ozette).
photo by PTMSC Volunteer Wendy Feltham
Octopress Online October 2025
Just Add Water?
The museum building in transition
Only 3 months ago we re-opened the first half of the former museum building at Fort Worden.
We've already welcomed more than 3,200 public visitors to the new exhibits.
Summer campers and now school groups have been trying out the space, while we continue to add features, activities and even furniture. The Portico and Gift Shop have enjoyed bold and refreshing changes as well.
The most recent cause for celebration is the successful moving of the central aquarium tank and two other large tanks from the pier building to their new home across the street. The newly polished, buffed, and cleaned tanks fit just as we'd hoped.
Over the next few months, the museum classroom will be transformed into an aquarium exhibit focused on our incredible kelp forests and some of their inhabitants. Of course it's not as easy as just adding water. New tank stands, life support equipment, storage, plumbing, electrical work, painting and of course interpretation are all part of this ambitious project. Look for more detailed updates on the website in the coming weeks as changes take shape.
If you haven't had a chance to visit yet, please stop by to see how we're doing. Peer into a microscope, listen to some local birds, choose your favorite marine invertebrate shell, find your way from the headwaters of the Elwha River to the Strait of Juan de Fuca on our 3D model, or watch fantastic underwater video of the Salish Sea. We're open Fridays - Mondays, with a schedule change coming in November.
A big thank you to everyone who has supported this project so far: individual donors, foundations, federal agencies, Washington State Parks, PTMSC staff, our exhibit developer and designer, and many talented volunteers.
Nearly 70 percent of the nesting seabird population of Puget Sound and the Straits nest at these two islands, just outside of Port Townsend, including one of the largest nesting colonies of rhinoceros auklets in the world, as well as the largest nesting colony of glaucous-winged gulls in Washington. Protection Island contains one of the last two nesting colonies of tufted puffins in the Puget Sound area. About 1,000 harbor seals rely upon the island for a pupping and rest area.
These cruises are hosted by seasoned PTMSC naturalists and interpreters, who provide excellent commentary on the natural history of the island and the birds and wildlife sighted. Sign up for a cruise today!
Hands-on Experience and Education Inspire Future Generations of Ocean Stewards
Have you ever dug for clams, pressed kelp, raced plankton, or articulated a whole whale skeleton at summer camp? Did you ever observe marine mammal skulls or survey pinto abalone in the classroom? These experiences and more are what shape our unique approach to marine science education.
Our programs build lifelong connections to the incredibly diverse and complex marine life in the Salish Sea.
Providing low-cost or free field trips and classroom programs to underserved schools and families is core to our work.
PTMSC provided scholarships to 75% of the children and youth in our classes, camps, and at-school programs in the past year.
Student field trips and summer camps have inspired generations of ocean stewards. With your help, we will continue this essential work in our community.
Featuring the presentation of the Eleanor Stopps Environmental Leadership Award
invitation to follow
COMMUNITY TOOL LIBRARY
Check out the new Community Tool Library!
Become a Tool Library member and gain access to over 500 tools, from saws to kitchen gadgets! Discover more information and browse our inventory here!
Hours:
Tuesdays 4 - 7 p.m.
Saturdays 10 a.m. - 1p.m.
Location:
Jefferson County Fairgrounds
4907 Landes Street
REPAIREVENTS!
Join us for our free community gatherings in which people with repair skills share their time and talents to fix their neighbors’ belongings.
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!
Limit of 2 items per person. If you know the specific part needed to repair your item, we ask that you bring it along. Look at the following events to learn more.
UPCOMING IN-PERSON REPAIREVENTS:
Brinnon RepairEvent
Saturday, October 18
11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Brinnon Community Center
Port Townsend RepairEvent
Saturday, November 1
10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Jefferson County Fairgrounds – in the 4-H building
Our lectureseries, 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.
“The Secret Lives of Harbor Porpoises”
Presented by
Dr. Cindy R. Elliser
Local marine mammal researcher, author, and Associate Director at the Salish Sea Institute at Western Washington University
Sunday, October 19, 3 p.m.
Fort Worden Chapel
Harbor porpoises are one of the most abundant marine mammal species in the Salish Sea, however there is much we don’t know about this often elusive species. Pacific Mammal Research (PacMam) has spent over 10 years conducting behavioral and photo-identification research on harbor porpoises to learn more about their behavior, ecology, movement patterns and more. Did you know that individuals can remain resident to an area, that they sometimes eat salmon, or that they wake surf? Come learn what else PacMam has discovered about these amazing animals and the exciting new research that is happening!
To keep this lectureseries 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
DIVE! Into a Book!
Interested in a marine themed book club?
Now thru December, PTMSC invites you to join our dive into a variety of marine related topics! Get lost in titles that bring the evocative sea right to you. Through communication and connection, we can explore the ways in which the ocean intertwines us all.
Meet: Once per month to openly discuss each title.
Food: Potluck! Bring something to share, or just for yourself.
Drinks: Bring your choice of cozy beverage.
Where: Aquarium Classroom, 532 Battery Way. Located at the end of the pier in Fort Worden.
Until November 2, PTMSC's Flagship Gallery is hosting The Nature Journals of Carolyn Woods, an exhibit showcasing a selection of watercolor work that Carolyn has created in a series of sketchbooks over the last several years. Original works and enlarged prints reflect a range of subjects along with details noted in the field about the place, plant or animal observed. Examples of her sketchbooks and traveling painting tools, from bottle caps to Altoids tins, are also on display.
As the PTMSC Education Manager, Carolyn Woods enjoys sharing her passion for conserving the Salish Sea with students through school programs and summer camps at PTMSC. Carolyn has worked at Port Townsend Marine Science Center in various roles since 2014, including serving as a Marine Mammal Stranding Network intern and a term as an AmeriCorps member.
Visitors to the exhibit can sketch from a changing selection of PTMSC natural history collections such as shells, bones, birds, and fossils, and share their work on a community wall throughout the run of the show.
Carolyn's work can be found on Instagram at @seewoods99
There is no admission fee, though donations are always welcome.
New Show Upcoming November 5 to Flagship Gallery:
Under the Surface of the Salish Sea
Join us for First Saturday Gallery Walk!
October 4 open 5 – 8 p.m.
STORE AND GALLERY HOURS
Please check out our website (and future editions of this newsletter) for upcoming programs!
The Exhibit & Gift Shop - Fort Worden State Park 502 Harbor Defense Way
Starting this month, we are open:
Friday thru Monday Noon – 5 p.m.
Store & Gallery - Downtown Port Townsend 1001 Water St.
Store
Thursday 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Friday & Saturday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday & Monday 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Gallery
Friday - Sunday, noon - 3 p.m.
Join us for First Saturday Gallery Walk! September 6, open 5 – 8 p.m.
As a member, you support PTMSC's work for a healthy Salish Sea, plus you get discounts on programs and a 10% discount on every purchase in both gift shops.
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