Tenth Annual Perspectives Program Series

Date: January 28, 2009
Contact: Barb Maynes, 360-565-3005

The schedule for the remainder of this season’s Perspectives series has been announced and is presented below. The next program will be offered at the Olympic National Park Visitor Center on Tuesday, February 10. Set for 7:00 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month from November through May, this year’s series will highlight the variety of resources protected by the park.

All programs take place at the Olympic National Park Visitor Center at 3002 Mount Angeles Road in Port Angeles. All are offered free of charge and are co-sponsored by the Friends of Olympic National Park. Seating is limited and attendees are urged to arrive early.

“We are pleased to invite our friends and neighbors to enjoy these informative programs about the park,” said Superintendent Karen Gustin. “We are grateful to the Friends of Olympic National Park for their ongoing support of the Perspectives program.”

Friends of Olympic National Park President Larry Stetson added, “Part of the Friends’ mission is to promote public understanding and enjoyment of the Park and we are pleased to co-sponsor this year's outstanding schedule of programs.”

February 10 – Climate Change & the Rivers, Glaciers, and Forests of the Pacific Northwest
Crystal Raymond, PhD Candidate, University of Washington
What will climate change mean for the natural resources of the Pacific Northwest? How will climate change impact the rivers and forests of Olympic National Park? Rivers and forests of the Pacific Northwest have been shaped by climate for millennia, but they are now experiencing changes in the climate system at an unprecedented rate. Ms. Raymond will discuss the impacts of climate change on tree growth, stream hydrology, winter snowpack and fish habitat, and will emphasize the relationship between climate change and extreme weather events in the region. Extreme events, including wind storms and floods, greatly impact the natural resources of Olympic National Park.

March 10 – Fishers Return to Olympic: An Update on Reintroduction
Patti Happe, PhD, Wildlife Branch Chief, Olympic National Park
Last winter, 18 fishers were released in Olympic National Park, marking the return of this predator to its place in the ecosystem after a decades-long absence. Additional releases are occurring this winter, with the ultimate goal of relocating 100 fishers to Olympic National Park by 2010. Join Olympic National Parks wildlife biologist, Patti Happe, for an update on the effort to reestablish these remarkable creatures in Washington State.

April 14 – Mapping the Unseen World of the Forest Canopy
Robert Van Pelt, PhD
Poised over 200 feet above the forest floor, the canopy of the old growth forests of the Olympic Peninsula is a world unseen by people and only recently studied by scientists. Join Dr. Van Pelt as he shares some of his ground-breaking work on understanding the plant species and interrelationships that exist in this world in the tree tops.

May 13 – Peninsula and Huxley Colleges Present: Elwha Field Research Reports
Dr. Dwight Barry and Students
Dr. Dwight Barry, Peninsula College faculty member, and students of Peninsula College and Western Washington University’s Huxley College-Port Angeles will present findings from their environmental science research associated with the Elwha Restoration Project, the world’s largest dam removal and river restoration project.