News Release

olympic national park announces schedule for 2019-20 perspectives monthly speaker series

Date: November 4, 2019
Contact: Penny Wagner, 360-565-3005

Program topics and presenters have been announced for this year’s Perspectives Winter Speaker Series, offered free of charge on the second Tuesday of each month, November through April.

Talks take place at 7:00 p.m. and will be offered at the Raymond Carver Room, Port Angeles Main Library of the North Olympic Library System. The Port Angeles Main Library is located at 2210 South Peabody Street.

“We invite our neighbors and visitors to see Olympic National Park through new perspectives,” said Olympic National Park Superintendent Sarah Creachbaum. “Science, research and collaboration provide new windows on the park and are all featured in this year’s series.”

The series is sponsored by Olympic National Park, the Friends of Olympic National Park, and the North Olympic Library System.

November 12, 2019
When Goats Fly
Eliza Goode, Park Ranger – Visual Information Specialist, Olympic National Park
Pattie Happe, PhD, Wildlife Biologist, Olympic National Park
Join us for the local premiere of When Goats Fly, a short film about the relocation of non-native mountain goats from Olympic National Park to their native range in the Cascade Mountains. The film was selected for several regional film festivals most recently at the Friday Harbor Film Festival. The film will be followed by a question and answer period with Olympic National Park wildlife biologist Dr. Patti Happe.

December 10, 2019
Saving the Dark
David Ingram, International Dark Sky Association
Matt Jordan
Eighty percent of the world’s population lives under light polluted skies. What do we lose when we lose sight of the stars? Excessive and improper lighting robs us of our night skies, disrupts our sleep patterns and endangers nocturnal habitats. Saving the Dark explores the need to preserve night skies and ways to combat light pollution.

January 14, 2020
Comparing Two Rain Forests
Syria Lejau, International Volunteer-in-Park, Olympic National Park

A park guide for over 20 years in Gunung Mulu National Park, Borneo, Syria recently volunteered at the Hoh Rain Forest. Join her for enticing stories and visuals about the contrasts between these tropical and temperate environments.

February 11, 2020
Wolves in Washington
Julia Smith, Wolf Coordinator, WA Department of Fish and Wildlife
Since 2008, Washington’s wolf population has grown by an average of 28 percent per year and has continued to increase for a tenth consecutive year with the highest count to date. The natural return of wolves to Washington is a conservation success story and Washington’s wolf population is on a path to recovery. In this presentation, WDFW Wolf Coordinator Julia Smith will provide the history and background about wolves in Washington, discuss wolf biology and natural history, give information about WDFW’s conservation and management of wolves, delve into resources for coexisting with wolves, and hold a Q&A session.

March 10, 2020
An Update on Glaciers
Bill Baccus, Physical Science, Olympic National Park
How do scientists monitor changes in high alpine glaciers, and what trends are they observing? Bill Baccus breaks down the science, and what it means for the future of Olympic’s watersheds.

April 14, 2020
A Big (3)Year(s) in Plants
Patrick Loafman, Biological Technician, Olympic National Park
Patrick Loafman will share some adventures of his 3-year quest to photograph every plant found in Washington’s Coast Range. Learn about the challenges of creating a simple key to allow plant enthusiasts to more easily identify plants.