Washington’s National Park Fund’s Spring Dinner and Auction
Thanks to the more than 200 people who attended Washington’s National Park Fund’s Spring Dinner and Auction on Friday, April 12, 2013, we raised more than $90,000 (after expenses) for Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks!!
$37,000 of this amount is earmarked for the parks’ Search and Rescue programs and will enable rangers to purchase MUCH needed equipment and offer stronger training programs for both park staff and area volunteers.
What you need to know before entering the backcountry
BE AWARE. GET EDUCATED. Practice BEFORE you head out.
- Tell people where you are going to be before you head out.
- Don’t think of your outing as "just a Day Hike"
- Have the Ten Essentials
- Get GOOD forecasts
An Interview with Bret Wirta, The Incidental Explorer, on the Future of Olympic National Park
Imagine you are visiting the Olympic National Park wilderness area 20 years from now. What conditions, experiences, visitor services, and facilities would you like to see?
I’ve been thinking about this question because Olympic National Park is asking for our opinions as they grapple with the difficult job of producing a new Wilderness Stewardship Plan. In twenty years, I hope that I can show my grandchildren an Olympic National Park that is still wild. I would like to see enough staff to effectively manage the park visitors, including trail maintenance, law enforcement, search and rescue, and fire suppression. The park would still be a leading center of science and research. There would be vibrant youth programs and we’d see more teenagers in the wilderness than ever before.
Return of the River
Press Release:
Sequim cinematographer John Gussman is pleased to partner with Sequim business owner Bret Wirta, who is helping to bring a locally produced documentary film to the big screen.
“Return of the River” is a feature documentary film in production about the restoration of the Elwha River, and the largest dam removal project in history. The filmmaking team is based on the Olympic Peninsula. The film is directed by John Gussman, and produced by Jessica Plumb of Port Townsend.
WNPF auction exceeds expectation!
$65,000 raised at Washington National Parks Fund auction held at The Mountaineers in Seattle.
After many months of preparation, hard work comes to fruition.
AUCTION PHOTO COLLAGE HERE.....
Fund has raised and distributed
more than $1 million
July 26, 2011 - Washington’s National Park Fund will distribute $350,000 in grants this summer to Mount Rainier, North Cascades and Olympic National Parks, following another successful fund raising year.
The Fund serves as the official philanthropic partner for the three national parks located in Washington State, collaborating with them to obtain support for priority projects.
Summer 2011 WNPF Stakeholders Enewsletter - CLICK HERE
An Interview with Washington National Parks Board Member Bret Wirta
WNPF: Why is supporting our National Parks important?
Wirta: Our parks provide all of us, rich or poor, the opportunity to experience some of the most spectacular natural beauty that our country has to offer.
WNPF: Your first experience in nature took place when, where and with whom?....
NATURE ART SHOW RAISES $20,000 FOR WASHINGTON NATIONAL PARKS
April 18 – Washington’s National Park Fund’s "Art in the Parks" event March 18 in Seattle raised more than
$20,000 to benefit programs at Mount Rainier, North Cascades and Olympic National Parks.
"I would like to thank all Washington’s National Park Fund supporters who attended the event for their tremendous generosity," said Eleanor Kittelson, Executive Director of Washington’s National Park Fund.
Read the FULL ARTICLE HERE...
BACKPACK FOR MARMOTS
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Summer 2010 saw the kick-off of the Olympic marmot monitoring program. Over 100 volunteers organized in 35 groups of volunteers traversed survey units in high-elevation meadows and rock-fields, looking for marmots and marmot burrows.
Although unusually heavy snow cover limited access to many areas in July and early August, volunteers successfully surveyed over 260 units and partially or visually surveyed another 42.. . FULL ARTICLE HERE.
- HOW TO VOLUNTEER -
BACKPACK FOR MARMOTS
Review 2010 details here...
- 2011 details coming SOON -
Washington’s National Park Fund Welcomes Bret Wirta to Board of Directors
Jan. 26 -- Washington’s National Park Fund is pleased to announce the addition of Bret Wirta to the Board of Directors. Bret brings with him a wide range of experience and leadership in conservation and business.
Bret is currently the owner and CEO of Wirta Hospitality Worldwide. Based in Seattle, WHW designs, builds, owns and manages community-inspired hospitality projects....FULL ARTICLE
North Olympic Peninsula selected as one of top 41 to visit . . .
The New York Times
The North Olympic Peninsula has captured the attention of travel writers everywhere and kicked off the year with a bang, landing the region in a The New York Times' story about "The 41 Places to go in 2011."
Diane Schostak, executive director of the Olympic Peninsula Visitor Bureau, said 2010 was one of the top years for media exposure, with an estimated value of more than $10 million....FULL ARTICLE
First step in removal of Elwha River dams begins, The Seattle Times
LAKE MILLS, Clallam County WA It doesn't look like much, this bunch of heavy equipment chewing away at an alder forest, but it's actually the start of something big: the largest dam-removal project ever in North America....FULL ARTICLE
THE ELWHA RIVER RETURNING TO LIFE, The Seattle Times
REMOVAL of two big dams on the Elwha River in Olympic National Park is amazing because of the scale ofthe demolition project and, simply, because it is finally going to happen.....FULL ARTICLE
Elwha River's coming dam removal has scientists flooded with unknowns
ELWHA RIVER, Clallam County, From all over the country they came to ponder this river: its gravel, its teal-green waters, its shores and mouth and mostly its future as the site of the largest dam-removal project ever in North America....FULL ARTICLE
Update from biologist Patti Happe on the status of the Roosevelt Elk conservation program at Olympic National Park
Wirta Hospitality Worldwide has been a sponsor of this program to collar the elk with transmitters so as to better understand their migratory patterns. If you like to learn more how to help conserve elk, marmot or fisher populations in Olympic National Park go to www.wnpf.org.....FULL ARTICLE
SEQUIM VOLUNTEER VACATION TRIP REPORT by Bret Wirta
My wife Trish and I, along with Tim and Stacy Kern, led ten teenagers from our church on a work weekend in Sequim, Washington. We volunteered with the Pacific Northwest Trail Association, repairing hiking trails in the Olympic Mountains. ....FULL ARTICLE
Olympic Discovery Trail
to the Sequim Bay Estuary
Walking along the Olympic Discovery Trail from the Holiday Inn Express, Sequim to the estuary at the head of Sequim Bay was a wonderful way to spend a sunny winter afternoon....
Read the FULL STORY HERE...
Welcome to the Olympic Discovery Trail
The Olympic Discovery Trail (ODT) traverses over 120 miles of lowlands between the Olympic Mountains and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Currently, 40 miles of paved trail are complete, connecting Blyn on Sequim Bay with the cities of Sequim and Port Angeles. At the ODT's eastern end, an additional 6 miles have been constructed running south from the Victorian seaport of Port Townsend...LINK TO PENINSULA TRAILS COALITION HERE
Olympic Discovery Trail, Railroad Bridge Park
January 11th, 2011. My daughter Becca and her friend Casey and I wanted to go skiing at Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park but the road was icy and a big snow storm was forecasted for that afternoon, so instead we decided to go where you can be outdoors on the Peninsula anytime of the year, the Olympic Discovery Trail...FULL ARTICLE AND VIDEO HERE
Dungeness River Center
The Dungeness River Audubon Center's mission is to inspire understanding, enjoyment and stewardship of the Olympic Peninsula's unique natural and cultural resources, with emphasis on birds, rivers, fish, and people.
The Tall Ship Lady Washington
Tour the Lady Washington in Port Angeles or witness a sea battle Memorial Day weekend!
The Lady Washington will be visiting Port Angeles Memorial Day weekend!
DETAILS HERE!
To buy tickets, click the image above, or call 800-200-5239
Sequim Chamber of Commerce
The Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce serves the business needs and provides visitor information for Carlsborg, Sequim and Blyn.
StayInWashington
Use this site to quickly point and click your way to more than 1,000 accommodations, resources and attractions—and take the Washington State Visitors’ Guide with you, referring to it often when discovering the beauty and diversity of the Evergreen State.
Pacific Northwest Uncommon & Responsible Explorations
P.U.R.E. is a network of local and sustainable tourism businesses collaborating to support one another in a common effort to promote and support the sustainable tourism industry environmentally, socially and economically in the Pacific Northwest.
EverGreen Escapes
EverGreen Escapes is Cascadia's premier local and sustainable adventure travel company with base camps in both Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon. Few in this magnificent region have had the expertise and passion for offering exclusive adventures, treks and tour options for the responsible, curious and active traveler. Until now....
Seattle's Convention and Visitors Bureau
Seattle invites you to explore two cities in one. Here you'll find a vibrant, sophisticated metropolis surrounded by pristine natural beauty and abundant recreation. Seattle is metronatural. Whether metro or natural, you can pack a lot into your Seattle itinerary.