The North Olympic Peninsula will offer a variety of Earth Day celebrations.
Earth Day is today, but most activities are set for Saturday.
The North Olympic Land Trust’s 14th annual Conservation Breakfast is set for 9 a.m. this morning on Zoom. To register and receive a link to the presentation, see northolympiclandtrust.org.
The featured speaker is lepidopterist Dr. Robert Michael Pyle, who will focus his discussion on ways to observe butterflies and moths in all their life stages. A highlight of the breakfast is awarding a local citizen or group with the Land Trust’s “Out Standing in the Field” award, which this year goes to local photographer John Gussman.
Beach cleanups
• Washington CoastSavers and local partners offer the Washington Coast Cleanup, beach cleanups across the Peninsula along the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean coastline.
Beaches available for cleanup are listed at https://www.coastsavers.org/index.php/wcc-cleanup/.
Volunteers can register there for a place and time.
Among them is the Harborview Park cleanup on Ediz Hook. Event registration starts at 1:30 p.m. Saturday with the cleanup beginning at 2 p.m.
“We’ll have basic supplies available at the registration station but encourage participants to bring any reusables they may already have such as buckets, gloves, grabbers and a water bottle,” said Joseph Stride of the Surfrider Foundation.
• In partnership with Washington CoastSavers, the Port Townsend Marine Science Center annual Earth Day beach cleanup will bring volunteers together to clean beaches from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Fort Worden, Downtown Port Townsend, Indian Island County Park or Shine Tidelands State Park.
Volunteers will collect and sort debris as well as contribute data on their findings to the Ocean Conservancy’s international database.
Each of the first 100 participants will receive a $5 food gift card to the Food Coop. Olympic Disposal will provide free trash and recycling services. Additional support for this event was provided by the state Department of Ecology.
For more information, contact Mandi Johnson at mjohnson@ptmsc.org or 360-385-5582, ext. 115.
• Friends of Fort Flagler is organizing a beach cleanup between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday.
Registration is at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/earth-day-beach-cleanup-tickets-275386186497.
Fort Flagler State Park will provide some supplies such as buckets, pickers and reusable bags.
The park will provide free day passes to any volunteer who does not have state park passes.
Minors must be accompanied by adults.
Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and state pandemic guidelines will be followed to keep volunteers safe.
For more information, see FortFlaglerFriends@gmail.com.
• The day before, Friends of Fort Flagler will host a park cleanup.
Volunteers will remove invasive plant species from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
The park will provide free day passes to any volunteer who does not have state park passes.
Volunteers will bring their own tools, water, masks and gloves and be directed to a specific site.
To register, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/earth-day-invasive-plant-removal-tickets- 275045597787.
City Pier
A free Earth Day Celebration is planned from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Port Angeles City Pier.
The Lost Trio will play blues and Americana.
Principal speakers will include Clallam County Commissioner Mark Ozias, who will address the climate crisis, and Jamestown S’Klallam Tribal Chairman W. Ron Allen, who will speak on critically endangered salmon and orcas.
The event will include an exhibition of locally owned electric vehicles with owners present to talk about their experiences.
At 1:15 p.m., a presentation about electric vehicles is planned by Olympic Climate Action’s Tony Billera in the Fiero Marine Center, 315 N. Lincoln St.
Save Our wild Salmon representatives said that more than a dozen groups and organizations will have informational tables at the event.
Library system
The North Olympic Library System (NOLS) is partnering with the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribal Library and the North Olympic Land Trust to celebrate Earth Day.
• A series of Earth Day-themed rhymes and songs featuring early literacy tips for little learners is on nols.org/early-learning-songs-and-rhymes and on the NOLS YouTube channel.
Salmon Life Cycle Take and Make beading project kits are offered at Clalalm County public libraries overseen by NOLS at Port Angeles, Sequim, Forks and Clallam Bay.
Created in partnership with Jamestown S’Klallam Tribal Library, the kits are for ages 4 and older. They will be available while supplies last.
• Guides for nature-themed scavenger hunts are available at all NOLS libraries.
The scavenger hunts, put together in partnership with the North Olympic Land Trust, can be used anywhere, including neighborhoods, parks or at North Olympic Land Trust free conservation areas.
Completed scavenger hunts can be dropped off at a public library for a nature sticker.
Lyre Conservation Area
NOLS also will host a group scavenger hunt at the North Olympic Land Trust’s Lyre Conservation Area from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday.
Registration is required at nols.org/earth-day.
The group will gather at the trailhead and leave at 10:30 a.m., following the trail toward the beach and stopping along the way to use their senses to explore plants, animals and insects. Self-guided exploration can continue at the end of the trail.
Between 10:30 a.m. and noon at the trailhead, snacks will be offered and copies of the scavenger hunt can be picked up during this time for a self-guided exploration of the Lyre Conservation Area at your own pace.
A trail guide including detailed information on trail conditions, elevation changes, getting to the site, wheelchair access, and other factors of accessibility can be found at Disabled Hikers.com.
The Lyre Conservation Area is located on Reynold Road off U.S. Highway 112, about 4 miles west of Joyce.
The Earth Day activities are recommended for youths and families ages 6 and older; youth 12 years and younger must be accompanied by an adult. Participants need to sign a waiver at the trailhead to join the guided scavenger hunt walk.
“Earth Day weekend is the perfect time to get out and celebrate the wonders of the Olympic Peninsula,” said Tom Sanford, North Olympic Land Trust director.
Bilingual storytime
NOLS also will host a Spanish/English bilingual Earth Day Family Storytime at Tillicum Park in Forks at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.
Participants will engage with nature-themed songs, rhymes and stories.
