PORT TOWNSEND — The Port Townsend Marine Science Center and the Natural History Exhibit at Fort Worden State Park launches another season at noon today — and Saturday will be a day to make many bones about.
“Bring Your Bones Day” will give visitors a chance to identify those animal bones they picked up on beaches, in fields or in their back yards.
Lee Post, a master marine mammal skeleton articulator from Homer, Alaska, will be available from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday in the Natural History Exhibit to identify animal bones of all kinds.
Post, known as “the Boneman” — and the author of The Whale Building Book — will be joined by Chimacum-area veterinarian and wildlife specialist Tony Rogstad and Michael Etnier, an osteologist from Bellingham.
Visitors welcome to drop in
People can drop in anytime during the four-hour period and informally ask questions, compare, chat or simply look at the displays.
Artists and budding naturalists are especially encouraged to come and draw, paint or visually document the collection.
“I’ve been doing bones 30-some years and have been the person in the Internet Age that everyone comes to,” said Post, who was working with Chrissy McLean, marine science center marine program coordinator, cleaning orca bones on Thursday at a Fort Worden lab.
They removed the orca skull’s lower jaw Thursday for cleaning.
Post recalled “an endless stream of people with bones” during last year’s Bone Day event that drew about 175.
“There were kids with bones, and people with whole boxes of bones,” Post said.
“You can’t imagine there would be that many bones in the area.”
‘Orca project’
He is helping the center in its “orca project,” in which the bones of a female orca found dead on Dungeness Spit in January 2002 will be placed on display.
The center’s staff invites all to visit the marine science center’s exhibit nearby, where families can step into a room filled with gray whale, seal, otter, dolphin and bird bones, as well as complete skeletons.
The Natural History Exhibit is the building on land opposite the marince science center’s dock at Fort Worden.
Over the next several weeks, the center is offering training sessions for volunteer docents, gift shop greeters and exhibit guides.
Afternoon classes will be from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. next Tuesday, as well as April 13 and April 20.
Evening classes will be from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. next Thursday, as well as April 15 and April 22.
Training in the exhibit will be augmented with opportunities for low-tide walks and working with a mentor for on-the-job experience.
Trainings are for both new and returning docents, who are required to commit to working one three-hour docent shift per week in the summer.
The sessions are free. Participants may sign up for either afternoon or evening classes, and must attend at least one session per week.
New docents will be paired with experienced volunteers and will always have a staff member available to provide support.
Registration is required. To learn more about volunteering or to register, contact Jean Walat at 360-385-5582, ext. 112, or via e-mail at jwalat@ptmsc.org.
For more information, e-mail info@ptmsc.org or visit www.ptmsc.org.
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Port Townsend-Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
