NOTE: “Today” and “tonight” refer to Friday, June 17.
FORKS — The Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary is preparing a series of events over the next few weeks to educate people about how to enjoy the natural resources.
Get Into Your Sanctuary is a national movement that promotes and celebrates the 14 national marine sanctuaries across the country.
“We want people to enjoy [the sanctuaries] and realize they are there for recreation, use and enjoyment,” said Karlyn Langjahr, Olympic Coast Discovery Center manager and advisory council coordinator.
“The more people get out and use them, the more they will appreciate the wildlife and cultural resources we have.”
The Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary is an area more than twice the size of the nearly million-acre Olympic National Park that is off the Pacific Coast of Washington state.
Office headquarters are in The Landing mall, 115 E. Railroad Ave., Port Angeles.
Free events are planned from Port Angeles to the Pacific Coast.
Film tonight
The first event is at 7 tonight at the Olympic National Park Visitor Center, 3002 Mount Angeles Road, Port Angeles.
“Discover the Olympic Coast,” by BBC and National Geographic Channel filmmaker Florian Graner, will make its debut.
“It’s told through a young harbor seal that guides you through different habitats,” Langjahr said.
The film also will be shown each day at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday through June 26.
Photography workshop
On June 25, a nature photography workshop is planned at Ruby Beach on the Pacific Coast.
The beach walk from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. will include nature photography tips using the world-class tidepools and scenic beaches as inspiration.
Participants will meet at the top of Ruby Beach trailhead at 9:30 a.m. They are urged to wear appropriate shoes and clothing.
Also on June 25 will be a 9 a.m. showing of Graner’s film at Port Angeles Library, 2210 S. Peabody St.
Following the movie
will be games and activities for elementary school children and their families to help better understand their connection to the marine environment and marine wildlife.
“The Port Angeles Library event was designed for families, especially those with elementary school-aged kids,” Langjahr said.
For more information or to register, contact Langjahr at karlyn.langjahr@noaa.gov or 360-457-6622, ext 31.
The Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, which was designated as a protected area in July 1994, spans 3,310 square miles of marine waters off the Olympic Peninsula coastline.
It extends over 25 to 50 miles from the shore, covering much of the continental shelf and several submarine canyons.
Marine life ranges from plankton to whales. Twenty-nine species of marine mammals and many seabirds spend at least part of their lives in the sanctuary.
Its 135 miles of shoreline includes varied habitats and beach scenery, with the contemporary cultures of the Makah, Quileute and Hoh living along it. More than 150 historical shipwrecks have been documented.
Langjahr encourages anyone interested in the sanctuary to visit the Olympic Coast Discovery Center at The Landing mall, 115 E. Railroad Ave, Port Angeles.
For more on sanctuary events, see “news and events” at www.olympiccoast.noaa.gov.
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Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsuladailynews.com.
