Community Events

The Clallam MRC continually engages in community outreach and education events. Some events return for many years in a row, while some are unique one-time opportunities to reach out to the community.

2023 Dungeness River Festival

In September 2023, pictured above, MRC members hosted a table at the Dungeness River Festival. All 3rd - 5th graders from City of Sequim schools attended, many enjoying the specimens and information shared by MRC members.

2023 Forever Streamfest

On October 14th, 2023, the MRC hosted an educational table at Forever Streamfest - an annual event celebrating the environmental organizations that call the Olympic Peninsula home, held in 2023 at Peninsula College. Pictured here are MRC members Tim Cochnauer and Ann Soule sharing the MRC's work with visitors, accompanied by MRC Fellow Alisa Taylor.

The MRC plans to host a table again at Forever Streamfest in 2024.

Past Years

2020 Community Events

The Clallam MRC adapted to the COVID-19 restrictions and hosted or co-hosted two public online events - the Intern Celebration (see Internship tab) and a webinar about  SoundIQ.  In addition, through the lunchbox program at the Boys & Girls Club in Port Angeles and Sequim the Clallam MRC reached out to 275 students.  

2020 Outreach to Boys & Girls Clubs

In partnership with SeaDoc Society the Clallam MRC compiled 275 educational outreach packages focused on the book Explore the Salish Sea. The packages include the book (donated by SeaDoc Society), a coloring book, crayons, stickers and fake tattoos and a letter encouraging the students to sign up to be a junior SeaDoc and to submit a story and drawing to the Clallam MRC.  In the week of August 17^th, 200 packages were handed out to students through the Port Angeles Club and another 75 to students through the Sequim Club.

2019 Dungeness River Festival

At the 2019 festival the Clallam MRC booth was one of 20 booths staffed by local, state, federal, tribal and nonprofit entities active on the North Olympic Peninsula. The booths offered interactive nature exhibits and activities, as well as exhibits providing information on numerous environmental topics from the impacts of failing septic systems to wildlife living in the Olympic National Park. The display at Clallam MRC’s booth focused on how to catch more crabs by using proper crabbing techniques and thereby reduce the number of lost crab pots. For the educational outreach to the students the MRC summer intern had made a game consisting of a wheel with nine slots; six of these slots displayed proper crabbing techniques and three incorrect techniques. Each student would spin the wheel once and if the wheel landed on a proper technique the student was awarded a “catch more crab” sticker. The festival reached about 1,400 festival participants; approximately 950 3-5 grade school students enjoyed the festival along with 450 teachers, chaperons and other residents. The members thought the game went pretty well, however they decided to change the rules and give everyone a sticker as long as the losers promised never to do the bad practice again.

The festival was featured in Sequim Gazette and in Peninsula Daily News, as well as being featured on the Dungeness Audubon River Center website and blog.

2019 Ocean Science at Clallam Bay

On June 4th Clallam MRC partnered with the Olympia Coast National Marine Sanctuary and Clallam Bay School District to teach a one-day field and classroom event at Slip Point in Clallam Bay. Approximately 20-25 grade school students participated in the program exploring the intertidal during a super low tide. The Clallam MRC provided a kelp guide used by the students to identify the most common seaweeds. After the fieldtrip the students went to the school and played a food web game and did an ocean acidification experiment with vinegar and chalk under the supervision of Sanctuary staff. The Clallam MRC provided a kelp guide used by the students to identify the most common seaweeds.

2019 ORCA FORUM

On May 10, 2019 Clallam MRC hosted a free public forum about Southern Resident Orca Whales. The forum was attended by more than 50 local residents. Four members from the Governor's Orca Recovery Task Force highlighted the current status of the orcas, and some of the Task Force recommendations. They discussed how the decreasing availability of Chinook salmon is impacting our orcas, the need to reduce toxins in our waters, funding for continuing restoration efforts, and how we can reduce noise or acoustic disturbance affecting the whales.  The forum was facilitated by Ann Murphy President of the Northwest Straits Foundation and the speakers were:

• Dr. Rich Osborne, Whale Museum/Soundwatch/UW; Washington Coast Sustainable Salmon Partnership board, Science Seat on the Washington Coastal Marine Advisory Council; member of Governor Inslee’s Orca Recovery Task Force
• Dr. Todd Hass, Chair, Puget Sound Partnership, Vessels Task Force Lead; member of Governor Inslee’s Orca Recovery Task Force
• Dr. Scott Veirs, Chair, Puget Sound ecosystem monitoring program (PSEMP) Marine Mammal Work Group; member of Governor Inslee’s Orca Recovery Task Force
• Donna Sandstrom, Founder and Executive Director of The Whale Trail; member of Governor Inslee’s Orca Recovery Task Force and Vessel Impacts Working Group.