Do you love the ocean, meeting new people and learning about the area? If so, become a docent for NOAA’s Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary to volunteer in the Olympic Coast Discovery Center!
A six-session training for new volunteers will begin on Wednesday, April 30, and will include topics such as sanctuary ecosystems and wildlife, marine research and deep sea corals, current marine issues such as marine debris and ocean acidification, maritime heritage, communicating with the public, and more. Two field trips are included as part of the six-session training.
The Olympic Coast Discovery Center is an interpretive visitor center to inform local and international guests of sanctuary natural and cultural resources and programs.
Docents typically volunteer 2-4 hours/week.
The training will take place in The Landing, 115 E. Railroad Ave. Ste. 206, and is free of charge, but registration is required.
Sessions are from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. April 30, May 7, May 14, May 28; field trips May 17 and May 21 (Neah Bay).
To register or to receive more information, contact Jacqueline Laverdure at jacqueline.laverdure@noaa.gov or 457-6622 ext. 21.
The Discovery Center is open daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. to the public free of charge from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend and remains open on weekends only in September through mid-October.
Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary is administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and was designated in 1994 as the first national marine sanctuary in the Pacific Northwest. It encompasses about 3,189 square miles off the Washington coast, extending from Cape Flattery to the Copalis River. Significant natural and cultural resources include 29 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises, large populations of nesting seabirds, shipwrecks and some of the most spectacular wilderness coastline in the lower 48 states.
NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources.
On the Web
Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary: http://olympiccoast.noaa.gov
On Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/usolympiccoastgov
