Traveler’s Journal series to kick off at Dungeness River Nature Center
Published 2:30 am Tuesday, February 10, 2026
Want to get away but can’t? Do the next best thing by attending this year’s Traveler’s Journal presentations at the Dungeness River Nature Center, 1943 W. Hendrickson Road in Sequim.
Traveler’s Journal is an adventure presentation speaker/photo series that serves as an annual fundraiser for Olympic Discovery Trail projects. The Thursday night presentations will kick off on Feb. 19 and run through March 26.
There is a suggested donation of $10 at the door. Proceeds benefit Olympic Discovery Trail projects.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the presentation begins at 7 p.m.
Here are the speakers and presentations slated for 2026:
Feb. 19
Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska: Mountaineering, Rafting and Sea Kayaking Over Five Decades
Speaker: Henry Florschutz
A resident of Port Townsend since 2014, Florschutz has been traveling since he was a teen. Even though he has traveled to many parts of the world over the past 50 years, he continues to plan future travels.
Feb. 26
Drawn by Birds, Captivated by Cuba
Speakers: Bob and Enid Phreaner
During their working years, the Phreaners made do with hiking and backpacking as they had little time for travel. Since moving to Sequim in 2012, they have traveled less frequently, but they have traveled to more remote locations. They have shared their experiences previously through the Traveler’s Journal series.
March 5
One Month in Africa, Top to Bottom
Speakers: Steve and Mirja Wilson
Residents of Sequim since 2008, Steve and Mirja Wilson volunteer with Sequim Wheelers and are frequent travelers. They research and design their own trips, whether biking through France, going on safaris or kicking back and enjoying a cruise.
March 12
Ten Weeks Traveling Light – Packing for the Long Haul in the Netherlands
Speakers: Steve Durrant and Chris Carlson
Steve Durrant is the director of the Puget Sound to Pacific Collaborative, an initiative of the Peninsula Trails Coalition, North Kitsap Trails Association and the Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation dedicated to completing gaps in the Olympic Discovery Trail and Sound to Olympics Trail to connect the ferry terminals on Puget Sound to the Pacific Ocean at La Push. Chris Carlson is a landscape architect, retired from a career leading the National Park Service Rivers Trails and Technical Assistance Program in the Pacific Northwest, Metro Portland Parks and the University of Minnesota.
In addition to their riding in the Pacific Northwest, Canada and the Midwest, the pair have cycled together on extended trips in Finland, Denmark, England, Ireland, Belgium, France and The Netherlands.
March 19
Wildlife of the Scandinavian Arctic
Speakers: Ken and Mary Campbell
Ken and Mary Campbell are wildlife and nature photographers who have spent over 45 years exploring all seven continents in search of extraordinary wildlife. Their photographs have been featured in local and national magazines, brochures and calendars. The pair volunteer with the Feiro Marine Life Center and Olympic National Park, and conduct monthly Coaster Observation and Seabird Survey Team surveys for a citizen science program at the University of Washington’s School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences.
March 26
Tasmania
Speaker: John Gussman
“I first became interested in photography as a means to share the natural beauty of the places I travelled,” said photographer John Gussman. “My first darkroom was in my closet in my apartment bedroom, and I had tin foil over the window and my roommate called me Moleman as I spent so much time in the dark.”
After getting a degree in photography, Gussman began working full time in 1973 as a staff photographer for a newspaper in the bay area. Moving to Washington State in 1979 to be closer to wilderness, and with Olympic National Park as his backyard, he began to photograph this new natural playground.
