Plant-related activities set at River Center

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, May 3, 2023

Just in time for the profusion of May wildflowers, the Dungeness River Nature Center, 1943 West Hendrickson Road, offers flower-related classes, guided hikes and lectures that continue through the summer.

All are announced in the River Center’s monthly e-newsletter and online at dungenessrivercenter.org.

Wildflower hikes

All-day wildflower hikes in the Sequim-area lowlands began in April and are scheduled for 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on May 17, 18 and 19. Participants meet at the River Center parking lot and carpool to destinations along the Dungeness River.

Hikes are led by naturalist John Bridge and River Center education manager Montana Napier. All participants, who will be walking single file along trails, will be given wireless headsets to hear the guides’ commentaries.

Hikes continue through the summer, when the groups head uphill to observe flowers blooming in alpine meadows. Cost is $40 per person.

Botanical drawing in May

Learn to observe, draw, and paint botanical specimens when illustrator and painter Robert Amaral offers a one-day drawing workshop from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Friday, May 26. Participants will explore forms, shapes and colors of individual flowers and plants. Bring a flower or plant to class that you wish to draw.

All skill levels are welcome for demonstrations, discussion, and one-on-one instructional help. No previous drawing experience is necessary.

Cost is $75 for River Center members, $80 for non-members. A materials list will be sent on registration.

Noxious, invasive plant brochures

The River Center has collaborated with Clallam County’s Noxious Weed Control Board to help the public identify and eradicate invasive and poisonous plants that have a grip on pastures, open spaces, lawns and gardens.

A table in the River Center’s foyer is filled with brochures about a multitude of plants and how to control them sits on a table in the River Center’s foyer. All are available free of charge.

New exhibit showcases plants of the Dungeness watershed

Because plants are often sidelined in museum dioramas, River Center exhibit designers have incorporated wildflowers, grasses, trees, mosses and lichens into new exhibits.

Housed in the room which was the former Audubon Center, exhibits will open to the public in May. Admission is free.

Real wildflowers and grasses, dried and preserved in clear resin, are installed in the region in which they grow, from alpine meadows to the Dungeness River’s estuary.

With the exception of the Center’s existing 200 taxidermy animal and bird specimens, most of the exhibit landscapes were handcrafted in Seattle by Mach 2 Arts.

Garden clubs invited to use facility

Garden clubs are invited to hold one meeting free of charge at the River Center’s Rainshadow Hall or Raven Room in exchange for a talk by director Powell Jones about incorporating native plants into garden plans. Both rooms include large, high definition screens, microphones and tables and chairs for up to 100 people.

More info

The Dungeness River Nature Center is at 1943 West Hendrickson Road. Hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Saturday, and noon-5 p.m. on and Sundays.

Admission is free. Hurricane Coffee at the River is open every day except Sundays.