The last week of June marks both the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Olympic National Park and the 56th anniversary of the founding of the Student Conservation Association (SCA).

On June 29, 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a bill establishing Olympic National Park.

Nineteen years later, in June 1957, the first 34 SCA youth volunteers began working in Olympic National Park. Today, 56 years later, SCA places over 4,000 members throughout the nation annually, providing more than two million hours of conservation service. Olympic National Park is the only location that has hosted SCA volunteers every year since the organization’s founding.

In commemoration of these two anniversaries, a special celebration will be held at noon on Tuesday, June 25, at the Olympic National Park Visitor Center in Port Angeles. On hand to celebrate will be Olympic National Park Superintendent Sarah Creachbaum, SCA founder Liz Putnam and SCA’s Northwest vice president Jay Satz.

“We’re happy to celebrate our anniversaries together, and we’re especially pleased to have the founder of SCA, Liz Putnam join us,” Creachbaum said. “The SCA is a valued partner of the National Park Service and we are proud to share 56 years of our history with them.”

The public is invited to bring a brown-bag lunch to the noontime celebration at Olympic National Park Visitor Center. Creachbaum and Putnam will offer short remarks.

“We warmly invite our neighbors, partners and visitors to stop by the visitor center, enjoy a piece of birthday cake and learn more about the SCA and Olympic National Park,” Creachbaum said.

“SCA and Olympic National Park are so fortunate to share such a longterm strategic partnership,” Satz added. “Both organizations are working to assure the future stewardship of our parks and public lands. Connecting young people to the pleasures of being outdoors and conservation service is essential to both of our missions.”

More information about Olympic’s first 75 years, including a park timeline and historical photos, has been added to the park’s official website, www.nps.gov/olym. The public also is invited to participate in the anniversary by adding their photos, videos or stories to the Olympic National Park online Memory Book at www.olympicpark75th.com.

More information about the Student Conservation Association may be found at www.thesca.org.