PORT ANGELES — Rainy days don’t have to be discouraging, as described in Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat:
“The kids slumped in their chairs
“Too glum to complain.
“And to make matters worse,
“It started to rain.”
The cure to the winter doldrums might just be in the backyard of Port Angeles.
For an exploration of the outdoors, but in the comfort of the indoors, the Olympic National Park Visitor Center offers adults and children alike an escape from the winter weather.
The visitor center, 3002 Mount Angeles Road, is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
Ranger Greg Marsh wants to make sure that winter days are educational and fun for children in particular.
Indoor exploring
On Thursday morning, two toddlers bounded around exploring all of the exhibits at the visitor center, excitedly pointing at the elk display, the traditional tribal canoe and other exhibits.
“To me, this is really what it is all about,” he said.
“It is so great to see them loving to learn about this area.”
In addition to the educational exhibits, the center also boasts a room made specifically for children.
Drawers in the Discovery Room contain puzzles and games to teach children about geology, history and tide pools.
A model ranger station also lets kids play at being a park ranger.
“They get in here and can really have a great time and play and also be learning in a fun way,” Marsh said.
Other exhibits include a life-sized model of a forest ecosystem that includes a stuffed elk and a stuffed cougar.
Not just children
The learning isn’t just for children, Marsh said.
Marsh emphasized the center offers more than just directions to the nearest hiking location — although that information certainly abounds from both him and volunteers.
“It is really about acquainting yourself with this area we live in,” he said.
“I spoke this morning with a couple who just moved here from the Midwest.
“They came over to see what all there is to do here.
“You have to know there are plenty of people like that out there who are new to the area and just want to know about this beautiful place.”
Award-winning film
An award-winning film, “Mosaic of Diversity,” highlights the history and ecosystems of various areas of the park and is shown upon request.
“It is a really fantastic film, and we’ll show it for anyone who wants to see it upon request,” Marsh said.
The film won several awards, including at the 2005 International Wildlife Film Festival in Montana, when the center began showing it that year.
New to the visitor center is a walk-through display of information about the planned Elwha River restoration.
The display — titled “Freeing the Elwha” — tells of the eventual removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams.
Both dams are slated for removal beginning in 2011 as part of a $308 million project to restore the Elwha River west of Port Angeles to its natural state.
When the Elwha Dam was completed in 1912, no provision was made for salmon to migrate around the dam. The same was true for the Glines Canyon Dam when it was built farther upstream in 1927.
The dam removal — the largest-ever dam removal project in the country, and the second-largest National Park Service restoration project next to revival of the Everglades — is expected to restore salmon habitat to the river, once famed for the size and number of its salmon.
The Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries Restoration Act of 1992 called for government acquisition of the dams for their eventual removal.
Perspectives series
Visitors may also stop by for the monthly Perspectives series, always from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays, that is set for next Tuesday, as well as Feb. 9, March 9, April 13 and May 11.
This month, fisheries biologist Sam Brenkman will discuss snorkeling surveys in the rivers of Olympic National Park.
“It is really going to be a fascinating speech,” Marsh said.
“And the best part is that it is free.”
Also on Tuesday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., anyone older than the age of 12 is invited to a working party to clean up the trails around the visitor center, Marsh said.
Volunteers will do trail cleanup and maintenance. For more information, visit http://tinyurl.com/am7ltp or phone Maggie Tyler at 360-565-3141.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige. dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
