The latest updates in the broader Centrum community from Centrum’s Volunteer Coordinator Claire Africa. Weekly posts are featured in the Centrum Volunteer Blog.
The world’s favorite season is the spring. All things seem possible in May. ~ Edwin Way Teale
This week’s feature photo is an art card painted by local Port Townsend artist Linda Okazaki – a gem of a find by Centrum staff while organizing the Centrum office. The current situation has provided an opportunity to spruce up the gardens and clean the office and catalog archives, bringing back fond memories of Centrum’s past. Some of you may have seen newly discovered photos from the ’70’s that have recently been posted on the Centrum Facebook page.
This week, local State Parks around Port Townsend re-opened for day use only. Availability of facilities such as restrooms and boat launches vary from Park to Park, and Park users are obviously asked to maintain social distancing while out and about.
In town, some restaurants are still offering take out services, while others have elected to close altogether for the protection of their staff, as the lock down eases and visitors from away start to venture into Port Townsend.
On that note, I recently received a heartwarming email from Fran Post, a long time Centrum Volunteer who was reminded of our annual Volunteer appreciation party:
“We ordered takeout from the Silverwater Cafe recently (it was delicious) and the note shown below was included with our meal. While ALL of the businesses in Port Townsend deserve our support I couldn’t help but be reminded of the many Centrum Volunteer Appreciation parties hosted at the Silverwater and I thought that our Centrum Volunteer Community might appreciate being reminded of the support provided by David and Alison Hero in previous years”
Thank you to Alison and David Hero of the Silverwater Cafe for hosting the best Volunteer party in town and we’re already looking forward to the next one!
More activities for all ages to take part in from our partners through the fence. Online courses and activities are becoming increasingly popular as this new way of life becomes routine. Creatures of habit as we are, it is comforting to know there is so much being offered to keep us structured and occupied as social distancing keeps us out of yoga studios, classrooms and libraries. This edition of the VolBlog is your one-stop-shop to virtual goings-on of all dimensions. I welcome any feedback or suggestions if you’d like to add to the list.
PORT TOWNSEND MARINE SCIENCE CENTER continues to provide educational entertainment and learning opportunities to young and old from the local environment around Fort Worden and Puget Sound to a PENGUIN WATCH program in Antarctic waters.
Nature Break: Sound Mapping
Everyone’s heard the advice to stop and smell the roses but what about stopping and listening to the sounds of nature and your neighborhood? You might be surprised at what you hear when you focus on just one sense! Making a sound map can be a great way to keep track of what’s in the environment around you. What might be something nearby that you can hear, but not see?
Read more and get started here!
Invent An Invertebrate!
Port Townsend Library presents Invent and Invertebrate with PTMSC on May 7, 2 pm!
Read more and get the Zoom link here!
BioBlitz 2020 – social distancing friendly!
May 9, Fort Worden State Park
New details and registration link coming soon!
In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, PTMSC is hosting a community Orca ARTiculation! Lend us your artistic skills and help us recreate the skeleton of PTMSC’s orca (“Hope”) from the comforts of your own home (and while maintaining social distance)!
Learn Online – Free courses, webinars, informative sites, etc. about the ocean and marine science:
- Junior SeaDoctor’s Home School Marine Science Activities
- Oceans Initiative Virtual Marine Biology Camp – Live Mondays & Thursday at 11am
- Distance Learning with the Pacific Marine Mammal Center – Sign up for live webinars
- Live Animal Cams from the Monterey Bay Aquarium! – during daytime hours
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – Live & recorded webinars for kids
- Videos from NOAA’s deep sea exploration submersibles – Recorded
Or stay inside – and help contribute to conservation!
- Join the Earth Day EcoChallenge – runs April 1st – 30th
- Help count penguins with the Penguin Watch Project
- Help identify wildlife (seal, sea lions, and birds) at Año Nuevo Island
- Get started using iNaturalist to document and identify wildlife in your own backyard
Exploring Nature with Paper & Stitch: Live Stream Lecture with David Owen Hastings, May 14
THURSDAY, MAY 14, 10:30AM – 12PM
In this lecture, David will talk about his work as a visual artist, and the similarities between his gallery art and how he now works as a quilter.
Click the image above to keep moving with Madrona Mind Body Institute. The following classes are offered:
mindful movement, longevity and wisdom yoga, yoga with weights, awareness through movement and Soulful Sunday Dance all available for online participation.
Retaining their sense of humor!
I’ll leave you with news of what other staff are doing in their spare time to keep out of trouble. Paul Larned, who helps out on the technical side of Centrum productions, and his partner Karen Rudd, both talented artists, have been creating art museum challenges and doing their bit to keep everyone smiling! Here are a couple of examples and maybe there will be more to come. Karen was an artist in residence at Centrum in 2009 and I’m attaching a link referencing her work from that time.
All things certainly seem possibly to Karen and Paul!