Chimacum Grange meets Jan. 10

The Chimacum Grange holds a meeting at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 10 to present a program on interns working with local farms. Everyone is welcome to attend, especially farmers and people who want to be interns or are considering sponsoring interns.

The Grange is located 9572 Rhody Drive, Chimacum. For more information, contact Grange program chair James Fritz at 360-316-9635 or jfritz@olyppen.com.

Future of Oceans lecture focuses on sea-level rise

Port Townsend Marine Science Center presents the fourth installment of “The Future of Oceans” lecture series at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 14. The lecture, “Sea-level Rise’s Impact on Humans and Habitat in the Salish Sea,” is presented by Eric E. Grossman at the Fort Worden Chapel. Admission is $5; students and teachers are admitted free.

This presentation synthesizes the climate change “impact pathways” leading to intertidal habitat loss in the Salish Sea, and new research to help resource managers and communities plan for adaptation, according to a press release. Grossman is a marine geologist and geophysicist with the USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program.

The next Future of Oceans lecture, by University of Washington School of Oceanography director Virginia Armbrust, is set for Sunday, Feb. 11.

Register for ‘Genealogy: The Basics’ by Jan. 12

The Jefferson County Genealogical Society is offering “Genealogy: The Basics,” an introduction to the concepts and tools used in family history research.

This three-session class is designed for the beginner, a person who has yet to start or has tried to get started but doesn’t know how to best approach their research, according to a press release.

The class focuses on researching in the United States, but basic concepts are transferrable to research conducted anywhere in the world, the press release states.

“Genealogy: The Basics” is presented 1-3:30 p.m. on consecutive Monday afternoons, Jan. 22, 29 and Feb. 5 at the Jefferson County Historical Society Research Center at 13692 Airport Cutoff Road (State Route 19) a few miles south of Port Townsend.

Registration is required and due by Friday, Jan. 12. The registration form is available on the JCGS website,

wajcgs.org, and at the Research Center. Cost for the class is $30 for JCGS members and $55 for nonmembers (which includes a $25 JCGS membership for one year). Mail the completed form, along with the class fee, to: JCGS Beginning Class, P.O. Box 627, Port Townsend, WA 98368.

Questions? Contact Jesse at 360-437-8103.

Travel with ‘Gardens and Gardeners Abroad’ Jan. 13

The 2018 Master Gardener Yard and Garden Lectures gets underway Saturday, Jan. 13, with presentations given 10 a.m.-12:15 p.m., Saturday mornings through Feb. 17 at the Port Townsend Community Center, 620 Tyler St.

For the first lecture, Marty Wingate gives a presentation on “Gardens and Gardeners Abroad.”

Wingate writes and speaks about gardens and travel, and shares her love of Britain in two mystery series – the “Potting Shed” books and “Birds of a Feather.” Her garden books include “Perennials for the Pacific Northwest” and “Landscaping for Privacy.” She leads garden tours to England, Scotland and Ireland.

Wingate has a master’s degree in urban horticulture from the University of Washington, and is a member of the Royal Horticultural Society and the Northwest Horticultural Society.

Wingate maintains that for gardeners, travel can not only broaden their minds, but also increase their palette of plants as well as their stock of ideas for designing everything from a collection of pots to a sweeping double border.

The community is invited to enjoy an armchair travelogue through both public and private gardens in England, Scotland and Ireland while learning about unfamiliar plants as well as new ways to use old favorites in their own landscape.

For tickets and more information, visit brownpapertickets.com.

Free days at state park begin Jan. 15

Visit state parks for free on Monday, Jan. 15 in honor of the holiday celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday. On this day, park visitors do not need a Discover Pass to park their vehicles.

Free days at state parks are in keeping with legislation that created the Discover Pass – a $30 annual or $10 one-day permit required on lands managed by Washington State Parks and the Washington departments of Natural Resources (DNR) and Fish & Wildlife (WDFW). The Discover Pass legislation provided that State Parks could designate as many as 12 free days each year when the pass would not be required for parking in state parks. The Discover Pass is still required for vehicle access to lands managed by WDFW and DNR on these days. Other upcoming free days are Monday, March 19 (State Parks’ 105th anniversary); Saturday, April 14 (springtime free day); Sunday, April 22 (Earth Day); Saturday, June 2 (National Trails Day); Saturday, June 9 (National Get Outdoors Day); Sunday, June 10 (Free Fishing Day); Saturday, Aug. 25 (National Park Service anniversary); Saturday, Sept. 29 (National Public Lands Day); Sunday, Nov. 11 (Veterans Day); and Friday, Nov. 23 (autumn free day).

Note that the free days do not apply to Sno-Parks. During the winter season, December-March, visitors to Sno-Parks are required to have Sno-Park permits, which are available for purchase online or from vendors throughout the state. For more information about winter recreation permit requirements, visit parks.state.wa.us/winter.

Listen to King’s words on MLK Day

Two community events are planned in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, on Monday, Jan. 15, with both taking place in downtown Port Townsend.

A community gathering is scheduled for noon at Haller Fountain. The event, “Let Us Gather at the Fountain: A Celebration of Dr. King’s Living Message,” is to feature readings from King’s letters and speeches, including his “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”

Music is to be performed by local singers. This community event, organized by clergy of the East Jefferson Ministerial Association, seeks to celebrate a great leader and to hear his call for our time, according to a press release.

The speeches of Martin Luther King Jr. are also to be played in the Cotton Building, 607 Water St. from 1 to 5 p.m. The building is open for anyone who wishes to come in and listen, for any length of time.

“Today, many people know that Dr. King was a civil rights leader and that he gave a well-known speech usually referred to as the ‘Dream’ speech, but he was much more than that,” said event organizers. “Dr. King promoted nonviolent resistance to injustice. His image has been softened by the years, and yet his speeches show that he was not one to back down from addressing the injustices around him and in our nation. He did not believe nonviolent resistance was passive, but that it was a tool to confront those who perpetrate violence and injustice in our society. Listening to his speeches gives insight into his heart and mind.”

Get the dirt on Mount Rainier wildflowers Jan. 16

Learn about the wildflowers of Mount Rainier National Park at a presentation beginning at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 16 at the PT Community Center, 620 Tyler St. The lecture is part of the Olympic Peninsula Chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society’s Botany Series.

Speaker Donovan Tracy is a wildflower enthusiast, photographer and hiker who volunteers with the University of Washington Herbarium and cowrote the wild flower guide “Alpine Flowers of Mt. Rainier.”

He recently assisted the Mount Rainier volunteer rangers, known as the “Meadow Rovers,” with training on subalpine meadow classification and alpine plant identification of Mount Rainier National Park. Tracy developed and maintains the Flowers of Rainier website (flowersofrainier.com), which features more than 250 species and 10 wildflower hikes.

Learn dangers of carbon monoxide Jan. 16

Carbon monoxide (CO) is the topic of the upcoming Point Wilson Sail and Power Squadron presentation, set for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 16 at the Port Townsend Yacht Club, 2503 Washington St.

Gail Chanpong, a hazardous materials expert, explains the dangers presented by carbon monoxide. Discussion topics include carbon monoxide alarms versus CO monitors and how to select a CO detector to fit marine environments.

The intention of the presentation is to stimulate discussion about prevention strategies related to hazardous chemicals commonly encountered in boating, according to a press release. Although Chanpong’s presentation is focused on boating, much of the information she presents is applicable to homes on land.

Free hike introduces families to outdoor education

The Northwest Discovery Lab is kicking off its Windward Adventure program with a free hike for families.

The hike introduces families to the many games, forms of play and exploration that an outdoor education provides.

Interested families are asked to meet at 2 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 17 at the Fort Worden Schoolhouse. The hike, led by Warren Shelley-Rose, sets off at 2:15 p.m. sharp. Attendees should bring hiking shoes and a water bottle.

The Windward Adventure program is an afterschool program offered by Port Townsend Adventure School 4-H and Windward School at Fort Worden, and the Northwest Discovery Lab.

For more information about tuition-based after-school programs, visit windwardadventure.com.

Health risks of belly fat discussed Jan. 18

The Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship hosts a presentation on belly fat with Elizabeth Walker, Ph.D., from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 18 at 2333 San Juan Ave.

According to Walker, belly fat can be the most dangerous kind of fat to have on your body, so waist circumference is a much better predictor of health problems (diabetes, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s, some cancers, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and other inflammatory conditions) than body weight is. Attendees learn why belly fat causes problems and what they can do to reduce both belly fat and the health risks it presents.

Walker is a state-certified nutritionist and wellness coach in Port Townsend.

‘Feel Good, Do Good’ yoga benefit continues

The monthly community yoga benefit “Feel Good, Do Good” is continuing this year after raising $3,600 in 2017.

Twelve nonprofit organizations participated in the inaugural year, and yoga teachers expect 2018 to be an even more successful year. “The idea is that people ‘feel good’ by doing yoga, and they ‘do good’ by donating to the various nonprofits,” said yoga teacher Kay Jensen, who came up with the idea to start the program, based on a Bainbridge Island program that has raised more than $20,000 in the past six years.

In addition to Jensen, last year’s yoga teachers included Tinker Cavallaro, Shayann Hoffer, Renee Klein, Aliina Lahti, Christine Schoper, Heather Sky, Karen Stillwell, Vanessa Wade, Terry Wagner and Debra Wolf, with classes held at Madrona MindBody Institute at Fort Worden.

The 2018 schedule has been set, with classes again taking place on the second Monday of each month, 5:30-6:30 p.m., at Madrona MindBody Institute. There is ample free parking around the building, and yoga mats and other props are provided. Classes are for all levels, including those who are new to yoga. For more information, visit feelgooddogood.org, email info@feelgooddogood.org or call Renee Klein at 206-920-0343.

Book-arts talk given Jan. 17

Letterpress printer and poetry publisher Myrna Keliher explains the process of creating broken broadsides at the winter meeting of the Northwind Book Arts Group, from 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 17 at the Northwind Arts Center, 701 Water Street, Port Townsend.

Keliher is an artist, designer, printer, publisher and proprietor of Expedition Press in Kingston, Washington. She publishes poetry books, broadsides and visual art with a typographic focus. For more information, email Ellie Mathews at bookarts@northwindarts.org or visit northwindarts.org/programs/northwind-book-arts-group.

Live raptor display takes wing Jan. 18

The Admiralty Audubon Society is hosting Cindy Daily of Discovery Bay Wild Bird Rescue in a presentation at 7 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 18 at the Port Townsend Community Center, 620 Tyler.

Daily plans to bring live birds of prey to educate the community about the birds’ natural history, and also about the role of wildlife rehabilitators.

All Admiralty Audubon programs are free and open to the public. Wildlife rehabilitation centers are dependent on donations for their operations, so contributions to support their efforts are most welcome. For more information, visit discoverybaywildbirdrescue.com.

Compiled by Leader Staff writer Katie Kowalski.