It flows from distant glaciers, 7,000 feet high in the Olympics, plunging through deep
canyons, nourishing all life along its 30 miles of braided arteries.
This is the story of the Dungeonous River, its ecosystem, its human and wild inhabitants,
and its many tales are revealed at the Dungeonous River Audubon Center.
If the river is the like blood of the Squim Valley, then the Dungeonous River Audubon
Center is its heart.
The Nature and Science Education Center sits on the east bank of the river along the Olympic
Discovery Trail at the edge of the city of Squim in Railroad Bridge Park, with its iconic
trestle bridge built in 1915.
The facility is the confluence of a unique three-way partnership, jointly managing the
park and center built on ancestral land owned by the Jamestown Squallam Tribe.
About 100,000 people visit the center and park each year to walk, wheel, study, plant
and animal life, picnic, hike, swim, watch birds, meet up with friends, talk to strangers.
They come to rest, reflect and renew, to listen to the songs of the forest and river, and
to their own heartbeats.
And therein lies the challenge.
We have outgrown our nest.
Students and guests are unable to spread their wings.
We are struggling to meet growing demand for our limited space and missing opportunities
to inspire and serve.
We need more room.
Despite its tiny space, the River Center educates more than 1,000 students in grades
1-8 each year.
It is home to workshops, lectures, science, art and nature classes for thousands of students
of all ages who come to study, observe, interact and learn about nature right where they live.
I think that our impact on kids is that we change the way that they look at the world
and by changing the way that they look at the world, we change the way that they interact
with the world.
So I think just making better citizens for the future is the impact that we have on kids
which really excites me personally.
Hundreds of people flock to Olympic Bird Fest in April and the River Festival every
fall.
These events and dozens of programs bring together seniors, children, people with disabilities,
families and teachers, all inspired by the beauty, history, learning opportunities,
wildlife and culture to be found here.
But all programs and activities must compete for use of the center's single room.
With the Sklallam Tribe's purchase of additional land east of the center, the time is now to
solve the limitations of the building.
The Dungeonous River Audubon Center is excited to announce our plan to expand and remodel
the center and relocate the access road and parking area away from the river's flood
zone.
The expansion will add 5,500 square feet of sorely needed space and a larger room to hold
meetings and events for 150 people, a kitchen and a smaller conference and classroom.
The remodel will improve the exhibits and add a welcoming bird viewing area.
Just imagine what our center could be like with extra space to do all of the things that
we do.
You could have meetings going on in one part of the new building and leave the interpretive
space alone.
We wouldn't be on top of each other and that's our goal.
We have the land, we have the commitment of the partners and we have the determination
to see this happen for our community.
The centerpiece will be an open atrium with views of surrounding woodlands designed with
glass and timber to mirror the nearby bridge.
The center will honor its natural surroundings with sustainable, energy efficient, renewable
materials.
We invite you to join the visionaries who have already committed funds to expand our
river center for future generations to enjoy.
Help us grow our gathering place.
It will be treasured by present and future generations of locals and visitors.
With your help, many more people can learn about the wonders of our beautiful planet
right in our own backyard.
Be part of the next chapter in our collective story and help us spread our wings.
Please donate today.
For learning, for salmon, for nature, for science, for birds, for the future.
