Walks & Talks – Snakes & Lizards in Moran State Park

August 31, 2019 @ 10:00 am 11:00 am

Reptiles play an important role in the environment – including Moran State Park! Join ecologist Christian Oldham (Kwiaht – Center for the Historical Ecology of the Salish Sea) for a program focused on native snakes and what makes reptiles important. Live animals, including snakes, will be present and available for hands-on interaction! A short walk, appropriate footwear recommended. Great for all ages.

Free

Cascade Lake Shelter

Moran State Park

Walks & Talks – Bats!

August 24, 2019 @ 8:30 pm 9:30 pm

Join bat researchers as they use special microphones and software to eavesdrop on bats as they emerge after sunset to find their breakfast! Learn about the eight species of bats in the park, their habits and how they help us manage pesky insects in the islands from mosquitoes and midges to the moths and beetles that kill trees and wreck orchards. Family Friendly, younger children should be accompanied by an adult. 

Free

Mountain Lake Ranger Residence at the Bulletin Board

Moran State Park

Walks & Talks – Geology of Moran State Park

August 10, 2019 @ 9:00 am 10:00 am

Geology is cool! Come learn about some of the coolest geology in Washington State, right here in the San Juan Islands. Come learn about why Mt Constitution is so tall, what it’s made of and how we know that Orcas Island was almost buried in ice 16,000 years ago! Julia Turney is a geologist and lives on Orcas Island. This talk is geared toward ages 16 and older but some hands-on elements may appeal to younger visitors.

Free

Entrance of the Stone Tower at the top of Mount Constitution

Moran State Park

Story Telling – Early Settlers in Moran State Park & The Angel of Mount Constitution

July 27, 2019 @ 7:00 pm 8:00 pm

Antoinette Botsford has traveled throughout the world collecting and telling stories. For the last several years her focus has been the true stories of families living here on Orcas. She was awarded “Historian of the Year” by the Orcas Island Historical Museum with particular reference to her work in adapting oral histories into “Spooky Tales”–a summer program that draws together places and past events that rarely get into tourist literature. Her present research focuses on the old homesteads on the land that became Moran Park, as well as the park’s earliest known (and ongoing) inhabitant, the “Angel of Mount Constitution”. Good family entertainment. 

Free

Cascade Lake Shelter

Moran State Park

Walks & Talks – The Unique Flora of Mount Constitution

July 21, 2019 @ 10:00 am 11:00 am

A presentation on the plants found on Mount Constitution that are rare or absent from the rest of the San Juans and a bit about what makes the habitats in Moran State Park suitable for these unique plants. Madrona Murphy, botanist for the conservation research cooperative Kwiaht, has been documenting the plant diversity in the San Juan Islands since her childhood on Lopez Island. Great for all ages.

Free

Cascade Lake Shelter

Moran State Park

Story Telling – Early Settlers in Moran State Park & The Angel of Mount Constitution

July 20, 2019 @ 7:00 pm 8:00 pm

Antoinette Botsford has traveled throughout the world collecting and telling stories. For the last several years her focus has been the true stories of families living here on Orcas. She was awarded “Historian of the Year” by the Orcas Island Historical Museum with particular reference to her work in adapting oral histories into “Spooky Tales”–a summer program that draws together places and past events that rarely get into tourist literature. Her present research focuses on the old homesteads on the land that became Moran Park, as well as the park’s earliest known (and ongoing) inhabitant, the “Angel of Mount Constitution”. For Families. Children under 10 should be accompanied by an adult. 

Free

Cascade Lake Shelter

Moran State Park