Sense of Place Series: Welcome to Olympic National Park!
What is Sense of Place? All NatureBridge programs are structured so students develop a Sense of Place. Students connect with the place where their NatureBridge experience occurs and the people with whom they are sharing the experience. This creates a safe and comfortable environment that is conducive to learning and makes the experience relevant to students.
Welcome to… Olympic National Park
From the shores of the coast, through old-growth forests to alpine peaks, Olympic National Park (ONP) in Washington state presents students with the unique opportunity to investigate and understand complex ecosystems in an example of a temperate rainforest. Students learn about impacts of altitude on forest systems, environmental restoration and watershed health.
The Human Story
Olympic National Park is on the ancestral and present day homelands of the Lower Elwha Klallam, Jamestown S'Klallam, Makah, Quinault, Quileute, Skokomish, Hoh and the Queets tribes. They are the original caretakers of this land and have lived here for over 8,000 years!
Fast Facts
- 922,650 Acres
- 73 miles of Pacific Coastline
- 7,979 feet to the highest point in the park (Mt Olympus)
- 624 feet to the bottom of Lake Crescent
- 95% of the park is designated wilderness
- Location of the world’s largest dam removal
A (very brief) Timeline of ONP
- 1909 - Established as a National Monument by President Theodore Roosevelt (Mount Olympus National Monument)
- 1914 - Rosemary Inn construction completed
- 1938 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt re-designated the monument a national park
- 1968 - Lower Elwha Klallam Reservation is established
- 1987 - Olympic Park Institute Founded - First NatureBridge location outside of California
- 1988- First students attend overnight program in Olympic National Park
- 1992 - The Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries Restoration Act, or The Elwha Act, was enacted
- 2014 - Elwha River dams removed
NatureBridge Campus and Programs:
NatureBridge’s Olympic campus is located on the shores of the glacially carved Lake Crescent on Barnes Point, surrounded by beautiful forest.
On Barnes Point you can see many different trees and plants including Bigleaf maple, Douglas fir and Oregon grape. Barnes Point is also home to a lot of wildlife including black-tailed deer, Douglas squirrel and bald eagles.
Lake Crescent was formed by glaciers and a landslide. The lake is oligotrophic, meaning it has low levels of plant nutrients and abundant oxygen in deeper parts of the lake. This lake supports very little biodiversity, but it's super clear. Some animal species, like the Beardslee and Crescenti trout, are endemic to Lake Crescent - these trout live nowhere else on Earth!
Go Deeper
NatureBridge developed an entire virtual lesson on Sense of Place in Olympic National Park! Follow in the footsteps of students who have learned with us on this Guided Exploration, put together by NatureBridge educators. Please note Prezi does not work on cell phones or tablets.
Stories
2024 Student of the Year: Kai Diaz
At NatureBridge, we celebrate the stewards of today and foster the development of the stewards of tomorrow, working to inspire environmental stewardship in all our participants. Our goal is to motivate our students to make waves and be changemakers in their communities and for our planet.
Each year, NatureBridge honors a student who has demonstrated leadership, growth and a commitment to protecting our natural world as a result of their participation in a NatureBridge program. This year’s honoree will be recognized and will speak at An Evening Outside with NatureBridge on Thursday, May 16 at our Golden Gate campus.
We are thrilled to announce our 2024 Student of the Year: Kai Diaz.
An Interview with Evening Outside Keynote Speaker Dr. Britt Wray
The minute we found out about the work of Dr. Britt Wray, we knew we wanted to learn more about her. A well-respected author and scientist, Dr. Wray possesses expertise in an area of research we talk about a lot at NatureBridge—specifically how we can be resilient, hopeful, and actionable amid a changing world, including the climate crisis. We’re thrilled that Dr. Wray will be joining us on May 16 for An Evening Outside with NatureBridge as our Featured Speaker. Ahead of the event, we had the chance to ask her a few questions relating to her work and her connection to the mission of NatureBridge.
Staff Spotlight: Appreciation for Miho Aida
Miho Aida (she/they) has held multiple roles at NatureBridge over the past twenty-four years, including Environmental Science Educator, Community Connection Coordinator, Field Staff Scientist, Marine Project Coordinator, Pacific Rim Environmental Education Specialist, Armstrong Scholars Educator, Diversity Coordinator, Equity and Inclusion Manager, and Director of Equity and Inclusion. Now, on the eve of Miho's departure, we asked them to reflect on their time at NatureBridge and share a bit about their upcoming adventures.