Dungeness River Nature Center

Maintenance and staffing of the interpretive center and park: The Center returned to normal operations in 2023 with an expanded main building and a new adjacent classroom for lectures and childrens programs. The facilities are part of the Railroad Bridge Park which features the historic Railroad Bridge that spans the Dungeness River. The Nature Center capital improvements along with the river watershed enhancements, an expanded parking lot, and a new entrance increased the attraction and interest for the offered exhibits and programs.In 2023, there were almost 334,000 crossings of the bridge at the Center. The Centers main building houses an exhibit room with interactive dioramas, videos, visual instruments, and taxidermy wildlife exhibits. These provide a hands-on education experience on the history, ecology, and inhabitants of the Dungeness watershed. The Center was host to over 33,000 walkthrough visitors in 2023.

Festivals: In association with the Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society, the River Center hosts an annual Bird Fest event. This 3 day event brings visitors to the Olympic Peninsula and, along with many from the local community, they attend and participate in lectures, bird watching cruises, tribal facility and totem pole tours, instructor-led hikes, etc. The festival had 445 registered participants for the various classes and cruises and all events were sold out. Additionally, the Center hosts an annual Dungeness River Festival that showcases area talent and expertise and how they each relate to the river stewardship.

Classes and education programs: Staff and volunteers conduct a wide variety of educational programs and presentations for members and guests ranging from weekly bird walks, art classes, photography presentations, and Tai Chi classes to lectures on cultural influences, diversity, and local flora and fauna.The Center hosted 140 different education programs attended by almost 5000 members and guests. The Center also hosted 81 different school education programs for almost 1600 students including school field trips to the Center and class visits. New for 2023 was a popular robotics class attended by 128 students.