Adventure briefs: Youth can hunt pheasants at JBLM

Youths hunt for pheasant at JBLM

Youths will have the chance to hunt pheasants Saturday and Sept. 18 thanks to the efforts of volunteers from Western Washington Pheasant Releasers and members of Pheasants Forever Chapter 257.

The annual hunt will begin at 7:30 a.m. both days at Joint Base Lewis-McChord on Training Area 12 near Chambers Lake. It is open to all registered hunters under 16 years of age.

Volunteers from the two groups will provide trained hunting dogs, if needed, to hunt with the kids who participate.

A free lunch also will be provided both days to all participants and family members.

All hunters need a valid state hunting license and upland game permit. In addition to the state’s requirements, all hunters must be registered with the JBLM hunter-registration program run by the Northwest Adventure Center.

For more information, contact Bill Ostrander at 253-847-3979 or The Northwest Adventure Center at 253-967-8260.

New birding event at Point Defiance

People taking part in the new “Coffee with the Birds” will learn what to look and listen for on a morning bird walk in Point Defiance Park.

Park ranger Mary Krauszer will lead the walk, an introductory bird-watching event, starting at 9 a.m. Saturday. Family groups are welcome.

Birders can warm up with free coffee or hot chocolate — bring your own mug — as they meet at the park’s Rhododendron Garden Pavilion for the hourlong event.

Krauszer said she hopes this will be the first of a series of bird walks to help visitors get to know more about the park’s avian inhabitants.

If you have binoculars or a spotting scope, bring them, but it’s not necessary to take part. Novices are welcome. A representative of the Tahoma Audubon Society will be there with binoculars that can be borrowed for the duration of the walk.

If you plan to attend the free event, register at metroparkstacoma.org.

Annual festival at Lake Sylvia

The seventh annual Fall Festival at Lake Sylvia State Park near Montesano will be held Saturday.

Hosted by Lake Sylvia State Park and the Friends of Schafer and Lake Sylvia, the festival will runs 7 a.m.-4 p.m. at the park, 1812 N. Lake Sylvia Road, Montesano.

The event begins with a pancake breakfast and continues with live music hosted by Ken and Christina Albert, food vendors and an art fair, according to a Washington State Parks news release. Additional activities include guided mountain bike rides, kayak tours, ranger and history talks, kids’ games and camp cooking demonstrations by the Boy Scouts. Also taking place are a half-marathon and 10k and 5k trail runs.

Free shuttle service will run all day between Simpson Elementary School, 519 Simpson Ave. W., Montesano and the park. A Discover Pass is required for parking at the lake.

For more details about the event, go to parks.state.wa.us/534/Lake-Sylvia.

This story was originally published September 11, 2016 at 12:34 AM with the headline "Adventure briefs: Youth can hunt pheasants at JBLM."