Groups sets dates for Mount Rainier work parties

Groups sets dates for Rainier work parties

Mount Rainier National Park Associates has announced it will hold six volunteer work parties at the park on Saturdays during 2017.

Four of the projects will be doing trail maintenance work and on two Saturdays volunteers will assist a park crew with "resource management.” The locations will be determined by park staff about two weeks before the work party.

Here is the schedule:

April 29: Trail maintenance.

May 20: Trail maintenance.

June 17: Trail maintenance.

July 15: Help remove exotic plants.

Aug. 19: Trail maintenance during the day, followed by a potluck dinner, and an overnight camp for the volunteers who have worked that day

Sept. 9: Planting of wildflower seedlings to reestablish alpine meadows.

For more information, send an email to volunteer coordinator John Titland at volunteer@mrnpa.org.

Film tour stop will benefit coastal cutthroat

For the eighth year, the Gig Harbor will host the Fly Fishing Film Tour. Tickets are on sale for this year’s event, set to take place March 2.

The films follow fly anglers around the world as they pursue different species in fresh and saltwater locales. Some of the locations in this year’s films include Siberia, Idaho, Mexico, Florida, Kamchatka, Alaska and Montana.

The shop also uses the event as a fundraiser. This year, proceeds will benefit the Coastal Cutthroat Coalition. That group is working to improve the science and management of wild coastal cutthroat trout.

The evening will begin at 6 p.m. with live music, beer and a silent auction. The films will be shown beginning at 7 p.m.

Tickets are available for $15 at the shop, 3115 Harborview Dr., Gig Harbor, or $18 online at the shop’s website, gigharborflyshop.com.

Stewardship training offered in February

If you are interested in creating areas for wildlife or want to help keep parts of Pierce County wild, consider becoming a Habitat Steward.

The National Wildlife Federation and Tahoma Audubon Society are offering a training program to teach participants how to help others create and restore wildlife habitat in backyards, schoolyards and other community areas.

The training will take place 6-9 p.m. every Wednesday in February at the Adriana Hess Audubon Center, 2917 Morrison Road W., University Place. The workshop includes field trips on Feb. 4 and 18. The first trip is in partnership with Nature Trek Wildlife Park and will include hands-on NatureMapping of the Ohop Creek. The second is in partnership with Tahoma Audubon Society and will be at Morse Preserve to learn all about bird identification and conservation.

The cost is $30 to cover classroom materials. Scholarships are available, and no one will be turned down due to lack of funds. Coffee, tea and snacks will be provided at each training session.

To register, go to nwfpierce.brownpapertickets.com or contact Sarah Bruemmer at WAHabitatCoordinator@nwf.org or 206-577-7809.

This story was originally published January 21, 2017 at 4:59 AM with the headline "Groups sets dates for Mount Rainier work parties."