Classes urge families to go outside, state approves hunting seasons, Larrabee State Parks celebration

Classes will help families get outdoors

The Olympia Mountaineers and the Hands On Children's Museum are teaming up on a program to encourage families to get outdoors.

Getting Started Going Outdoors will be held 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday. It is the start of a three-part class that features tips on where to go, the 10 essentials for families, and clothing that works.

The classes are for children ages 4-14 accompanied by an adult.

Each class is $15 per family for Hands On or Mountaineers members, or $25 for non-members.

To register, call the museum at 360-956-0818.

The classes will be held at the Children's Museum, 414 Jefferson St. NE, Olympia.

For information, go to hocm.org/special-guests-activities.

State OKs hunting seasons, rules

Washington’s hunters will find seasons and rules recently adopted by the state to be similar to the past two years.

The state Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted 2017-18 hunting season rules when it met April 14.

The most significant rule changes will reduce hunter harvest of deer and elk in several areas, mainly in eastern Washington. Harsh winter conditions in those areas took a toll on wildlife populations.

Among the changes is a reduction in modern firearm special permits for antlerless elk in the Yakima, Colockum and Mount St. Helens herds, and a reduction in antlerless special permit opportunity for mule deer in Chelan and Okanogan counties.

A growing abundance of white-fronted geese and white geese will allow an increase in the daily limit.

The 2017-18 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Regulations pamphlet with rule details will be available at wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/regulations and at Department of Fish and Wildlife offices and hunting license vendors across the state later this month.

The migratory waterfowl and upland game pamphlet will be available later this spring.

Larrabee celebrates first park status

A special dedication event will be held Friday to celebrate Larrabee State Park’s status as Washington’s first state park.

The event begins at 10 a.m. at the south day-use parking lot and amphitheater/band shell area. The park is at 245 Chuckanut Drive, Bellingham.

Larrabee became Washington’s first state park on Nov. 22, 1915. The original 20 acres were donated to the park system by Frances P. Larrabee, in accordance with her late husband Charles X. Larrabee’s vision.

The dedication will highlight the history of the park and its significance. In addition to a ribbon-cutting, there will be the unveiling of a new monument, located near the south day-use area. The sandstone monument was hand-carved by Keith Philips, a stone cutter from Tenino.

After the ceremony, the park will provide refreshments at the south day-use shelter.

For information, see parks.state.wa.us/536/Larrabee.

This story was originally published April 23, 2017 at 7:16 AM with the headline "Classes urge families to go outside, state approves hunting seasons, Larrabee State Parks celebration."