Adventure briefs for May 8

Bears take on bear-proof canisters

Northwest Trek Wildlife Park will celebrate bears during Bear Camp Saturday and May 15. Visitors to the wildlife park will learn about the black bear siblings and grizzly bear who roam forested exhibits.

Because bears are part of the outdoors experience in the Northwest, there will be demonstrations of how to keep campsites safe for both bears and humans. Visitors can watch black bears interact with a mock campsite and find out whether “bear-proof” containers are a match for a bear, according to a park news release.

There also will be keeper chats, bear-themed crafts, activities and story time.

In addition, Karelian bear dogs from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife will be on hand for a demonstration.

All the activities are free with membership or admission to Northwest Trek.

For more information, go to nwtrek.org.

Celebrate Tacoma’s history during run

Registration is open for Tacoma’s second annual Amazing Preservation Race taking place Saturday as part of Historic Preservation Month.

The race will begin at 11 a.m. at the University of Washington Tacoma campus stairs (1900 Commerce St.). Participants will race across downtown Tacoma completing fun challenges as they learn about the city’s historic and cultural resources. One of the challenges includes entry into one of Tacoma’s most secret spaces.

Registration is $50 for a team of up to four people and includes T-shirts designed by ETC Tacoma. Every team also will get a mystery goodie bag, but only the top three teams will receive a grand prize.

You can register your team at tinyurl.com/jgzcp4v.

Be a citizen scientist during BioBlitz 2016

Olympic National Park is asking the public to become citizen scientists and participate in the National Park Service BioBlitz May 20-21.

The 24-hour bioblitz brings together scientists, students, families and community members to find and identify as many living species of organisms as possible.

This year, as part of the National Park Service’s centennial, more than 100 national parks across the country are joining the event. The free events will take place several locations in and around the park: the Olympic National Park Visitor Center and nearby Peabody Creek, the former Aldwell lakebed along the Elwha River and the Hoh Rain Forest.

Learn more, and register for those events requiring it, at nps.gov/olym/getinvolved/national-parks-bioblitz- pacific-nw-olympic.htm.

Special permit deadline nears

Hunters have until May 18 to apply for special hunting permits for fall deer, elk, mountain goat, moose, bighorn sheep, and turkey seasons in Washington state. A special permit qualifies hunters to hunt at times and places beyond those authorized by a general hunting license.

Winners will be selected through a random drawing conducted by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife in June. To apply for a special permit, hunters planning to hunt for deer or elk must purchase an application and hunting license for those species and submit the application with their preferred hunt choices.

Applications and licenses are available from license vendors statewide or at fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/wdfw/ special_permits.html. Applications must be submitted on the website or by calling 877-945-3492.

This story was originally published May 8, 2016 at 4:09 AM with the headline "Adventure briefs for May 8."