By Kelly Sanderbeck, Donor Engagement Manager
You’re ready, right? REALLY READY. And you’re not the only one. We’re ALL just itching to be in the parks this summer and fully experience their unique exquisiteness. So here, to whet your appetite, is a sneak-preview of some of the packages and parcels you can bid on at this year’s Auction for the Parks. If an in-person adventure is not your thing, you can still walk away with some beautiful art or gear to keep our parks close to your heart and ready for your next outing.
So, what are you waiting for? Read through some of the exciting packages below and then get registered so you can place your bids when bidding opens on April 19!
This course is the perfect excuse to sate your appetite for the beautiful outdoors while learning to climb. Put your bouldering to the test and get your hands onto some real rocks in this perfect family or friend outing. It’s also an ideal opportunity to learn all the necessary skills to pass a top-rope belay test. Take your next Saturday off and spend it with a Kaf instructor guide and climb real rocks, with ropes and harnesses. When you’re done, congratulate yourself for breaking through the barrier of entry into rock climbing!
Package to be scheduled by winning bidder and includes climbing shoes, helmet, harness and ability to take place within 2 hours of Seattle or Portland.
This selection of 20 unique Waterknot Letterpress greeting cards will have you set for an entire year’s worth of occasions. Have them on hand so you won’t have to stop by the store before that next live (NOT Zoom!) event!
Includes 12 birthday, 5 thank you, and 3 blank cards.
Back by popular demand, John Meyer will host an Adventure on the Olympic Coast that introduces you to the abundance of critters living in the shallow tidepools, as well as Martian-like creatures clinging to the rock walls. A marine biologist and all-around ocean enthusiast, John is a WNPF Board member, Director of Science Communication at UW’s College of the Environment, and co-author of a forthcoming book about ocean life. He’ll also share some of his amazing underwater photography — tube feet, swaying tentacles, plates of armor, endless colors…amazing!
Meet early at Second Beach trailhead near La Push. Take a short hike through the forest and down to the beach. Explore for hours, until the rising tide covers it all up again.
“So eye-opening and engaging and fun! We would never have known about the ocean acidification work at Sokol Point without a guide. My friends are still talking about our fantastic beach day. Thank you, WNPF, for making this opportunity available. Definitely the high point of 2020!” These were the sentiments of last year’s winner, after spending a few hours on the Olympic Coast with John. When the tide is out, the epic show begins. Which of these “rocks” is actually alive? What critter lives its life standing on its head? Who carries a “drill” to bore through mussel shells for a tasty snack? He’ll show you all these things and more in person, up close and personal.
Local artist Mike Klay produces incredible prints featuring the parks and the outdoors in general. A graphic designer, musician and an outdoorsman, Mike’s collection of manually screen-printed posters and merchandise evokes the beauty of nature and energy of music. “Afterall, the Pacific Northwest is a perfect place to take advantage of the great outdoors!” This year he has contributed several prints, including “Go Forth,” “Opening Day” and “North Cascades.”
This music-lover’s paradise on Alki is filled with records galore for listening, signed posters, a gold record and much more. Built in 1907 and recently updated, this cottage is one of the original West Seattle beach houses, detailed with memorabilia that celebrates Seattle’s legendary music scene. Enjoy Puget Sound and Olympic Mountain views from your front porch and throughout the house, launch paddle boards or kayaks directly across the street, and find the extensive walking and bike path along the beach here as well. When you’re ready to go sightseeing or take-in a game, hop on the water taxi for a scenic ride across Elliott Bay to Seattle’s waterfront and downtown!
3 Bedrooms, 1 bath and sleeps up to 8 guests.
Join Chef Corso of MONTyBOCA for this fun and tasty session, as he leads you through some backcountry cooking basics in this cook-along virtual workshop. Chef Corso was classically in Italy and California, but he’s chosen to take his knife to a mountain ridge rather than a fancy fine dining restaurant. He’s passionate about eating well and sharing, and he needs your help to change the way we experience the outdoors. You’ll learn equipment basics, how to pack a recipe, best ingredients to pack, 3 elevated outdoor recipes that you will cook during the workshop, and how to clean your pot and pack it out.
This workshop is for 8 of your favorite trail buddies.
Interested in exploring climbing and perhaps join a Climb for a Cause someday? Our region’s majestic skyline peaks require a special set of skills to ensure safety. This course teaches students how to ascend snow covered routes that do not pass through crevassed terrain or require technical roped climbing. You’ll learn how to use alpine climbing boots, crampons and an ice axe to ascend alpine slopes up to 35 degrees.
Set to take place on Sunday, May 16.
This is a unique experience that will leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated every time! Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a treatment done in a chamber where the air pressure is raised to 4.2psi or 1.3 ATA higher than normal air pressure with an oxygen mask flowing 95% oxygen. In this environment, your lungs can breathe in up to three times more oxygen than what would be possible breathing pure oxygen at normal air pressure. Your blood then carries the oxygen to your body’s tissue, stimulating stem cells and growth factors, which are the building blocks of the natural healing process. Hyperbaric therapy is prescribed by specialists in vascular medicine, radiology, re-constructive surgery, oncology and other specialties to treat a growing number of medical conditions.