By: Chelsea Behymer, Educator, Naturalist, and Sea Kayak Guide

On February 9, 2022, educator, naturalist, and sea kayak guide, Chelsea Behymer, joined WNPF on a virtual field trip to Olympic National Park. We were introduced to the complex landscapes of the park all from the perspective of the vast network of waters that simultaneously transect and unite this dynamic terrain.

 

Check out the recording and then continue your learning with this supplemental material provided by Chelsea.

 

Explore the Park through the Water

… a veritable island of rivers.

Renowned local author and naturalist, Tim McNulty, describes the Olympic Peninsula as, “ … a veritable island of rivers.” This metaphor comes to life when looking at this interactive River Runner map of the region, where the journey of a single raindrop can be traced along the immense watersheds that each drain from the highest peaks of Olympic National Park in every cardinal direction to the sea. 

Paddling or floating on any of the Olympic Peninsula’s waterways that make up this vast network, which simultaneously transects and connects the landscape, visitors and residents alike can explore a unique perspective of the dynamic natural history that has and continues to shape it.

 

Learn from the Landscape

The rivers of the Northwest corner of Washington state have always connected people, plants, animals, and habitats. The incredible journeys of Pacific salmonids that sustain the entire ecosystem depend on these networks of water. There have been interims of disconnect, where for example, dams impeded the reciprocal flow of resources.

But realizing this fundamental common value of these fluid associations has inspired actions to allow rivers and adjoining communities to reclaim their former relationships. This is embodied in the ongoing story of the Elwha River, which has been documented by many.

For additional resources, check out: 

• Undamming the Elwha – a free documentary showing the journey of the Elwha River’s damming and eventual return to become a free-flowing river.
• The Memory of Fish – a documentary following a fisherman working to free a river that houses the fish he’s been observing for a lifetime.
• Recent research on Elwha salmonids and how populations have preserved genetic memory of ancestral spawning grounds.
• Wild Olympics – Updates and information on the status of the Wild Olympics campaign (supporting wild & scenic designation for OP rivers), as mentioned in the Virtual Field Trip.

Whether we physically take up the opportunity to explore an Olympic river, lake, or shoreline in a kayak, paddleboard, or other watercraft, seeking a new perspective is one of the most important ways to cultivate or renew a sense of place, as well as to acknowledge what we can learn from the landscape itself. 

Cover photo: kayakers on Lake Crescent by Chelsea Behymer