For immediate release, week of Sept. 27, 2020

River Center closed through Sept. 2021. River Center parking lots close as construction begins. Trail and Railroad Bridge Park open

Photo attached, caption: Construction begins as pavers are removed from River Center parking lot, photo courtesy Dungeness River Audubon Center.

News photographers pick up a hard hat and safety vest at construction shack west of building.

For more information contact Powell Jones 360-477-7589

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Construction of the $4.5-million expansion and remodel of the River Center, new entrance road and parking lot began last week as surveyors arrived to bring the scope of the project into view and crews began clearing the site.The River Center is closed through Sept. 2021, for both construction and safety during the pandemic, but programming continues online.

New road construction through the Tribe’s adjacent-4.59-acre field will accommodate the weight and traffic of load-bearing trucks to the building site. Silt fences have been installed along the entire perimeter of the project to protect neighboring properties and the Dungeness River from run-off before excavation begins in earnest. The project, with numerous subcontractors hired from the local area, is being overseen by the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe.

Any large trees removed from the construction site will be reused in restoration projects in and around Railroad Bridge Park.

Park, Olympic Discovery Trail and lower parking lot are open

Railroad Bridge Park, the lower parking lot and Olympic Discovery Trail remain open with closures as needed. The trail will be rerouted near the construction site to accommodate the new building and expanded infrastructure. Access to the railroad bridge crossing the Dungeness River is open.

Access and parking from Hendrickson Road and through the field is permanently closed during construction. The upper parking lot, adjacent to the Dungeness River Audubon Center, with one handicapped parking space, is also permanently closed. Pavers from that lot have been removed and will be stored for future use.

Public restrooms are closed, but portable toilets have been installed. Fresh water has been shut off.

Updated information will be posted on bulletin boards at the park, on the Center’s Facebook page, website and emailed directly to all members and donors of the River Center.

“Closure of the River Center couldn’t have been more fortuitous,” said River Center director, Powell Jones. “Because of the pandemic we had to close the building, and staff is working from home. We’ve adapted to on-line programming. And public access to the building would have been closed off by construction for the next year anyway. We also needed to pack up over 1,000 specimens, the library, gift shop and office into storage during construction.”

If you wish to receive immediate email notices of closures, you can join the River Center for $35. Memberships include natural history lectures throughout the year via Zoom and discounts on selected purchases through the Center’s online bookstore. Contact [email protected] to sign up.

Educational programming continues with hour-long lectures each week team-taught by River Center director Powell Jones, educational coordinator Jenna Ziogas and invited guest lecturers. Members also receive an email each week about the flora and fauna living in the Dungeness watershed.  Past topics have included slugs and snails, spittlebugs, silverbells, fir and cedar cones, mosses, bull elk bugling, owls, osprey, woodpeckers, frogs, and even a recipe for pesto made with stinging nettles.

The 5,900 square-foot River Center expansion will include an atrium, spacious meeting room, offices, classroom, commercial kitchen, gift shop, a concession area and storage. The remodel of the existing building will include dedicated interpretive and education space,                            the Center’s specimen collection, wildlife observation room and reference library, and a children’s discovery area. A new, paved and landscaped parking lot, with water run-off gardens with entryway to the atrium will be built on the east side of the new building.

Programming in the new building will include interpreting the natural world through lectures, lessons, and presentations as well as nature-related music, art, film and other special events. The public may also rent use of rooms and atrium for private weddings, parties and other gatherings.

Fundraising is ongoing to mitigate rising construction costs due to the pandemic. To donate, and for construction updates throughout the year, see https://dungenessrivernaturecenter.org/our_story/building-expansion