2014 NPS Program Guide

Time to take a deep breath, grab your calendar and a pencil, roll up your sleeves and get to work – we’ve got a lot to cover here. (or if you really wanted, you could just download the PDF from the link at the bottom…)

American Camp Parade Ground – Click for larger image – NPS photo

Weekly Programs

Weekly programs scheduled below also are available on request. For more information, call 360-378-2240, ext. 2233, or go to www.nps.gov/sajh and click “contact” in left-hand column of our home page. You can also find us on Facebook.

Pig War Story Guided Walk — Park rangers and volunteers describe events leading up to and including the Pig War and the peaceful joint occupation of San Juan Island by English and American troops. Saturdays, 11 a.m. to noon, June 7 to August 30, American Camp.

Captain Delacombe’s English Camp Guided Walk – Join NPS Volunteer Paul Kitchen for this guided walk and learn how the Royal Marines lived during the 12-year joint occupation. Saturdays, 11a.m. to 12:30 p.m., June 7 to August 30, meets in the English Camp parking area.

Wildlife in the San Juan Islands — Puzzled by an animal or bird? Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center Education Coordinator Shona Aitken answers questions and uses a variety of media to talk about wildlife in the San Juan Islands. 1 to 3 p.m., Thursdays, June 5 to August 28, English Camp barracks.

Living History: Life during the Joint Military Occupation on San Juan Island — Park rangers and volunteers recreate military and civilian life during the island’s early pioneer period. Activities include blacksmithing, coopering, weaving, needlework and exhibitions of military equipment and skills. Saturdays, noon to 3 p.m., June 7 to August 30, English Camp parade ground.

Field Work with Rangers: Prairie Restoration — The prairie at American Camp is one of the last natural prairies in the region. Join Park Rangers as they gather native plant seeds, cultivate them in tubes or plant the seedlings in designated plots. In the process you’ll learn about the prairie’s past and discover how you can play a role in its future. Saturdays, 10 a.m. to noon, June 14, July 12, August 16, meets at American Camp visitor center.

Birding in the Park — The forests, prairies and lagoons of American Camp attract a variety of birds throughout the summer, and offer a prime birding and hiking experience. Join park staff in enjoying this wonderful island resource. Fridays, 8 to 10 a.m., June 6 to August 29, meets at American Camp visitor center; or by appointment. Call 360-378-2240, ext. 2228 for details.

A Walk to the Salmon Bank — Accompany a park ranger or volunteer on this cross-prairie journey to the historic Salmon Bank at South Beach, where springs attracted Indians and Europeans alike. This activity can be strenuous. Thursdays, 2 to 3:30 p.m., June 5 to August 28, American Camp parking area, or by request. Call 360-378-2240, ext. 2233.

Contra Dancing at English Camp — Folk singer Michael Cohen and local folk musicians present an evening of traditional folk tunes and dancing for those wishing a turn on the floor. Cohen plays regularly at the San Juan Farmer’s Market. He has worked with the Smithsonian in cataloging American folk music. Mondays, 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., June 9 to August 18, English Camp barracks.

Young Hill/Royal Marine Cemetery Guided Hike — Serious hikers will enjoy this two-hour journey, led by Park Historian Mike Vouri up the south slope of 650-foot Young Hill, where the summit offers views of the northern straits, Vancouver Island, and the Olympic Mountains. The hike can also divert to 410-foot Mitchell Hill. See the Royal Marine Cemetery and the Garry oak woodland. Sundays from 2 to 4 p.m., June 8 to August 31, meets at the north end of the English Camp parking area.

Frazer Homestead Walk — Many of today’s island families are descended from U.S. Army soldiers. Join Park Historian Mike Vouri and learn more about how American Camp’s “frontiersmen in blue” played a key role in pioneering Euro-American settlement on San Juan Island. Vouri also will discuss how agricultural operations changed the character of island landscapes, at American Camp. Wednesdays, 2 to 4 p.m., June 11 to August 27, meets at the American Camp visitor center.

Special Programs:

Ancient Visitors: Tracing the Pre-history of San Juan Island Through Archaeology — University of Washington archaeologist, Dr. Julie Stein, traces ancient habitation of San Juan Island in this popular annual guided trek on the American Camp prairie. 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, June 7, South Beach. Meets at Alaska Packer’s Rock at the end of the Salmon Banks Road. Park in the main parking area.

The Birds of American Camp — Come join San Juan Island bird expert and former national park ranger Barbara Jensen for a colorful 90-minute walk through American Camp’s prairies. 7:30 to 10:30 a.m., Sunday, June 8, American Camp visitor center.

The Climate Action Imperative: Understanding Impacts & Making Choices — Join Dr. Richard Hebda, botanist at the University of Victroia’s School of Earth and Ocean Sciences and curator of Botnay and Earth History at the Royal British Columbia Museum, in the this kick-off presentation of the 2014 Climate Change symposium scheduled through September. 7 p.m., Wednesday, June 18 at the Friday Harbor Brickworks.

August 1914: The Year Diplomacy Failed — On the morning of June 28, 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary was assassinated with his wife in Sarajevo, Bosnia, triggering World War I, a catastrophe that killed 15 million people and destroyed three empires. Learn how diplomacy failed that summer in this presentation by park historian Mike Vouri. 7 p.m., Saturday, June 21, San Juan Island Library.

Life and Times of General George Pickett — Mike Vouri and Michael Cohen join with the San Juan Community Theatre in presenting two evenings of drama and song as George Pickett comes back to life to talk about his days on the frontier and Civil War battlefields. Scheduled Friday July 11 and Thursday, August 21. All shows 7:30 p.m., San Juan Community Theatre. Tickets $15, $8 Student and $5 Student Rush. Call the theater at 360-378-3210 or visit their website at http://sjctheatre.org.

Landscape Painting Workshops — Join San Juan Island artist Nancy Spaulding to learn how she utilizes photography and sketching on site to create many of her landscapes of American Camp features and vistas. The July program will cover photography and sketching subjects on site; in August participants will bring their projects from the first session. 2 p.m., Saturdays, July 12 and August 16, meets at the American Camp visitor center.

Pig War to Prairies: Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve — Ebey’s Landing interpreter Lynn Hyde offers a history of Whidbey Island’s connections to San Juan Island history and natural history . She also will discuss efforts to preserve the Granville O. Haller house in Coupeville. Haller was one of the U.S. Army officers directly involved in the Pig War crisis. 7 p.m., Friday, July 18, San Juan Island Library.

Northwest Pioneer Folkways Demonstrations — Author and educator Janet Oakley will set up at Encampment for demonstrations of pioneer folkways from butter churning to Dutch oven baking and other tasks. Noon to 3 p.m., Saturday, July 26, English Camp parade ground.

Encampment 2014 — Park staff, volunteers and re-enactors from throughout the Pacific Northwest and Canada recreate life on San Juan Island at mid-19th century. The Candlelight Ball is scheduled 8 to 10 p.m. on Saturday. Karen Haas will present “I Am Always on the Women’s Side – Civil War Vignettes” at 7 p.m., Friday, July 25 in the English Camp barracks. All day, Saturday and Sunday, July 26-27, English Camp parade ground.

Storytelling with Karen Haas— Join Washington State’s beloved storyteller Karen Haas for an entertaining evening of pioneer lore as told by the people who lived it. Highlight of the evening will be her rendition of Thea Foss, on whom the “Tugboat Annie” stories are loosely based. 8:15 p.m., Thursday, July 31, San Juan Island Library.

A Weaving Weekend — Weavers from throughout San Juan Island and Washington State will gather for the weekend to demonstrate how European and American Indian and First Nations techniques melded to create woven objects and clothing unique to the Pacific Northwest. All day, Saturday and Sunday, August 2-3, English Camp parade ground.

The Victorian Internet: The Coming of Telegraphy on San Juan Island — Time and distance had a profound effect on events as they unfolded during the Pig War crisis of 1859. Learn when the telegraph arrived here and how it affected communications on San Juan Island in this presentation by Park Ranger Doug Halsey. 7 p.m., Wednesday, August 6, San Juan Island Library.

Mapping the San Juan Islands — Join Boyd Pratt, Doug McCutcheon and Mike Vouri in this evening of viewing 1890s images of the San Juan islands by the U.S. Coast Survey’s John Gilbert, contrasted with photographs taken from the same perspective today. 7 p.m., Saturday, August 30, San Juan Island Library.

All programs are free and open to the public, except where noted. Programs are subject to change without prior notice. For updates on additional programs and accessibility information, call San Juan Island National Historical Park at (360) 378-2240, ext. 2233; or visit our web site at www.nps.gov/sajh or find us under “campickett” on Facebook.

Download this entire schedule as a PDF.

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