News Release 12-023
Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
1111 Israel Road S.W., P.O. Box 42650, Olympia, WA 98504-2650, (360) 902-8500
Don Hoch, Director
Media contact:
Sandy Mealing, Public Affairs, (360) 902-8559
Wash. Telecommunications Relay Service: (800) 833-6388
Discover Cama Beach event kicks off host of State Parks Centennial 2013 events for the season
OLYMPIA –
March 12, 2012 –
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission announces the first of many Centennial 2013 events in 2012 – a fun-filled day of activities at Cama Beach State Park on Camano Island.
Discover Cama Beach will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 18, in honor of State Parks’ 99th birthday. The event features trail and beach walks, talks about area flora, geocaching demonstrations and dancing to live music. Park staff will provide free popcorn and cupcakes, while the Cama Café’s regular menu will be available for purchase during the event. Additional information about the event can be found at www.camabeachfoundation.org/. Friends of the park are working with staff to offer this public event. March 18 and 19 are state parks "free days," when the Discover Pass will not be required to visit a state park.
Discover Cama Beach is the first of many Centennial 2013 events leading up to the park system’s 100th birthday in 2013. Future events include park fun days, tours, demonstrations, cultural, music and arts events, interpretive activities, recreation days and more. For information about State Parks events in this 100th celebration year, visit www.parks.wa.gov/events/ and watch for reminders on State Parks social media.
Recently added to the celebration events list is Discover Riverside, a day-long celebration of recreational and interpretive opportunities from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 24, at Riverside State Park near Spokane. Friends of the park are working with staff to offer a variety of activities, including interpretive history, crafts, hikes, pony and trail rides, and motorized fun in the park’s ORV area. For more information on that event, visit www.riversidestatepark.org.
As part of Washington State Parks’ Centennial 2013 vision, the agency adopted performance goals to make improvements in parks during the decade leading up to the park system’s 100th birthday in 2013. Prior to the economic recession, improvements were made in every state park, and progress was made on a variety of agency goals, including expanding the agency’s event offerings and increasing volunteerism and partnership efforts. Progress on the Centennial 2013 can be found at www.parks.wa.gov/Centennial2013.
