Common Garden Pests and their Prevention/Curative Strategies Via Zoom
February 25, 2026 2 – 3:30 PM
Registration: Friends of Fort Flagler
Common garden pests can challenge even the most experienced gardeners, but effective management doesn’t have to come at the expense of our environment. This online presentation explores common garden pests found in the Puget Sound region and highlights prevention and curative strategies that protect plants while keeping waterways clean and healthy. Attendees will learn environmentally responsible approaches that reduce chemical use, safeguard soil and pollinators, and help preserve the health of Puget Sound for generations to come.
Brandon Hudson is a respected agronomist with KIS Organics. He has been an agronomist for nearly four decades of cultivation experience. Raised in a farming family in East Tennessee, he grew up immersed in sustainable agriculture and plant science from an early age. Over the course of his career, he has worked across a wide range of cultivation systems—from hydroponics to fully organic living soil—ultimately dedicating himself to soil-based, biological growing methods that allow plants to reach their fullest natural expression.
Today, Brandon resides on Marrowstone Island, Washington, where he consults with organic farmers, gardeners, and commercial cultivators throughout the country. At KIS Organics, he provides soil testing, plant diagnostics, and farm-system guidance, drawing on years of hands-on experience including his previous role managing propagation and greenhouse operations at a large commercial hemp farm. Through education, research, and personalized consulting, he continues to help growers transition to regenerative, data-driven practices that improve soil health, crop quality, and long-term sustainability.
Discover the World of River Otters@WWII Rec Center
March 7, 2026 2:00 – 3:30 PM
Registration: Friends of Fort Flagler
Playful, intelligent, and endlessly curious, river otters are among the most captivating residents of Puget Sound. Join us for an engaging program that explores the hidden world of these remarkable mammals — from their family life and denning habits to their hunting strategies, play behaviors, and the ways they communicate with one another.
Our speaker, Sara Penhallegon, will share stories from the field and provide a behind-the-scenes look at what happens when otters face challenges in the wild. Learn how injured, sick, or orphaned otters are cared for and rehabilitated, and how community members can help these incredible animals thrive.
🎙️ About the Speaker: Sara Penhallegon
Sara Penhallegon is the Founder and Executive Director of Center Valley Animal Rescue (CVAR) in Quilcene. She has worked with licensed wildlife rehabilitators since 2000 and became a licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator herself in 2012 — the same year CVAR became a fully permitted wildlife rehabilitation facility.
Under her leadership, CVAR has become a trusted resource for caring for injured and orphaned wildlife, with special expertise in the rehabilitation of wild mammals and wild birds. Animals arrive at CVAR for many reasons — vehicle strikes, domestic animal attacks, habitat disruption, or early separation from their parents — and Sara’s team works tirelessly to provide safe recovery, proper housing, and eventual release back into the wild.
To learn more about Center Valley Animal Rescue, visit: https://centervalleyanimalrescue.org/
Fort Flagler State Park, WWII Rec Center
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Earth Day – Beach Clean-up and Invasive Grass Pull 11:30-3:30
April 4, 2026 11:30 – 3:30
Registration: Friends of Fort Flagler
Join us to help remove debris and invasive sea grass from our beach. This will help protect our marine life and native species grasses and enhance the health of our park. Your contribution makes a tangible difference!
Fort Flagler State Park, Lower
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Easter Egg Hunt at Fort Flagler Lower Campground @ 10am
April 4, 2026 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Registration: Friends of Fort Flagler
Join the fun and bring your children aged 2 to 14 to FoFF’s Easter egg hunt. We’ll meet at the Lower Campground by the bathroom. Children will be grouped into three age groups so the young ones have better odds (no child will come away empty-handed). Please feel free to bring baskets for the egg hunt.
Fort Flagler State Park, Lower Campground by playground
Discover How Your Backyard Composting Helps Our Parks – Zoom Presents
April 8, 2026 2:00 – 3:15 PM
Registration: Friends of Fort Flagler
Join us for a special virtual presentation with Laura Tucker from Jefferson County Environmental Health, a knowledgeable educator who has led composting classes across the county. Laura will share simple, effective ways that individual composting can make a big difference—not only in your own garden, but throughout our state parks and surrounding natural areas.
Learn how composting reduces landfill waste, cuts harmful greenhouse gases, and builds healthy soil that supports native plants. Healthy soil, in turn, creates stronger habitat for pollinators, birds, insects, and the wildlife that depend on them. Laura will also explain how home composting helps limit invasive species, protects water quality, and reduces the pressure on fragile park ecosystems.
Whether you’re a seasoned composter or just curious about getting started, this session will show how small actions at home contribute to a healthier environment for everyone—including the beaches, forests, and wildlife we all enjoy in our Washington State Parks.
Bats of Washington State and Marrowstone Island – Zoom Presentation
April 22, 2026 2:00 – 3:30 PM
Registration: Friends of Fort Flagler
Are you curious about the bats of Washington and the species that live right here at Fort Flagler and on Marrowstone Island? This introductory talk will explore Washington’s native bat species, with a special focus on those most likely to be found in and around Fort Flagler State Park. Learn where local bats roost and forage, how the park’s forests, open fields, and shoreline support bat habitat, and why bats are such an important part of the island’s ecosystem. We’ll also discuss current conservation challenges facing bats in Washington and what FoFF members and park visitors can do to help protect these often-misunderstood nocturnal neighbors.
Nick Moore (He/Him) is the Assistant Species Lead in the Wildlife Division at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, where he supports science-based species conservation and recovery efforts across the state. He works closely with agency staff, partners, and stakeholders to advance effective wildlife management and habitat protection. Nick has an educational background in wildlife biology and natural resource management, which informs his collaborative, data-driven approach to conserving Washington’s native wildlife for current and future generations.
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Native Bee Habitat Walk
May 2, 2026 8:00 AM
Registration: Friends of Fort Flagler
Timing is everything for native bees. Observing them during the period in which they construct nests, mate, and provision natal cells can be the most illuminating time to observe them. Kris, a native bee enthusiast with the Washington Native Bee Society, will lead a tour of some of Fort Flager’s most active bee habitats. With a little luck, she hopes to share them while they exhibit some of these fascinating behaviors, helping to inspire your future observations, in the wild or your backyard.
Kris Ethington is a citizen scientist, native bee enthusiast, and photographer. Her curiosity for the natural world began with learning to garden for butterfly habitat in southern California. She has participated in Monarch parasite and migration citizen science studies and led environmental outreach programs. She pursued a certificate in landscape design before leaving CA and served as a garden ambassador for the California Native Plant
Society after designing and re-planting her landscape with mostly native plants. It was in this garden that she became a garden naturalist, photographing plant/pollinator interactions and documenting her observations through iNaturalist.org for expert identification and scientific research. After retiring to Port Townsend in 2021, she applied these skills to gain knowledge of Washington’s wild bee populations and explore their nesting habitats. Her bee surveys have covered over 16 sites in east Jefferson County spanning three years. As an active member of the Washington Native Bee Society, Kris contributes to its advocacy and conservation efforts by creating regional awareness through educational outreach.
Fort Flagler State Park, Beachcomber Cafe
Explore the Layers of Time: Geology Beach Walk at Fort Flagler
May 17, 2026 8:00 – 11:00 AM
Registration: Friends of Fort Flagler
Join us for a fascinating geology talk followed by a beach walk of 2 miles round trip at Fort Flagler State Park, timed perfectly with a minus tide to reveal hidden natural features and ancient stories embedded in the land. Led by Professor Ralph Dawes and assisted by Carol Serdar and Scott Minor from the Quimper Geological Society (QGS). This walk begins at the lower campground and proceeds to Marrowstone Point and follows the beach trail westward along the base of the bluff.
This walk is a unique opportunity to witness Fort Flagler’s geologic wonders up close and to learn how tides, glaciers, and time have sculpted the landscape we see today. Be sure to wear sturdy shoes suitable for uneven, rocky beach terrain, and bring your curiosity for this one-of-a-kind coastal adventure!
Ralph Dawes: Originally from Edmonds, Washington, he has a degree in literature from Antioch College in Yellow Springs, OH, and degrees in geology from WWU (BS) and the UW (MS, Ph.D.). He taught at Wenatchee Valley College for 26 years and now lives at Cape George with his wife, Cheryl Dawes. He is passionate about sharing how the geologic history of the Pacific Northwest gives insight into the landforms, landslides, floods, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes. In recent years, he has been involved in research on volcanic rocks near Wenatchee and glacial landforms in north central Washington. Keeping it local, he is now transferring his focus to unanswered questions about the geology of the Olympic Peninsula and Puget Sound.
Carol Serdar Tepper: Born and raised in southern Puget Sound, Carol’s master thesis included a description and analysis of a large landslide and related salmon impacts. She is a Licensed Geologist; retired from Washington State regulatory work (surface mine reclamation, landslide mapping, forest practices regulatory, and water quality compliance); and formerly WA State Secondary Science Teacher, 10 years which included developing a middle-school science curriculum based on Pacific Salmon life history and habitat. Carol gleefully retired from state service with 32 fun-filled years in February 2022.
Scott Minor: BSc at UC Santa Barbara and MSc in Geology at the Univ. of Colorado. Retired Research Scientist at USGS—Denver. Focus on geologic framework, fault kinematic and paleostress histories of strain transfer and accommodation zones of the Rio Grande rift. Experience with fault-related fluid flow within poorly consolidated sediments as well as geologic mapping and geologic framework characterization.
Fort Flagler State Park, WWII Rec Center
Decode Your Plants: A Hands-On Guide to Visual Plant Diagnosis
May 30, 2026 2:00 – 3:30 PM
Registration: Friends of Fort Flagler
Decode Your Plants: A Hands-On Guide to Visual Plant Diagnosis 5/16@4PM
Learn how to use a dichotomous key to visually diagnose plant health issues by observing leaf color, growth patterns, and other tell-tale signs. This practical, easy-to-follow approach empowers growers to identify nutrient deficiencies and plant stress with confidence. The session will also cover trusted sources for organic nutrients and soil amendments, giving you tools to correct problems naturally and keep your plants thriving.
Brandon Hudson is a respected agronomist with KIS Organics. He has been an agronomist for nearly four decades of cultivation experience. Raised in a farming family in East Tennessee, he grew up immersed in sustainable agriculture and plant science from an early age. Over the course of his career, he has worked across a wide range of cultivation systems—from hydroponics to fully organic living soil—ultimately dedicating himself to soil-based, biological growing methods that allow plants to reach their fullest natural expression.
Today, Brandon resides on Marrowstone Island, Washington, where he consults with organic farmers, gardeners, and commercial cultivators throughout the country. At KIS Organics, he provides soil testing, plant diagnostics, and farm-system guidance, drawing on years of hands-on experience including his previous role managing propagation and greenhouse operations at a large commercial hemp farm. Through education, research, and personalized consulting, he continues to help growers transition to regenerative, data-driven practices that improve soil health, crop quality, and long-term sustainability.
Fort Flagler State Park, WWII Rec Center
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