Feiro’s Marine Life Center living room

By Ricky Talbot

 

 

Feiro Marine Life Center is entering phase two of their “front porch” improvement project.  The underdeveloped area in front of the Feiro Center is a good location for hosting programs for the community but hasn’t been used to its full potential.  Feiro has dubbed the area a “living room for the community,” according to Melissa Williams.

Before the project began, the living room was not wheelchair accessible, the planter boxes were full of landscaping plants, and the design of the planter boxes allowed the soil to be washed away when it rains. When the project is complete, there will be two efficient planter boxes with indigenous plants, a wheelchair ramp and plants that will be used to stabilize the bank, according to Feiro staff.

Phase one’s completion was celebrated with a ribbon cutting ceremony in 2018 during the Parks and Rec Day of Play July 28.  Phase one included the wheelchair ramp installation, and the completion of one planter box.

Peninsula College Professor and Vice President on the Feiro Board, Barbara Blackie, volunteered her Botany 101 class to help place the indigenous plants along the bank and in the first planter.  In two days, half her class traded between visiting the Matt Albright Native Plant Center, and volunteering in Feiro’s community living room. Since the class is learning about indigenous plants, these were two opportunities to get hands on experience working with seven different varieties of indigenous plants.   

The species/ plant types purchased by the Feiro center were Armeria maritima, or Sea Thrift; Fragaria chiloensis, or Coastal Strawberry; Grindelia integrifolia, or  Coastal Gumweed; Carex macrocephala, or Large Headed Sedge; Carex pansa, or Sand Dune Sedge; Lelmus (Elymus) mollis, or  American Dunegrass/ Dune Wild Rye; and Carex lyngbyei, or Lyngby’s Sedge.

Since phase two isn’t finished, and only one planter has been updated and filled, Blackie is hoping to volunteer her fall quarter class to finish the indigenous planting project.

Blackie’s class isn’t the only class involved in this project. The welding class was also included, and created three metal waves that have been installed along the ramp.  Four more waves will be fabricated and installed by a local business.  Over the years, students from various schools in the community have created ceramic fish that have been attached to the waves.  These fish were repurposed from their original location along the waterfront.

Funding for the project came in part from a petition of funds from the Port Angeles lodging tax.  Since this tax money can’t be used to pay staff to complete the project, many volunteers stepped up to the plate to make it happen.  The Nor’wester Rotary had a large part in the design and construction of the community living room.  Jack Galloway from the Rotary designed the ramp, Steve Zenovic, also with the Rotary, coordinated and managed the construction of the project.  Angeles Millwork gave Feiro a deal on materials that were needed.

With phase two under way, the plan is to finish the second planter box, install new hand rails along the east side of the ramp, finish planting indigenous plants in the planters, and install four more waves between the first planter and the ramp.

The goal is to finish before July 4.

With the completion of this project, Feiro is leaving behind a legacy for the community that will remain long after they move to their new location in a few years.