OPAS Program: "Olympic Coast Exploration Center—Design in Progress!"

Description

Guest Presenter: Melissa Williams, OCEC Executive Director Wednesday, October 21, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. Rainshadow Hall, Dungeness River Nature Center Free to attend; donations appreciated Note: Come early for cookies! Everyone is welcome to hear Melissa Williams share exciting design plans for the Olympic Coast Exploration Center (OCEC) in Port Angeles, which will prominently feature a live seabird exhibit! Melissa will provide insights into conservation building design that considers the environment upon which we humans and all other species depend. Learn how the OCEC team is incorporating modern technologies specifically for the wellbeing of birds. Such innovations include bird-friendly glass treatments to limit the number of collisions resulting in injury and death, shielded outdoor lighting to avoid “skyglow” that disrupts bird migrations at night—and thoughtful approaches to landscaping, water, and energy that consider the OCEC complex’s relationship to the surrounding environment. Melissa Williams has served as Executive Director of Feiro Marine Life Center since 2014. Prior to joining Feiro, she was Vice President of Learning at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, where she worked at the intersection of marine science, education, and public engagement. At Feiro, Melissa is helping guide the organization’s evolution into the Olympic Coast Exploration Center, a new aquarium and education facility on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, while growing opportunities for community science, conservation, and connection to the region’s remarkable coastal environment.