PORT ANGELES –– Shirley Anderson, a longtime naturalist with Feiro Marine Life Center, marvels at the success the facility has seen throughout the years and encourages the public to stop by during a free open house celebrating 35 years from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday.
“Art Feiro really believed that people should be able to see what is right off their coast in the water,” she said. “That’s the kind of legacy that’s better than a tombstone in a cemetery.”
Feiro cofounded the Marine Life Center with Will Wirt on Nov. 21, 1981, and since then people have been able to easily see examples of the sea creatures living in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
There have always been volunteers nearby that could answer questions and help maintain the center, said Executive Director Melissa Williams.
“Over the years, legions of volunteers have made that place what it is,” she said.
Among them is Anderson, who has volunteered at Feiro for most of those 35 years. She got her start while visiting her parents in Sequim while on vacation in 1981.
“When I came for one of the vacations, in 1981, they were telling me about this place that had just opened and how Art Feiro . . . spoke to everyone in the area and was doing fundraising,” she said.
“When it opened in ’81, they said, ‘we have to show you this place.’ ”
Anderson would visit her parents in Sequim while she was on vacation, and because she was in the area, she would help out at Feiro.
She moved to Sequim in 1991 to teach biology at Sequim High School. Since then, she’s been a regular at the marine life center.
“From that time on, I’ve just found lots of things to do here,” she said.
One of those things involves answering questions from curious children who are excited to see the sea life at Feiro.
Often children who went to Feiro on a school field trip will then bring their parents back to show them what they learned.
“It doesn’t get any better than that,” Anderson said.
Newsletter
She used to be in charge of a newsletter and particularly enjoyed writing pieces that required her to research a specific species for each newsletter.
When there’s some down time, Anderson said she likes to read about sea life from books from the center’s library.
When she gets to the center each day, the first thing she usually does is check if there’s anything new in the exhibits.
Because the water in the exhibits is constantly being pumped from the harbor, into Feiro and out again, sometimes she’ll see things that weren’t there before.
“They can come and go if they are small enough, because this water is continually flowing through,” she said. “It’s like being . . . in the Strait.”
At Feiro now is a sea cucumber that came in through the pipes about three years ago as a larva. Now it’s about 8 inches long.
“About three years ago we found one the size of a 1-inch Tootsie Roll in one of the exhibits,” she said. “It has been so fun to watch this little guy.”
Open House
Williams is encouraging people to help celebrate during the facility’s open house at the Port Angeles City Pier on Wednesday.
The celebration coincides with Concerts on the Pier, which starts at 6 p.m.
The center will have free admission and activities, underwater robotics demonstrations, a booth from partner Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, cake and an ocean-themed youth costume contest, with prizes donated by H2O Waterfront Bistro.
The costume contest is for children up to age 17. They should arrive by 5:30 p.m.; winners will be announced at 6 p.m.
“If you haven’t been in for awhile, see what we’re all about,” Williams said. “And you can’t beat the price.”
________
Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsuladailynews.com.
