‘Ocian in View’ Program Details

Published 4:00 pm Tuesday, November 9, 2004

Lewis and Clark and the California Condor, Friday, Nov. 12, 7 p.m., Ilwaco Heritage Museum, admission $10

Nearly two centuries ago, Capt. William Clark wrote in his journal the first scientific record of the condor in America. Near Ilwaco, he shot a condor feeding on a dead whale and measured its 9 1/2-foot wingspan. Once plentiful, the condor suffered near extinction and, by 1982, only 24 birds were known to be alive. Today through the efforts of dedicated captive breeding programs, the condor may soon be released to the Columbia River region.

The evening’s featured speaker, Joe Burnett, Assistant Curator for the Condor Program at the Oregon Zoo, has been dedicated to increasing the population of the California condor for eight years. He will draw from his extensive knowledge to discuss this magnificent bird and the unique breeding program at the zoo. His talk, “The California Condor – From Near Extinction to Breeding in the Wild – a Legacy of the Lewis & Clark Expedition,” will preview a Condors of the Columbia exhibit planned for the zoo.

Setting the stage for Burnett, Rex Ziak, historian, cinematographer and author of “In Full View,” will draw from the expedition journals the connection between the condor and the Lewis and Clark Expedition. A nationally recognized Lewis and Clark speaker, Ziak uses storytelling to bring the drama of the Voyage of Discovery to light.

George Drouillard – Pathfinder, Hunter & Interpreter, Saturday, Nov. 13, 7 p.m., Hilltop School Auditorium, Ilwaco, admission $10. This entertaining program will offer an in-depth look at the life of one of the corps’ interpreters and hunters, George Drouillard – a key member of the expedition who is often overlooked in the telling of the Lewis and Clark endeavors. A remarkable linguist and tracker, he served as a diplomat between the native tribes and the captains, Lewis and Clark.

Jim Thom, author of “Sign Talker,” a book about Drouillard, will delve into the relationship between “native” and “white” cultures, which Douillard, who was half Shawnee, half French, bridged. Roger Wendlick, collector in residence at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, will appear in costume and use sign language in a dramatic portrayal of Drouillard. His presentation will offer insight into one of the most interesting members of the expedition.

A New Menagerie, Sunday, Nov.14, 2:30 p.m., Fort Columbia State Park Theater, Chinook. Admission free; parking fee $5.

Gary Lentz, a Washington State Parks ranger, in the persona of Sgt. Patrick Gass, will present a historical overview of the animals encountered by the expedition in the Pacific Northwest. Using animal pelts and other props, Lentz will give a beaver-trapping demonstration and share Meriwether Lewis’s beaver bait recipe.

Additional ‘Ocian in View’

Activities A seafood dinner prepared by and benefiting the Chinook Tribe, Saturday, Nov. 13, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Ilwaco Heritage Museum, the event’s co-sponsor. Partake of regional seafood, Indian fry bread, salad, dessert and beverages in Chinook Nation homeland. Cost is $15 per person, $13 for seniors; children under 12 are $5.

New this year, two-plus hour charter boat excursions exploring the waters Lewis and Clark navigated along the lower Columbia River, Saturday and Sunday, departing at 9:30 a.m., from the Ilwaco marina. Cost is $45 per person. Advance reservations are required and may be made by calling the Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau at (800) 451-2542 or by e-mailing (Joanne@funbeach.com)

Narrated bus tours of Lewis and Clark campsites along the Columbia River – including a walk out to the Pacific Ocean on Discovery Trail – will take place on Saturday and Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cost is $25 per person. Advance reservations are required and may be made by calling the Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau at (800) 451-2542 or by e-mailing (joanne@funbeach.com)

An open house at the newly expanded Lewis & Clark Interpretative Center at Cape Disappointment State Park with light refreshments will be hosted on Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A book signing by author James Thom will be held on Thursday, Nov. 11 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Time Enough Books at Ilwaco Harbor Village, at the Port of Ilwaco. At the wine and cheese event, Thom will sign a number of his many books, including “From Sea to Shining Sea,” “Long Knife” and others. For more information, please call 642-7667.

At the Ilwaco Heritage Museum, the grand opening of “Don’t Bother Me with the Facts” – a special bicentennial exhibition about Lewis and Clark in popular culture – is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 13, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The show will be open for public viewing Friday evening during the condor program and during regular museum hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, please call 642-3446.

“O, how Horriable is the Day” open house commemorating the Lewis and Clark Expedition’s November on the Columbia River’s north shore, will take place at the Knappton Cove Heritage Center (3 miles upriver from the north end of the Astoria/Megler Bridge), on Saturday, Nov. 13, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on Sunday, Nov. 14, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.