Washington State Parks News Releases

News Release 12-053

Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
1111 Israel Road S.W., P.O. Box 42650, Olympia, WA 98504-2650, (360) 902-8500
Don Hoch, Director

Celebrate ocean awareness at Cama Beach State Park

OLYMPIA – May 24, 2012 – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission invites the public to the Third Annual CamOcean World Oceans Day festival at Cama Beach State Park on Camano Island.

The one-day festival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 16 at Cama Beach State Park, 1880 S.W. Camano Drive, Camano Island. Participants will discover how the waters of Puget Sound fit into a larger resource of the world’s combined oceans through interpretive beach walks, demonstrations, hands-on activities and educational booth displays by more than 35 ocean conservation and natural resource organizations. The event also features in-water rescue demonstrations by Stanwood-Camano Fire Rescue, live music featuring Irthlingz and Padilla Bay, games, guided trail walks, park tours, face painting, geocaching and arts and crafts. Captain Fuzzybeard and Smokey the Bear return for kids’ storytelling sessions, joined by the American Story Lady, Uri Israel.

The Discover Pass is required to access Cama Beach State Park. Parking is limited. Alternative forms of transportation are suggested. Additional free parking is available two miles north of Cama Beach State Park at the Camano Chapel, 867 S.W. Camano Drive, Camano Island. Free shuttle service to and from the festival is provided.

Visitors may paddle around Saratoga Passage by renting boats and kayaks from The Center for Wooden Boats at a discounted rate during the event.

The CamOcean World Oceans Day festival presented by the Cama Beach Foundation in cooperation with The Center for Wooden Boats, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission and event volunteers. Additional funding support is provided by Irthlingz, Powder Fab, Evergreen Dive Service, Josephine Sunset Home and private donations. For more information about the CamOcean Festival, visit www.camabeachfoundation.org or find “CamOcean” on Facebook.

World Oceans Day is an international awareness campaign recognized by the United Nations in 2008 to promote ocean conservation education. Organizations around the globe play host to events aimed towards changing perspectives on water conservation, educating the world about ocean awareness and celebrating the shared resource of the ocean. Coordinated by the Ocean Project and the World Ocean Network, the bi-annual theme for 2011-2012 is “Youth: The Next Wave of Change.”

June is Washington State Great Outdoors Month. Enjoy Washington’s many recreational activities and celebrate the month dedicated to environmental stewardship and the appreciation of the outdoors. Many state parks will play host to a variety of events in June. For information about events at Washington state parks, visit www.parks.wa.gov/events. Cama Beach State Park is a 433-acre historic fishing resort with more than 6,000 feet of rocky beach. The park provides sweeping views of Saratoga Passage, Whidbey Island and the Olympic Mountain Range. The area now known as Cama Beach State Park was used for centuries by Native Americans for fishing and hunting. It was later developed into a fishing resort, popular with families for more than 50 years, before becoming a state park in 1994 through a combination of property donation and sale.

Stay connected to your state parks by following Washington State Parks at www.facebook.com/WashingtonStateParks, www.twitter.com/WaStatePks_NEWS and www.youtube.com/WashingtonStateParks. The Commission manages a diverse system of more than 100 state parks and recreation programs, including long-distance trails, boating safety and winter recreation. The 99-year-old park system will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2013.

Support state parks by purchasing your Discover Pass today, and enjoy a whole year of outdoor fun on Washington’s beautiful state-managed recreation lands. For more information, visit www.discoverpass.wa.gov.

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