Dinner helps fund DU projects

The Tacoma Chapter of Ducks Unlimited will hold its annual fundraising dinner Friday.

Money raised at the event will help restore and improve degraded or compromised wetlands in Washington and nationwide.

“DU is all about habitat conservation, and that is what brought many of us to the organization as volunteers,” Scott Knox, Tacoma area chairman, said in a news release. “Preserving wetlands benefits waterfowl, of course, but also other forms of wildlife, fish and people.”

Ducks Unlimited was involved in restoration of 900 acres of the Nisqually River delta.

The event from 5:30-9:30 p.m. will be held at the Tacoma Yacht Club, 5401 N. Waterfront Drive, Tacoma. Tickets are $75 each, $120 for a couple and $50 for youths.

For information, call Knox at 253-732-9283 or see ducks.org.

Port Angeles hosts kayak festival

The third annual Port Angeles Kayak & Film Festival will kick off Friday with a party featuring locally produced adventure films, pizza, beer and more. Films to be shown include the work of Olympic Peninsula producer John Gussman and other award-winning professional filmmakers.

Participants can register on site for more than 20 on-the-water and land-based paddling classes that will be offered throughout the weekend.

Attendees can visit Demo Beach and try out recreational, touring, sit-on-top and surfski kayaks, as well as standup paddleboards.

On Saturday night, Justine Curgenven will give the keynote presentation, “Sea Kayaking the World,” featuring clips from her award-winning films, highlighting paddling excursions along the coasts of Russia, Antarctica, New Zealand, Patagonia and the Aleutian Islands.

For details, see portangeleskayakandfilm.com or call 360-417-3015.

State’s visitor guide available

The 2016 “Washington State Visitors’ Guide” is now available. The guide is produced through a partnership between the Washington Tourism Alliance, Washington Lodging Association and SagaCity Media Inc.

This is the 17th edition of annual guide. There will be 375,000 copies of the guide distributed statewide. The guide can also be found at experiencewa.com, the state’s official tourism website. Travelers can find versions of the guide optimized for tablets and smart phones at stayinwashington.com.

The guide, which highlights the state’s 10 travel regions, includes maps, insider travel trips, itinerary suggestions and contact information for businesses and attractions.

This year’s guide also celebrates centennials for the National Park Service and Boeing, and features insider tips for travelers from a Seattle Seahawks player, a James Beard Award–winning chef, a whitewater rafting guide and other local experts and celebrities.

Volunteer group holds work party

The Mount Rainier National Park Associates will hold its first trails work party of the season April 30. The work will likely be done in the Longmire or Carbon River areas.

Volunteers should plan on meeting 8:30-9 a.m., and ready to head out by 9 a.m.

If you would like to help, email John Titland, the group’s volunteer coordinator, at volunteer@mrnpa.org and indicate you are coming and how many volunteers you are bringing.

The volunteer group recommends everyone taking part wear safety glasses. In some cases, it is required. For information, including safety equipment requirements, see mrnpa.org.