Library System (NOLS) is excited to bring poetry programs to Clallam County during Poetry Month this April, in partnership with area organizations. Poetry Fest events will be hosted at Port Angeles and Forks libraries, followed by a reception at the Sequim Library. Olympic National Park and North Olympic Land Trust will display poetry along trails as part of the annual Poetry Walks experience.

Poetry Fest with new Clallam County Poet Laureate

Nellie Bridge of Sequim will be inaugurated as the next Clallam County Poet Laureate at a free Poetry Fest celebration on Friday, April 4, at 6:30 p.m. at the Port Angeles Main Library, 2210 S. Peabody St. The county’s first poet laureate Jaiden Dokken will perform their final poetry reading in the role, and Bridge will kick off her two-year term with a reading of her own. Guest poets Esther Saniigauq Kugzruk, June VanDenBurg, and Lucian Parker will also read their work. Attendees can explore beginner-friendly poetry activities including a Poetry Fortune Teller, and browse a variety of poetry books.

A second Poetry Fest event will take place on Friday, April 25, at 6 p.m. at the Forks Branch Library, 171 S. Forks Ave, where Bridge and guest poet ćićayx̣mu Rachel Sullivan-Owens will read from their work.

Bridge will read again at a reception on Thursday, May 1, at 6 p.m. at the Sequim Library Temporary Location, 609 W. Washington St. Guest poets Esther Saniigauq Kugzruk, Claire Nakagawara, and Nevada Batcheller will also share their poetry.

Visit NOLS.org for more information about the events, which are supported by local Friends of the Library groups. Support for the Clallam County Poet Laureate position comes from the North Olympic Library Foundation and Clallam County.

Poetry Walks with Olympic National Park and North Olympic Land Trust

Throughout April and May, community members can enjoy Poetry Walks, featuring nature-themed poems placed in inspiring locations along four trails. The self-guided experience invites you to explore and contemplate the poems at your own pace, and encourages different perspectives and a deeper connection with the natural surroundings.

Poetry Walks returns for its 11th season in Olympic National Park, this year featuring poetry along the Madison Creek Falls and Spruce Railroad trails. New this year, poems will also be displayed along trails at the Elk Creek and Lyre Conservation Areas, which are stewarded by the North Olympic Land Trust.

More information about the trails can be found at NOLS.org/poetry.

National Park Week during Poetry Month

National Park Week, April 19–27, is celebrated at all national park areas across the country and features free admission to all national park sites on Saturday, April 19. National parks have inspired artistic and creative expression for generations, and finding inspiration along the Poetry Walks is one way everyone can join in and celebrate the artistic legacy of national parks.

The Poetry Walks program is offered to the public thanks to the generous support of the Port Angeles Friends of the Library. For more information about this and other upcoming events, visit NOLS.org or email discover@nols.org.