| It
all started with the designation of the Brackett's Landing
Shoreline Sanctuary in the early 1980's. The City of Edmonds,
in partnership with a group of concerned citizens and teachers,
took on the task of education the public about this fragile
intertidal resource.
Since
that time, thousands of children and adults have developed
an awareness and enhanced their appreciation of the shoreline,
and native plants and wildlife. By 1996 the program had expanded
to include forest and watershed education in Yost Park, and
two years later our name was changed from the Edmonds Beach
Rangers Program, to Discovery Programs to reflect our more
diverse goals.
The listing
of some Puget Sound salmon species as "threatened"
under the Endangered Species Act in the year 2000, prompted
the creation of our Sound Salmon Program. Together, these
three main programs, plus a wide variety of special events,
roving interpretation and visitor station activities strive
to serve the environmental education needs of The City of
Edmonds, and surrounding communities.
The growing
utility and importance of the World Wide Web in education
and governmental services was behind the creation of the Discovery
Programs website. In 2003 Edmonds Discovery Programs efforts
in creating an informative and aesthetically pleasing website
was recognized by the Washington Recreation and Parks Association.
Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department Director
Arvilla Ohlde accepted the Spotlight Media Award
for best website. The award can be seen here.
The website as it exists today is much larger and more diverse than it was in 2003 when the award was given. |
