Rise for Orca and Climate Justice will celebrate the orcas of the Salish Sea and rally action against their threatened extinction, with a picnic, speakers, and children’s activities in Port Angeles on Saturday, Sept. 8, sponsored by Olympic Climate Action.

The daytime program will run from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Hollywood Beach and the Feiro Marine Life Center near the base of City Pier, at the foot of Lincoln Street. The evening program runs 7-9 p.m. at the Elwha Klallam Heritage Center, 401 E. First St.

The daytime event will begin with a bring-your-own picnic, with a small fire and grill available. Organizers will provide marshmallows and ingredients for do-it-yourself S’Mores, plus sticks for roasting marshmallows. Booths for children’s games and art will remain open through mid-afternoon. Musicians will play, and people are encouraged to bring instruments and songs.

Following the picnic, participants on shore will join with kayakers in Port Angeles Harbor at noon for a brief vigil and invocation, then walk to the Feiro Center to hear speakers.

Starting at 1 p.m., the Feiro Center will host discussions about orcas, salmon, climate, energy options, and the continuing threat of Canada’s Trans Mountain pipeline expansion proposal.

Speakers will include: Ken Balcomb of The Center for Whale Research in Friday Harbor, on the plight of orcas facing starvation from depleted salmon stocks and the proposed breaching of the lower Snake River dams in southeast Washington to boost salmon recovery; and Eric de Place of Seattle’s Sightline Institute and Verner Wilson of Friends of The Earth, on fossil fuel export plans, their threats to the Pacific Northwest, and the “Thin Green Line” of opposition to these proposals.

“Bring your notepads and pens,” Brian Grad, OCA board member and event coordinator, said. “There will be lots of good things to learn about.”

The evening program, co-hosted by Olympic Climate Action and the Elwha Klallam Heritage Center, will feature “The Road to Athabasca,” a multi-media, first-person account of a group bicycle ride along the entire path of the proposed Trans Mountain pipeline, from Vancouver, B.C., north to the Alberta tar sands.

Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the program will begin at 7 at the Heritage Center, 401 E. First St. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged to the Pull Together campaign to oppose the Trans Mountain pipeline.

To RSVP or more information, see actionnetwork.org/events/rise-for-orca-and-climate-justice and www.facebook.com/events/665446913826305/. Or, contact Grad at briansway51@gmail.com.

Olympic Climate Action is a group with more than 700 followers working for “a safe, prosperous, sustainable future for residents of the Olympic Peninsula by addressing the threat of climate change.” The group aims to raise awareness of the challenges “climate chaos” poses for the community, as well as options for mitigation and action. See olyclimate.org.