WCLT News & Activities

April Activities for All!

2011-04-01T12:24:00.000-07:00

Spring is here and we are excited to get outdoors. This month, we have something happening almost every week! Whether it's a work party, educational presentation, or a pleasant walk in the woods, we have activities for all interests. Check out our events calendar to see if there's something for you!

Public Open House in Oak Harbor on 4/7

2011-03-30T14:55:00.000-07:00

The Whidbey Camano Land Trust will hold an open house in Oak Harbor on Thursday, April 7, 2011, to share information about their ideas for restoring juvenile salmon rearing habitat at two sites on the south side of Dugualla Bay—one of Island County’s highest priority salmon habitat areas.

We’ll present findings from a feasibility study, which included field work, coastal engineering analysis, and feedback from a series of advisory meetings with neighbors and the scientific community. The public is invited to ask questions and open a conversation about the proposed project and its benefit to the community and Puget Sound.

Displays and maps will be available and Land Trust representatives will make a brief presentation about the project and the results of the feasibility study. Presentations will be made at 3:45; 4:15; 4:45; and 5:15, followed by time for questions and discussion. The open house will be held on April 7, 2011 at Skagit Valley College (1900 SE Pioneer Way, Oak Harbor) in the Oak Room (#306) from 3:30-5:30PM.

See Advance Screening of PBS John Muir Documentary

2011-03-22T10:29:00.000-07:00

When: Thursday, April 14 at 7:00 pm
Where: Seattle Public Library – Microsoft Auditorium
Cost: $6 per ticket ($3 student) – Limit 250 seats

Join the film’s Emmy-winning director and producer Catherine Tatge for a special viewing of the documentary “John Muir in the New World” BEFORE the premier on PBS. This film is a documentary biography that presents the real and complex John Muir to the American viewer for the first time: who he was, what he accomplished, and why he is widely regarded as such an iconic figure in America's long debate on the best use of wilderness.

Produced by Global Village Media [GVM], an award-winning production company with over twenty years of international broadcast experience, the documentary paints a rounded portrait of Muir, the influences on his life, the historical context in which he operated, and the impact he had on the modern environmental movement. PBS will televise this nationally on April 18th in their American Masters Program, in celebration of Earth Week.

Purchase tickets online:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/166406

View page about film on Facebook>>

Walk of the Month: Saturday 3/26 at Trillium Community Forest

2011-03-08T11:51:00.000-08:00

To encourage awareness and public use of some of its protected properties, in 2011, the Land Trust will host a walking tour every month at one of its protected properties. Join the Land Trust on Saturday, March 26th at 10:00am at the Trillium Community Forest. A Land Trust Volunteer will guide you through the property and answer questions. Just show up; no RSVP is required!

View trail map>

Directions to the preserve: The property is north of Freeland, WA. Access is from HWY 525, at the entrance of Pacific Dogwood Ln, 0.9 mi north of Mutiny Bay Rd.

Walk of the Month: Saturday 2/26 at Fairfax Preserve

2011-02-25T11:18:00.000-08:00

Saturday, February 26 at 1:00 pm

Del Fairfax Preserve (Oak Harbor)
trail map>

To encourage awareness and public use of some of its protected properties, in 2011, the Land Trust will host a walking tour every month at one of its protected properties. Join the Land Trust on Saturday, February 26th at 1:00 at the Del Fairfax Preserve. Just show up; no RSVP is required!

To reach the walk leader after office hours call (360) 632-9140.

Directions to the preserve: From Highway 20 turn north onto Zylstra Road. Head north on Zylstra Road for approximately 3 miles until you see the Zystra Road Fire Station on your left. Turn left onto a wide gravel road in front of the fire station and park on the right next to the fence. The Del Fairfax sign will be in front of you. Please do not block the gravel road or the Zylstra Road Fire Station bay doors.

2/24 Volunteer Celebration Canceled

2011-02-24T10:52:00.001-08:00

The Land Trust has canceled this afternoon's volunteer celebration due to the weather and icy road conditions.

Whidbey Camano Land Trust to be featured on BirdNote®

2011-02-14T16:11:00.000-08:00

Tune in Friday February 25, 2011 to hear “Restoring Native Prairie” featuring Cheryl Lowe, Land Steward for the Whidbey Camano Land Trust. This segment will air on the local NPR Station KPLU (88.5 FM) at 8:58 am.

BirdNote is a two-minute radio series that airs daily on KPLU Seattle/Tacoma and 50 other public radio stations across the country. About 500,000 listeners hear BirdNote daily. All shows may also be heard at www.birdnote.org on and after their air date.

The BirdNote show combines the power of good storytelling with the rich songs and calls of birds to engage listeners in the lives of birds and the challenges they face. The sounds are provided by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

A recent generous grant from The Lufkin Family Foundation has made it possible for BirdNote to create 100 shows about the state of North America’s birds and highlight the work of individuals and groups who are improving natural habitat. The stories have the power to inspire others to similar action.

Chris Peterson, Executive Producer of BirdNote says, “Cheryl and her team are showing others what’s possible! Whenever habitat is improved, birds and people benefit. We at BirdNote are grateful for the work of Whidbey Camano Land Trust to permanently protect habitat for birds and for what their dedication says about the people of Whidbey and Camano.”

Hammons Preserve Work Party on 2/19

2011-02-11T12:53:00.000-08:00

Hammons Work Party
Saturday, February 19th 9AM - Noon

The last couple days of sunny weather have inspired those of us in the stewardship field. It is time for more work parties! We are going to have an English Holly removal party! Bring your hand saws and we’ll take down some of the big ones along with the resprouts.

Holly may look pretty, but it is also invasive. Hammons has quite a few large Holly trees and some smaller ones as well. We are going to be pulling up the little ones with weed wrenches (super fun!) and cutting down the larger ones. If there is extra time we’ll be digging blackberries as well. This work party will be led by our excellent volunteer Site Stewards John Boone and Tom Trimbath.

Please RSVP to Jessica Larson at (360) 222-3310 or jessica@wclt.org if you plan on attending. Thanks so much for your help!

Land Trust Kicks Off Monthly Walks in January

2011-01-24T17:01:00.000-08:00

To encourage awareness and public use of some of its protected properties, the Land Trust will host a walking tour every month at one of its protected properties, starting this January. Join the Land Trust on one or both of its first two walks. Just show up; no RSVP is required!

To reach the walk leader after office hours call (360) 632-9140.

Saturday, January 29 at 10:00 am

Trillium Forest (Freeland)
trail map>

Directions to the forest: The property is north of Freeland, WA. Public access is from HWY 525, at the entrance of Pacific Dogwood Ln, 0.9 mi north of Mutiny Bay Rd. Park in the small parking area at the entrance of Pacific Dogwood Ln. No vehicles are allowed past the locked gate at the entrance. Do not block the road or gate.

Saturday, February 26 at 1:00 pm

Del Fairfax Preserve (Oak Harbor)
trail map>

Directions to the preserve: From Highway 20 turn north onto Zylstra Road. Head north on Zylstra Road for approximately 3 miles until you see the Zystra Road Fire Station on your left. Turn left onto a wide gravel road in front of the fire station and park on the right next to the fence. The Del Fairfax sign will be in front of you. Please do not block the gravel road or the Zylstra Road Fire Station bay doors.

Registration Now Open for Sound Waters

2011-01-07T17:19:00.000-08:00

Sound Waters

When: February 5, 2011
Where: South Whidbey High School
Registration Link: http://www.beachwatchers.net/sw_2011/?q=regis

Register online today for Sound Waters, a one-day “university” offering more than 60 fun and informative classes and presentations about the natural world and Puget Sound’s environment. This huge education event is organized and held every year by the WSU Beach Watchers of Island County and attracts hundreds of attendees from a multi-county area.

Dr. Rick Keil, director of the Aquatic Organic Geochemistry lab and a Professor of Chemical Oceanography in the University of Washington's School of Oceanography is delivering this year’s keynote address. He will speak on "Puget Sound: What’s In Our Water and Why Does It Matter?" For the remainder of the day, attendees may choose any three of more than 60 classes on subjects ranging from salmon, crab, shellfish and birds to bluffs, estuaries, orcas, and septic systems. Classes are taught by authors, educators, enthusiasts and government officials.

This year’s event will be held at the South Whidbey High School campus in Langley on Saturday, February 5. Registrations will be accepted until Friday, January 28th, 2011, but class assignments are made in order of registration date. If you wait until late January, some of your preferred classes may already be filled to capacity. For more information, visit the Sound Waters site.

Land Trust office will be open on 12/31

2010-12-24T16:48:00.001-08:00

The Land Trust office will be open on December 31. If you’re in the area, please stop by. You can read the 9 panel Trillium story or, if you’ve already studied it, please come tell us your favorite story of land protection. We’d love to meet you and hear what matters so much to you in this work we do.

Oh, and thanks for all the support you give to protect the very nature of Whidbey and Camano Islands. These are treasures that we want to enjoy today and share with generations to come. Happy Holidays!

Land Trust to present program on North Whidbey Projects on Dec 14

2010-12-03T13:53:00.000-08:00

Oak Harbor Sustainable Living Lecture Series has invited the Land Trust to present a program on Tuesday, December 14, from 5:30-6:30 pm at Oak Harbor City Hall. Cheryl Lowe, our land steward, will report on some of the Land Trust’s incredible successes--not just the $4.2 million in a matter of months to buy the 654 acres of the Trillium forest, but also the status of the 150 acres we’ve procured for salmon and waterfowl on Dugualla Bay, and highlights of other North Whidbey protection projects like the 50 acres of forest and field on Zylstra Road. For details about the Sustainability Lecture series, call 360-279-4762.

Executive Director Pat Powell, featured guest at Clinton Library program

2010-11-30T14:33:00.000-08:00

It's been just over a year since Pat Powell, our executive director, was interviewed for the book, Whidbey Island's Special Places. For this book, author Dan Pedersen interviewed local guides who could help readers experience Whidbey Island through their own voices and eyes. He says, "I chose 10 individuals and couples whose passions range from birds to orcas, to flying, diving, biology, forestry, cemeteries, lighthouses, land protection, recreation and small-town life."

This event honors the community volunteers who help keep the Clinton library going, and brings them together with as many as possible of those featured in the book to talk about the things they love on Whidbey Island.

Meet Pat and others featured in the book when they gather at Clinton Community Hall, at 7 pm, Thursday, December 2. The program is sponsored by Clinton Library.

More Details:http://wildwhidbey.blogspot.com/2010/11/dec-2nd-meet-remarkable-people-of.html

The Land Trust’s Story Told at Oak Harbor Library

2010-11-19T12:42:00.000-08:00

Did you know that our local library system contains a wealth of materials about land conservation, our earth’s natural resources, wildlife and habitat? Guess what? The Whidbey Camano Land Trust is featured in the Oak Harbor library’s main display case. Between now and November 30, the display features information about the Land Trust. It highlights its current projects on North Whidbey. Part of the display are books and materials available for reference and check-out. They help tell the “big picture” story of land protection with a focus on land protection in Island County. Check out this fantastic display on your next visit to the library! Library location, hours, and directions>

Don’t Miss Out! Register for this weekend’s Ebey’s Forever Conference

2010-11-03T09:22:00.000-07:00

The Land Trust is proud to help sponsor (and be one of the field trip leaders!) of the 3rd Annual Ebey’s Forever Conference and Community Event on November 5 and 6. The conference offers a slate of behind-the-scenes field trips, workshops, local music, and a taste of Ebey’s – hosted by experts in agriculture, historic preservation, and sustainability. The conference’s keynote address, workshops, and field trips take place or start at the Camp Casey Conference Center.

Field trips are filling up but there’s still some room in the Land Trust-led “Adventures with Giant Trees” field trip. Join us on this trip where you will explore the oldest and gnarliest trees on Whidbey Island up close and personal with Whidbey Camano Land Trust leaders. You’ll also find out what these monsters eat for breakfast and other cool science facts about this rare patch of old-growth coastal forest.

Online registration closes at midnight on Thursday, November 4. See the conference website for up-to-date info on space available in sessions and field trips and to register online.

Photos from Trillium Celebration Now Online

2010-10-29T12:20:00.000-07:00

Enjoy the slideshow below that captures the festivities at our Trillium celebration last Sunday. Thank you to Cac Kamak for taking these photos and to Dan Pedersen for sharing his photos on our Facebook page.

Trillium Celebration Recap

2010-10-25T17:14:00.000-07:00

"I'm sure you all recognize and appreciate that forests survive on rain and that they are tested and strengthened by the winds, " said Land Trust Board President Tom Cahill as he welcomed more than 200 Trillium supporters to the Land Trust’s celebration at the M-Bar-C Ranch on Sunday, October 24. Outside the arena, the rain fell and the gusts flew by, but inside, all who attended cheered and congratulated each other for the perseverance and creativity that raised the money to purchase the Trillium property. Now, it’s saved for wildlife and current and future generations. Island County Commissioner Helen Price Johnson and Land Trust Development Director Elizabeth Guss continued Tom’s sentiments, thanking everyone for the over-the top-top support that went into the campaign and recognized those whose support came in the forms of donations, in-kind gifts, endorsements, partnerships, and moral support. Executive Director Pat Powell talked about the Land Trust’s other active projects and encouraged people to support the Land Trust’s work into the future, including stewardship of the Trillium property. The program ended with the Earth Song Riddle, inspired by the Trillium project and composed by member Pushkara Ashford. The Land Trust also thanks all of its guests who brought food donations, we left the ranch with three barrels of food for our local food banks.

Crockett Lake Work Party

2010-09-10T10:45:00.000-07:00

September 19th – 10am-12:30pm

Be the first to participate in a work party at our Crockett Lake conservation easement, which is located on the fields just north of Crockett Lake. This property is not open to the public, and opportunities to see it are rare. We’ll be digging and cutting blackberries, so we’ll get a good workout while enjoying this beautiful area.

If you're interested in attending, contact Jessica at Jessica@wclt.org, or call 360-222-3310. We’ll send directions and details after you RSVP. We look forward to seeing you! This is a special, first-time event so we hope you can make it.

Hammons Preserve Work Party

2010-09-10T10:34:00.000-07:00

Saturday, September 11th
9 am to 12:00 pm
Hammons Preserve (in the Cultus Bay area)

There is scotch broom hidden in the field that is waiting to be pulled, and we have weed wrenches at the ready! We’ll also be installing the new sign, and it's a beauty!
Please come prepared for the weather.
Directions:

From Highway 525, turn south onto Cultus Bay Road.
Continue on Cultus Bay Road to the intersection of E. Possession Road.
Continue straight on E. Possession Road about 50 yards (Cultus Bay Road turns right).
The Preserve and parking area are on the north (left) side of the road.

Learn how natives used some of the plants that grow in the Trillium Woods

2010-07-19T16:48:00.000-07:00

Native plant steward Cleveland Hall shares her botanical and ethnobotanical knowledge about the flora in the Trillium Woods.

Sunday, August 15 at noon

RSVP atinfo@wclt.org or 360.222.3310

Bike through the Trillium Woods

2010-07-19T16:47:00.000-07:00

David Gardiner leads this family tour on the logging roads in the Trillium Woods.
Sunday, August 1 at noon

RSVP at info@wclt.org or 360.222.3310

Explore the connection between land and the life it supports

2010-07-19T16:41:00.000-07:00

Elliott Menashe leads this forest ecology tour in the Trillium Woods.

Sunday, July 25 at noon

RSVP at info@wclt.org or 360.222.3310

Prairie restoration supported by economic stimulus money

2010-05-11T11:53:00.000-07:00

Prairie restoration efforts by the Whidbey Camano Land Trust continue in May with the clearing of another 0.75 acres of trees from a former prairie on the Land Trust’s Naas Natural Area Preserve near Coupeville. This work will be carried out by a local company as part of a $200,000 American Recovery and Restoration Act (ARRA) grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Program. The goal of the grant is to restore the rare golden paintbrush (Castilleja levisecta) and associated native prairie habitat at the Naas Preserve.

“We’re using economic stimulus money to hire local businesses that will help with tree and shrub removal, mowing and planting,” says Cheryl Lowe, land steward for the Whidbey Camano Land Trust. “We also paid local growers to gather seed and raise native plants for us. Last fall, 10 local landscape contractors helped us plant more than 17,000 of those plants in the prairie. Now we’ve hired Pioneer Tree Service to help with more tree removal.” The tree clearing will connect two fields that were once a single prairie remnant.

The Naas Preserve shelters one of the twelve remaining populations of golden paintbrush left in the world. The paintbrush is listed as a federally threatened species and considered endangered in Washington State.

Prairies were once prevalent on central Whidbey Island, and the tree removal is yet another step in a long-term plan to restore a piece of it. Less than one percent of Whidbey Island’s native prairies remain, and the Naas Preserve is one of the largest prairie remnants.

The trees to be removed invaded the prairie grassland over the last 10 to 15 years. “The process will be as low impact as possible,” says Mark Sheehan, Naas Project Manager with the Whidbey Camano Land Trust. “We’re donating logs that are large enough to be used as firewood to a local charity that provides firewood to those in need.”

After removing the trees, the Land Trust will prepare the site and plant native grasses, sedges and wildflowers. Many of these species have become uncommon or rare on Whidbey Island due the loss of prairie habitat. Ultimately, golden paintbrush will be reintroduced to the cleared site as part of a multi-agency effort to recover this species to a self-sustaining level.

“We’re privileged to use these funds to restore the historic prairie habitat at the Naas Preserve and, at the same time, help the economy of our community by supporting local businesses on Whidbey Island,” says Pat Powell, executive director for the Land Trust.

The Whidbey Camano Land Trust will host at least four public tours of the restoration area over the next two years. The property is owned and managed by the Whidbey Camano Land Trust, and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources holds a conservation easement.

Discover a different kind of agriculture: tour a conifer seed orchard in Ebey’s Reserve

2010-04-12T09:58:00.000-07:00

A summer drive through Ebey’s Reserve reveals thriving fields of barley, corn, and other crops that we commonly associate with agriculture. But there’s another, far less conventional, crop that grows in Ebey’s Reserve: the seeds of Douglas-fir, noble fir, western hemlock, western red cedar, and western white pine trees. This crop, which is used for reforestation, is raised at Longview Timber’s seed orchard. The orchard, which was protected in 2005 by the Whidbey Camano Land Trust via a conservation easement, is opening for rare presentations and public tours on April 16th and 17th.

"Whidbey Island is an ideal location for the seed orchard because the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains makes the weather extremely dry in May and June," says Dan Cress, the independent consultant who will be giving presentations and leading tours along with Rick Brooker of Longview Timber. "May and June is when the buds for next year’s pollen and cone buds set, and dry weather has a huge impact on the quality and quantity of cones that get picked a year and a half later."

The seed orchard is young and not yet in full production, but in another six years, it will produce tens of thousands of cones that will be shipped to Oregon. There, the seeds will be extracted from the cones and then shipped to tree nurseries across the Northwest, where they’ll be sown. The trees spend one or two years in the nurseries before being hand planted in Western Washington and Oregon. It takes forty to sixty years for them to grow to harvestable size, and then the cycle begins again.

When it’s in full production, the 38-acre seed orchard will generate enough seeds reforest 4,000 acres of land every other year.

There are two free presentations and tours: one takes place on April 16th from 4 to 6:30 p.m. and another on April 17th from 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Each participant will receive several free tree seedlings of different varieties at the end of the tour. Space is limited. To take part, please sign up in advance by calling the Whidbey Camano Land Trust at (360) 222-3310 or by emailing info@wclt.org. The Land Trust will provide directions when you reserve your spot.

Hammons Preserve Work Party (near Cultus Bay)

2010-04-06T12:18:00.000-07:00

We have a new round of wetland plants to put around our stream. Come and see how our previous plantings are doing and add to the restoration efforts! Please RSVP by calling Jessica at 360.222.3310.

Wednesday, April 14

9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Location

WCLT News & Activities

April Activities for All!

Public Open House in Oak Harbor on 4/7

See Advance Screening of PBS John Muir Documentary

Walk of the Month: Saturday 3/26 at Trillium Community Forest

Walk of the Month: Saturday 2/26 at Fairfax Preserve

Saturday, February 26 at 1:00 pm

2/24 Volunteer Celebration Canceled

Whidbey Camano Land Trust to be featured on BirdNote®

Hammons Preserve Work Party on 2/19

Hammons Work PartySaturday, February 19th 9AM - Noon

Land Trust Kicks Off Monthly Walks in January

Saturday, January 29 at 10:00 am

Saturday, February 26 at 1:00 pm

Registration Now Open for Sound Waters

Sound Waters

Land Trust office will be open on 12/31

Land Trust to present program on North Whidbey Projects on Dec 14

Executive Director Pat Powell, featured guest at Clinton Library program

The Land Trust’s Story Told at Oak Harbor Library

Don’t Miss Out! Register for this weekend’s Ebey’s Forever Conference

Photos from Trillium Celebration Now Online

Trillium Celebration Recap

Crockett Lake Work Party

September 19th – 10am-12:30pm

Hammons Preserve Work Party

Learn how natives used some of the plants that grow in the Trillium Woods

Bike through the Trillium Woods

Explore the connection between land and the life it supports

Prairie restoration supported by economic stimulus money

Discover a different kind of agriculture: tour a conifer seed orchard in Ebey’s Reserve

Hammons Preserve Work Party (near Cultus Bay)

Hammons Work Party
Saturday, February 19th 9AM - Noon