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SUNSET BEACH, VENDOVI ISLAND | HEATHER BANSMER
July 2021
Postcard from the Islands
Help us protect the islands you love!
PRESERVATION TRUST NEWS
KEEL PRESERVE WATERFALL | STAFF ARCHIVE
NEW ORCAS PRESERVE
Acquisition of the 42-acre Keel property builds on the success of a neighborhood-conservation effort that began in 1998. That’s when more than 60 private donors—including many community members in the Doe Bay and Olga areas—came together to acquire a beloved mountain bald locally known as “The Hogback.”
BANDED FLEDGLINGS | BRAIN CLARK
BUTTERFLY LARVA | STAFF ARCHIVE
MIDSEASON UPDATES
Western Bluebird Project: To date, we estimate the adult population on San Juan Island at between 26-30 birds.



Island Marble Butterfly Expansion Project: This spring, we were thrilled to discover—for the second time since the butterfly gardens were created in 2016—the presence of Island Marble Butterfly eggs and larvae on our habitat patch at the Frazer Homestead Preserve.
PETER KILPATRICK | STAFF ARCHIVE
REBOOTING THE
RED MILL
Pete Kilpatrick takes his role as an active community member seriously, and has stepped up his game after he retired last year from owning and managing Ravenhill Construction. “I’ve always placed a high priority on my volunteer work, even when I was buried with the management of Ravenhill.”

Check out the projects Pete is taking on now that he's "retired"!
MEGHAN HOWARD, TROY BUCKLEY
NEW LAND STEWARDS
Our Stewardship staff is growing to meet the expanding demands of our mission to care for the land under SJPT's protection. Meghan Howard joined us in June, and is taking over stewardship duties on Orcas Island. Troy Buckley, our 2020-21 Volunteer of the Year, is now working for SJPT part-time. He's looking after protected land on Lopez, Stuart, and the Wasp Islands.
SJPT STAFF ON VENDOVI | STAFF ARCHIVE
WE'RE HIRING!
Join our team! Or help us spread the word that the Preservation Trust is currently seeking applicants for three open positions: a Major Gift Officer, Office Manager, and Finance Administrator. Apply soon—interviews are underway!
LEAVE YOUR LEGACY IN THE SAN JUAN ISLANDS
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The Gann Society is a group of individuals who have notified us that they have provided for the San Juan Preservation Trust in their estate plans.

Protect these islands for generations to come with a bequest to the San Juan Preservation Trust. 
UPCOMING EVENTS
July 17 Open House at the Marilyn & Fred Ellis Preserve
Tour the historic Tharald Homestead, browse items for sale at “Fred’s Shed,” and enjoy the Sylvan Loop Trail during our July Open House at the Marilyn and Fred Ellis Preserve on Shaw Island.

10:30am–3:00pm
August 7 Encounters with Entomologists and Friends
Entomologists Owen Cass and Christina Mitchell will lead us on a “bug hunt” at the Ellis Preserve, sharing close-up views of a variety of insects and highlighting their function in the ecosystem.

1:00pm–3:00pm
August 14 Celebrating Cedar
Following the Ellis Preserve’s Sylvan Loop Trail, we will visit a grove of old-growth western red cedar to experience the impressive stature and powerful spirit of these coastal lowland forest denizens. Doug Couvalier and Ruthie Dougherty will share information and stories of the unique natural and cultural history of this signature species, enriching our understanding and appreciation of the arborvitae, “tree of life.”

1:00pm–3:00pm
August 21 Living on an Ancient Village: The archeological landscape of the San Juans
Every vista, shoreline, forest, meadow, and wetland we cherish in the San Juans was, for thousands of years, the homeland of indigenous peoples. Archeologist and anthropologist James Macrae will demonstrate why it’s important to understand and accurately represent native cultures, and how that knowledge will enrich future generation’s connection to place.

1:00pm–3:00pm
PHOTO OF THE MONTH
SPORTSMAN'S LAKE, SAN JUAN ISLAND | ELIZABETH GADBOIS
“This was a setting that I witnessed when I was running to catch the early ferry. The jaw-dropping Strawberry Moon was setting over Sportsman's Lake. I didn’t have my big camera so this is just an iPhone shot. The actual scene was even more spectacular.” –Liz Gadbois
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The San Juan Preservation Trust
PO Box 759, Friday Harbor, WA 98250
360-378-2461 | SJPT.org