It's time to celebrate the successful acquisition of the North Shore (aka Glenwood Inn) property! The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank now owns the 58-acre waterfront parcel and has begun the considerable work of site planning, public consultation, permitting, and project implementation that will be required before the preserve can open safely for public recreational access.

The acquisition permanently protects a vital stretch of shoreline in one of the highest-priority areas for salmon recovery. To help finance this landmark project, the Preservation Trust is raising funds to purchase a conservation easement from the Land Bank. Please consider partnering with us to protect salmon and provide much-needed public beach access. Click here to make a gift via our secure website.

Our new Education Specialist, Liz Doane, has had a busy first summer advancing the “Care” and “Connect” aspects of the Preservation Trust’s mission by fostering youth service-learning opportunities on SJPT-protected lands.

The season got off to an electrifying start in July, when Liz arrived on Waldron Island in the midst of a rare thunderstorm. She was there to welcome a group of campers and counselors from nearby Camp Nor’Wester. ...

Under the guidance of fisheries biologist Dr. Tina Echeverria, a small group of Shaw islanders recently experienced the process of nearshore seining at the Preservation Trust’s Marilyn and Fred Ellis Preserve. Along with diverse sculpins and flatfish, the group noted an abundance of sand lance. This was a pleasant surprise, as these are a particular favorite of young salmon.

In early June, volunteers participating in SJPT’s Western Bluebird Reintroduction Project spotted and photographed a pair of bluebirds nesting in a natural cavity of a Garry oak tree—a first in the 15-year history of the project. Just over a month later, the same pair came back, returning to the same hole in the same tree to raise a second brood. Or, you could say, lightning struck twice.

Sandi Burt and Ruthie Dougherty will introduce basics of journaling and sketching as ways of creating a record of observations experienced in the outdoors. No previous experience or artistic ability required. Materials will be supplied, or BYO favorite pen or journal if you have one.

The homestead of early settler Theodore Tharald is at the center of the Preservation Trust’s Marilyn & Fred Ellis Preserve on Shaw Island. We’re pleased to offer guided tours of the homestead, sharing what we know of a long and rich history of connection to place, industriousness, and the ultimate gift of an extraordinary conservation legacy.

Join us to help take care of some forest thinning, debris piles, and other fire-mitigation work at the Celia Hunter Preserve on western San Juan Island. SJPT staff will operate chainsaws while our volunteers will create habitat piles with the slash.

We want to ensure that our protected lands on Henry Island are as snug as possible to close out the year. Join other volunteers for an autumn Saturday on Henry, where we’ll install some plant plugs, pull selected invasives, and work on some other tasks to prepare for winter.