Bridge Way Restoration
Demolished and Polished: Restoring functioning coastal wetland habitat at California Creek Bridge Way On a cold January morning, Stewardship Director Jennifer Mackey bundled up her young daughter Maizee to experience stewardship in action– the demolition of an asbestos-filled house at Whatcom Land Trust’s California Creek Bridge Way (Bridge Way) property. Whatcom Land Trust (the Trust) …
Continuing a Legacy of Conservation
Continuing a Legacy of Conservation at Nautilus Tree Farm The purpose of placing land in trust is to ensure that it will be protected across many generations, in perpetuity. Some of the land protected by the Whatcom Land Trust is held in private ownership but protected by conservation easements–legal agreements that limit land use and …
The next generation of stewards
Whatcom Land Trust’s community partnership with Explorations Academy It’s a stormy December day at Whatcom Land Trust’s California Creek property. Fifteen middle and high school aged students, clad in rain gear, are planting saplings across an open field. Sounds of shovels are interspersed with laughter and shouts of “I’m the best blue-tuber!”. Wait- they said …
A Day in the Life: Volunteer Land Steward
A Day in the Life: Roz Spitzer, Volunteer Land Steward Roz Spitzer has been a Volunteer Land Steward (VLS) at Whatcom Land Trust’s Fenton Nature Reserve for the last four years. Volunteers like Roz are the reason Whatcom Land Trust is able to protect and care for more than 6,000 acres of land we own …
Caring for Land Forever
Caring for Land Forever An interview with Whatcom Land Trust Stewardship Director Jenn Mackey Jenn Mackey sits down with her laptop, her six-month-old daughter Maizee, a (now cold) mug of tea, and a look of determination. This is the status quo for Whatcom Land Trust’s Stewardship Director, who leads a coalition of staff and dedicated …
Restoration & Recovery
The importance of habitat restoration in rebuilding salmon and orca populations Southern Resident killer whales, or orcas, are emblematic of the Pacific Northwest, but sadly their population is declining at an alarming rate. Three pods of these whales were listed as endangered in the United States in 2005. Since then, there has been an immense …
New Year’s Note from the Executive Director
Dear Friends, Because of your generous support last year, we were able to conserve 10 new properties totaling 1,286 acres and more than four miles of riparian habitat. We completed six new conservation easements that include 54 acres of farmland and 216 acres of forestland. We were also successful in acquiring four new fee-title properties …
Community Partnerships Help Farmers Grow: An Update on Alluvial Farms
Community Partnerships Help Farmers Grow: An Update on Alluvial Farms By Lorraine Wilde and Aneka Sweeney It takes a village to build a farm and keep it viable long-term. In 2015, Katie Pencke and Matthew McDermott founded Alluvial Farms. For over two years, the couple from Seattle and Michigan searched for and bid without success …
A Forever Commitment: Stewarding Land in Perpetuity
By Amanda McKay and Danielle Taylor Walking through the wet grass, Danielle could hear the rushing river before she could see it. As Whatcom Land Trust’s Stewardship Assistant, Danielle works to monitor Land Trust protected properties throughout Whatcom County, and on this cool, damp day she happened to find herself along the North Fork of …
Stewardship on Four Legs
Partnering with the Backcountry Horsemen of Whatcom County On a beautiful day in mid-July, four Whatcom Land Trust staff members mounted three horses and one mule to join members of the Backcountry Horsemen of Whatcom County (BCHW) on a trail ride. As we rode through the mixed landscapes of northern Whatcom County, we talked about …
