Reaccreditation 2023
Whatcom Land Trust Earns National Recognition Since 1984, Whatcom Land Trust has been working to protect Whatcom County’s special places for future generations. Today, the National Land Trust Accreditation Commission announced Whatcom Land Trust has received accreditation for the second time – proving once again that, as part of a network of over 450 accredited …
Conserving Galbraith Mountain
Conserving Galbraith Mountain How community partners rallied together to protect Bellingham’s recreation hub – Forever. On Galbraith Mountain, conservation, recreation and working timberland coexist in harmony. Just a short walk from downtown Bellingham, Galbraith is a world-class destination for all types of recreation – including mountain biking, hiking and trail running. Many Whatcom County residents …
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 …
