| | | Hello Friend, As a kid who grew up in New England, I look forward to the first snow each year. The quiet that descends on the forest is one of a kind. The joy of listening to chittering birds and watching for flashes of color as they dart through the understory is second to my love of seeking out tracks, following critters small and large as they pass through my neighborhood. Having grown up in a seaside town, I also love heading to the shore to admire the changing colors of the seawater and watch for the misty exhalations from seals. This winter spirit of exploration and connection to nature runs through our February activities. From our upcoming bird count at Hansville Greenway to our climate-adapted tree planting across five different preserves, there are many ways to embrace the season. Now that these first snows have come to Kitsap, I'm curious: what winter wonders are you discovering outdoors? Yours in exploration, |
|  | Samantha Hale
Communications Manager
samantha@greatpeninsula.org
www.greatpeninsula.org P.S. While I love winter, I was thrilled to escape to Walt Disney World last week for some sun! My family and I enjoyed the warm weather while exploring EPCOT. |
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| | | | Save The Date: GPC's 2025 Conservation Celebration |
|  | Save the date! Great Peninsula Conservancy’s annual fundraiser will return to the beautiful Kiana Lodge on June 5th for dinner, drinks, and speakers, including a keynote address by Dr. Pooja Tandon, Director of Health for Trust for Public Land and author of Digging into Nature, and a traditional story by Barbara Lawrence, Suquamish Tribal Elder.
Registration opens in March to buy individual tickets. If you’d like to reserve a table and dinner for eight guests ($1,600), email katherine@greatpeninsula.org. |
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| Winter Planting 4,660 New Trees to Our Preserves |
|  | Did you know that winter can be an ideal time to plant? Unlike other regions of the Pacific Northwest, our ground rarely becomes inaccessible due to snow and doesn't remain frozen for long, making winter planting both possible and beneficial. When planted during their dormant season, tree seedlings and native shrubs can focus their energy on establishing strong root systems, rather than maintaining leaves and flowers. This gives them a head start before the demanding growth period of spring arrives. In January and February, GPC stewardship staff are working with volunteers and contractors to plant a total of 4,660 native trees and shrubs across five preserves. |
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| Salmon in the Classroom Volunteer Training Dates |
|  | The Salmon in the Classroom program at Clear Creek in Silverdale needs volunteers for elementary school field trips in March. No experience necessary! Attend a volunteer training on either March 4 (morning and afternoon) or March 8 (morning) and learn how to support student engagement through four field trip stations: water quality, stream bugs, habitat, and salmon release. RSVP for a training that works best for you. All three trainings cover the same material, no need to attend more than one. All volunteers must attend one training and consent to a background check. 2025 field trips will take place March 11 – April 2 with morning and afternoon volunteer opportunities available. Specific dates and times for field trips are coming soon. |
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| | Our volunteer sign up forms are getting a facelift! Starting in February, GPC is rolling out new processes for our wonderful volunteers. You'll see some new steps when you sign up for our upcoming work parties, trail events, and other volunteer opportunities. In order to streamline our volunteer onboarding, we'll be using a new system called Bloomerang that allows you to self-select volunteer opportunities, track your hours, connect with staff, and receive all the details in one place. To learn more please reach out to . |
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| | | Clear Creek Volunteer Meet & Greet GPC invites you to continue to make Silverdale's premier trail a safe, clean, and essential community asset. On Saturday, February 8th from 10:00am – 12:00pm we will be holding an open house at the Clear Creek Sa’qad Interpretive Center (the “Red Barn” at 9641 Levin Rd NW, Silverdale, WA 98383) to discuss plans for this next life stage of the Clear Creek Trail. We have lots to talk about, from a new Joint Use Agreement between Kitsap County to the many ways you and your businesses and families can help strengthen this essential community partnership. No RSVP necessary - we'll see you there! When: Saturday, February 8th, 10:00am – 12:30pm Where: Clear Creek Sa’qad Interpretive Center, aka the “Red Barn, at 9641 Levin Rd NW, Silverdale, WA 98383 |
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| Walk and Talk: Backyard Bird Count Join Kevin Eyer, Co-President of the Kitsap Audubon Society and GPC for a Walk & Talk through the scenic and ! As we explore, you'll learn about local conservation efforts while participating in the 2025 Great Backyard Bird Count, a global citizen science initiative that engages thousands of bird enthusiasts worldwide. During this fun and informative Walk & Talk, we'll count birds and document species diversity, contributing our observations to birdcount.org to help create a real-time snapshot of bird populations. When: Saturday, February 15th, 10:00am – 12:30pm Where: Hansville Greenway and Hansville Greenway Highlands |
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| Stewardship Work Party Join us for our February stewardship work party! Working with GPC staff, we’ll be maintaining the future of Grovers Creek Preserve by caring for our newest saplings. These young trees, planted just last month, were selected for their southern genotypes from Oregon and California seedstocks, making them better adapted to warmer, drier conditions. These climate-adapted saplings represent hope for our forest’s future, but their success depends on careful maintenance in these early months. By fixing tree supports and removing weeds, you’ll help ensure these special trees get the strong start they need. You can make a lasting impact on one of GPC’s most ambitious restoration projects to date! When: Saturday, February 22nd, 10:00am – 12:30pm Where: Grovers Creek Preserve in Poulsbo, WA |
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| Clear Creek Barn Clean Up Are you interested in moving, cleaning, or organizing? Come on down to the Clear Creek Sa’qad Interpretive Center (the “Red Barn”) on Wednesday, February 26th from 10am – 2pm to get this diamond in the rough cleaned up to be our central hub for community events, trainings, education opportunities, and lectures. We are looking for six to eight volunteers to fill the roles of moving furniture (must be able to lift 25lbs), cleaning, organizing, and tagging along on truck runs to the charity shops and transfer stations. When: Wednesday, February 26th, 10:00am – 2:00pm Where: Clear Creek Sa’qad Interpretive Center, aka the “Red Barn, at 9641 Levin Rd NW, Silverdale, WA 98383 |
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| Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour - Bremerton, WA Get ready for a night of adventure, breathtaking films, and giving back! Join us for the Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour at the Roxy Theatre in Bremerton, WA, March 7-8th, 2025. In partnership with Live to Play (@mountaingear), GPC has been selected as a benefiting organization of ticket proceeds! Let’s come together to celebrate the spirit of adventure and make a positive impact. When: Friday and Saturday, March 7-8th, doors open at 6:00pm, show begins at 7:00pm Where: Roxy Theatre, 270 4th St, Bremerton, WA 98337 |
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| "For the Birds" Concert For the Birds features a jazz quintet performing the original music of Seattle pianist and composer Nelda Swiggett. But this is not just a concert. The performance engages the power of artistic expression — live music, spoken words, images and poetry — to connect audiences deeply and emotionally to the scientific realities of climate change. Ultimately a story of hope, individuals leave the performance feeling empowered to take meaningful action. When: Friday, March 14th, 7:30pm – 8:30pm Where: Grace Episcopal Church, Bainbridge Island |
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| | | GPC Legacy Member Highlight: Scott Kuykendall |
| | “We can’t simply wait and hope for someone else to rescue us from situations like the climate crisis and ongoing threats to natural resources. That’s magical thinking. With a legacy gift to GPC, I feel like I’ve got a stake in the outcome — I feel like I’ll actually help to make a difference. By this example, I hope others might be empowered and inspired to do the same.” We’re excited to recognize our newest Legacy Society member, Hansville resident and artist, Scott Kuykendall! Scott generously chose to include Great Peninsula Conservancy in his will with a gift to GPC’s Hansville Highlands property, part of the Hansville Greenway. When he isn’t busy tramping through the Greenway, Scott is a designer and painter. Visit our website to learn more about Scott and how he's leaving his mark. |
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| | Sponsorship opportunities are now available for GPC's Conservation Celebration on Thursday, June 5th, 2025. We'd love to partner with your company, small business, or community organization to highlight our shared commitment to protecting our local lands and waters. Visit our website for more information on sponsorship opportunities, or reach out directly to Katherine Tacke, Development Manager at: katherine@greatpeninsula.org, (360) 373-3500 ext. 107. |
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