| | | | | | | | Hi Friend, Happy New Year! What a year 2025 was—together, we protected 337 acres, tracked over 2,400 volunteer hours, and connected nearly 3,000 young people with the natural world. As we turn the page to 2026, I find myself drawn back outside, even in the heart of winter. There's something about January that I love—the way the rain brings out the many shades of green, how the fog hangs low in the trees, and the quiet stillness that settles over the shorelines. The forests are soaked, the streams are running high, and everything smells like moss and cedar. It's the kind of weather that invites you to stay indoors with a crackling fire and good book. But also the sort of weather that makes our home so special. I'm looking forward to muddy boots, misty mornings, and rainy days spent outdoors with our community. So grab your rain jacket, embrace the wet and wild, and join us out there. January's the perfect time to get involved. Best wishes, | | | | | | | | A Huge Thank You to Our Volunteers | | | | As we step into a new year, we're looking back at 2025 with so much gratitude. Together, we completed over 2,400 volunteer hours—and the impact is incredible.  Our dedicated land stewards logged 140 hours of independent monitoring, keeping watch over the places we've protected.  Our Clear Creek Trail Team grew to 138 volunteers strong.  And through Land Labs, we connected with 2,950 students, sharing the wonder of the natural world with the next generation. These efforts remind us why this work matters: when we come together as a community, we create real, lasting change for the forests, streams, and trails we love. Thank you for everything you do. We can't wait to see what we'll accomplish together in 2026.  Want to get involved? Visit our website to learn more: https://greatpeninsula.org/volunteer-opportunities/ | | | | | | Save the Date: GPC's 2026 Events Are Here! | | | | Our 2026 event calendar just landed in mailboxes across the peninsula, and we're excited to share what's ahead! From guided Walk & Talks to hands-on Stewardship Work Parties, we've lined up incredible opportunities to explore, learn, and care for our local landscapes. - Walk & Talks: Discover Southern Residents at Cohoe Beach, go birding at Grovers Creek Preserve, try nature journaling at Banner Forest, join the City Nature Challenge, and more!
- Stewardship Work Parties: Roll up your sleeves for tree planting, habitat building, invasive species removal, and other essential conservation work across our community forests and preserves.
Visit our website to explore the full calendar and save the dates for events that speak to you: greatpeninsula.org/event-calendar. Registration for January events is open now. For events in February and beyond, registration opens one month in advance, so mark your calendars now and watch for registration announcements! We can't wait to see you out there in 2026! | | | | | | | | Year-End Campaign Success | | | | Together we raised $200,000 and activated the year-end $100,000 match for conservation close to home! Thank you, our amazing community of supporters, for protecting the forests, farms, shorelines, and community trails we all cherish. We’re grateful to head into the new year with this momentum—and with you alongside us. | | | | | | Save the Date: 2026 Conservation Celebration | |  | GPC's signature fundraising event, the Conservation Celebration, will return on Thursday, June 4, 2026. We sold out last year (turns out you really love a good party for a good cause!), so this year we’re moving to the beautiful event space overlooking Agate Pass at the Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort—to welcome even more friends, fun, and fundraising for the lands we love. Don’t miss it! Individual ticket sales open in March. Want to reserve a sponsorship or table for eight? Please contact Development Manager Katherine Tacke at 360-373-3500 x 107 or katherine@greatpeninsula.org. | | | | | | Newberry Woods Community Forest Video | |  | The Newberry Woods Community Forest is the first of its kind in this region. A place being restored not just for nature, but for the people who call this area home. With better community access and invasive species cleared out, it’s becoming a space where community and ecology meet. Our friends at Applied Ecology LLC did a wonderful job capturing the various stages of the recent transformation at Newberry Woods. The quiet work, the big ideas, and the long view. This isn’t just about land. It’s about what it means to care for something you may never see finished. | | | | | | | | Special Call to Action: Sign-On to Help Create GPC's Newest Community Forest | | | | We need your help! Next week, the state legislative session begins and we ask that you sign-on to a letter urging legislators to fund the Community Forest Program at its historic levels. By adding your name, you will help secure $3 million toward the creation of the proposed community forest at Ueland Tree Farm. Also known by the Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) project name, Green Mountain Community Forest, the proposed community forest would be owned and operated by GPC. Signing takes one minute and will show our state elected officials that protecting and stewarding natural areas and connecting people to nature are important, real-world ways to improve our community. Read and sign the letter by clicking the button below. Thank you! | | | | | | | | Stewardship Team in Search of a Sharpening Wizard ✨ | |  | Are you familiar with sharpening tools? Do you possess some skills and knowledge that you'd like to share with our stewardship department? We're looking for one volunteer to sharpen some of our non-motorized equipment (shovels, pick mattocks, axes, loppers). The volunteer can use our garage and gear to get the job done—they just have to know how to do it effectively. Interested volunteers should contact Micaela Petrini, Stewardship Manager, at micaela@greatpeninsula.org. | | | | | | | | | | Clear Creek Trail Work Party Start the new year strong by volunteering at the Clear Creek Trail in Silverdale! Join GPC for our monthly work party as we tackle essential trail maintenance tasks, including removing invasive plants, picking up litter, repairing boardwalks, and more. Whether you’re a seasoned volunteer or new to conservation efforts, everyone is welcome to help us welcome 2026 with an even better Clear Creek Trail! When: January 10th, 9:00am – 12:00pm Where: Silverdale, WA | | | | | | | | Creekside Guide Training If you're looking to volunteer as an environmental educator, this event is for you! Creekside Guides are our newest way to engage as volunteer environmental educators with GPC. Creekside Guides have the opportunity to work independently as volunteer educators along the Clear Creek Trail in Silverdale. We will meet at the Clear Creek Interpretive Center (Red Barn) to get hands-on training on our four environmentally themed 'Crates.' Program includes a short presentation and a walk-through of educational materials. Volunteers will get the opportunity to practice with Crate materials and mingle with other Guides. When: January 13th, 5:30pm – 6:30pm Where: Silverdale, WA | | | | | | | | Martin Luther King Jr Day of Service along the Clear Creek Trail Join Great Peninsula Conservancy staff and volunteers in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. for a day of service along the Clear Creek Trail. Bring your friends and family as we clean and beautify your local urban trail! Our teams will attempt to clean the entire 8-mile trail for a historic day together. When: January 19th, 10:00am – 12:00pm Where: Silverdale, WA | | | | | | | | Stewardship Work Party: Tree Planting and Maintenance at Grovers Creek Preserve Join Great Peninsula Conservancy for the first Stewardship Work Party of 2026 at Grovers Creek Preserve, north of Poulsbo! We will be planting trees and clearing vegetation around seedlings, giving you the chance to make a lasting impact on one of GPC’s most ambitious restoration projects to date. Grovers Creek Preserve serves as an important wildlife corridor and protects a significant portion of the Grovers Creek Watershed. At the work party, we will be stewarding an area that had been managed as a working forest for over 150 years, resulting in a dense, monocultured Douglas fir stand. GPC is now using a variety of forest management strategies to restore biodiversity, habitat structure, and climate resilience to the preserve. Learn more about our ongoing restoration efforts here: Climate Resilient Forest Management at Grovers Creek Preserve. When: January 24th, 10:00am – 12:30pm Where: North of Poulsbo, WA | | | | | | | | Walk & Talk: Southern Residents of the Salish Sea at Cohoe Beach Join us at Cohoe Beach as we investigate the most enigmatic and threatened group of animals in the Salish Sea—the Southern Resident orca! During this guided walk along the shoreline, we’ll discuss the many ways that protecting this keystone species benefits countless other organisms in the area. Learn about the challenges these magnificent whales face and what we can do to support their recovery. When: January 17th, 10:00am – 12:00pm Where: Kingston, WA | | | | | | | | Friends of Miller Bay Winter Work Parties | | The Friends of Miller Bay (FOMB) quarter one work party schedule is live! FOMB regularly holds work parties at GPC preserves within Miller Bay. Come out, and meet neighbors and members who care about our environment! Be sure to sign the waiver on the FOMB Volunteer Page and sign up so they know you're coming. 1st Quarter Schedule: -
Friday, January 9th: 9:00am - 4:30pm Miller Bay Preserve -
Friday, February 6th: 9:00am – 4:30pm Cowling Creek Forest Preserve -
Friday, March 13th: 9:00am - 4:30pm Miller Bay Preserve For more information, visit the FOMB Calendar or contact Paul Dorn directly at paul@dorn-enterprises.com | | | | | | | | Make a Difference While You Shop | |  | With your help, Columbia Sportswear has already raised over $250,000 for land trusts this holiday season! After seeing overwhelming support for local land conservation, Columbia has decided to extend their point-of-sale fundraising campaign through January 31. Customers can make a donation to support land trusts at the cash register when checking out at any Columbia retail store in the U.S. And every dollar donated will be matched, dollar for dollar, so you can double your impact. Plus, through a Land Trust Alliance grant program, your donations will have a local impact — your dollars will become small grants for local land trusts protecting lands and waters in your backyard. When you check out at the register, you'll have an opportunity to "round up" your purchase to support the national Land Trust Alliance (LTA). All donations made across the country will be equally distributed to selected land trusts. GPC is honored to have been selected as a grant recipient alongside 30 other land trusts. Visit the LTA website to learn more about the program. | | | | | | | | Sponsor Spotlight: Puget Sound Energy | | | | At GPC, we’re fortunate to partner with organizations that share our passion for protecting the land and waters that make our region special. This month, we’re excited to shine a spotlight on Puget Sound Energy. Through initiatives like charitable grants from the PSE Foundation and sponsorships for local organizations, PSE actively invests in programs that prioritize sustainability, diversity, and equity across the region. We’re grateful for their support of our ongoing efforts to manage forestlands using techniques that make our preserves more resilient to the hotter and drier conditions we are experiencing. Learn more about their work to keep our vibrant communities safe, supported, and thriving. | | | | | | Like what we're up to? Our work is made possible by generous donors like you. | | | |  | | | | | If this email was forwarded to you, you can join our e-news to receive your own copy in the future. | | | | | | | |
