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Did you know? In March, GPC moved into a new office space – one that will allow our team to grow and thrive in the coming years. On August 24th, we're opening the doors for an Open House after our Work Party and Walk and Talk events; complete with a tour, snacks, and light drinks. Join our team to celebrate this exciting new chapter – and see our new 7' x 8' map of our working area while you're at it! Also this month: Get behind the scenes with the Stewardship team, celebrate Make-A-Will Month and secure your legacy of conservation support, explore an exciting new partnership, and join our partners for some exciting trainings. | |
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Behind the Scenes with Stewardship: Reports & Monitoring | |
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The restoration projects that GPC’s stewardship staff implement on our properties get a lot of attention, and rightly so. Our stewardship team are old hats at making GPC work parties feel like a fun day with friends! But how does the team know what to do, and when and where to do it? Enter the magic of documentation – never has administrative work been so cool! When GPC acquires a new property, our team conducts baseline documentation to record the condition of a property at the time of acquisition and identify the long-term management plans for the property. The documentation looks different based on what type of property was acquired – if it’s land that GPC purchased or was donated, staff create Management Plans; if it’s a conservation easement, staff create Baseline Documentation Reports. There are many similarities between the two, but the key difference is that the stewardship team doesn’t actively manage conservation easement land, they ensure the purpose and terms of the easement are upheld. Read on to learn more about the behind-the-scenes work that makes habitat restoration and land stewardship possible. | |
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Celebrate Make-A-Will Month: Secure Your Legacy and Support Conservation | |
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August is Make-A-Will Month, a perfect time to reflect on the legacy you wish to leave behind. By making a gift in your will to Great Peninsula Conservancy, you can help ensure that our cherished lands and waters are preserved for future generations. Join GPC's Legacy Society today to become part of a community dedicated to conservation and stewardship. Your planned gift will protect vital habitats, support sustainable land use, and foster a healthier planet for years to come. Including GPC in your will is a powerful act of generosity and foresight—together, we can safeguard the natural beauty and ecological integrity of our land. Right now, each new member who completes a legacy pledge form will unlock an additional $1,000 that goes immediately to GPC's work protecting ecologically important lands across the region. $14,000 has been activated since the beginning of the challenge. We're looking for six more pledges this year!
Any pledge, no matter the amount, unlocks this additional $1,000! Visit our website or contact Development Manager Katherine Tacke at katherine@greatpeninsula.org or (360) 373-3500 x 107 to learn more. | |
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Gig Harbor Land Conservation Fund Joins Forces with Great Peninsula Conservancy | |
The Gig Harbor Land Conservation Fund announced this week that it has officially joined forces with Great Peninsula Conservancy (GPC). The Fund was launched in January 2022 by a group of residents concerned about the loss of wildlife habitat and natural recreation areas in and around Gig Harbor and Key Peninsula. Since its inception, the Fund has raised over $100,000 for land conservation. The group has contributed to Phase 3 of the txʷaalqəł Conservation Area (five acres in the Donkey/North Creek watershed), the 15-acre Key Peninsula Parks ‘Lavender Farm’ purchase (now part of Key Central Forest), and the 11.5-acre Phase 4 parcel of the txʷaalqəł Conservation Area. With these three projects, the Fund will have helped conserve over 30-acres in just two short years. Learn more about how this exciting partnership with advance conservation in our area. | |
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Success at Summer of Stillwaters | |
On July 19th and 20th, the Kingston community came out to celebrate Great Peninsula Conservancy’s Summer of Stillwaters; a five event series celebrating the integration of Stillwaters Environmental Center as a program of Great Peninsula Conservancy. See more photos from the celebration. | |
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New Office Open House On August 24 we’re celebrating a new era of success and growth by opening the doors to our office on Kitsap Way in Bremerton. Join GPC staff, board, and friends at our new office for an open house on August 24, from 11am - 2pm. Visit our website to RSVP! When: Saturday, August 24th, from 11am - 2pm Where: GPC Office, 6536 Kitsap Way, Bremerton, WA 98312 | | | | | | | |
Walk and Talk: What's Going on at Clear Creek? Join Great Peninsula Conservancy for our next Walk and Talk all about “What’s going on at Clear Creek?” The Clear Creek Trail has been around for over 30 years now and GPC wants to honor the history and biodiversity of this unique urban creek trail. - Want to learn about the Suquamish, Clear Creek Task Force, or GPC history of the area?
- Or the diversity of habitats that Clear Creek’s urban trail has to offer?
- Maybe you’re interested in learning about some simple, easy to use, free tools to engage with nature in a more interactive meaningful way.
When: Saturday, August 24th, from 10am - 12pm Where: Clear Creek Trail Questions? Email Gabriel at gabriel@greatpeninsula.org | | | | | | | |
Work Party: The Great Scotch Broom Pull Join Great Peninsula Conservancy for PART 2 of “The Great Scotch Broom Pull” at Newberry Woods Community Forest! We’re excited to host our second work party at the new Community Forest and build on the amazing volunteer work completed in July. The Newberry Woods Community Forest spans 202 acres and contains 1.5 miles of the salmon-bearing Little Anderson Creek. This incredible forest, just north of the Newberry Hill Heritage Park, is home to trees that are over 100 years old and serves as a vital wildlife corridor to Hood Canal. It provides essential habitat for many birds, mammals, and other native wildlife.
Our goal is to maintain a stunning view of Mt. Baker and Hood Canal by removing invasive scotch broom from the walking trail, so the area remains a space for all to enjoy.
When: Saturday, August 24th, from 8:30am - 11am Where: Newberry Woods Community Forest, Silverdale, WA Questions? Email Ashlyn at ashlyn@greatpeninsula.org | | | | | |
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txʷaalqəł Conservation Area Expansion The txʷaalqəł Conservation Area, a protected wildlife corridor of high-quality habitat along the salmon-bearing North Creek (also known as Donkey Creek), has grown from an idea to more than 40-acres of conserved open space thanks to the City of Gig Harbor and partners, including Great Peninsula Conservancy, the Puyallup Tribe, Pierce County Conservation Futures, and the Gig Harbor Land Conservation Fund. GPC and the City of Gig Harbor have worked with the same partners (and some new ones!) to protect the last major piece to the Conservation Area. In July, the Gig Harbor City council approved the purchase of an additional 11 acres, as featured in Gig Harbor Now. | | | | | |
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European Green Crab Molt Search Training Join WSU Extension and Washington Sea Grant at a European Green Crab Molt Search Online Training on Tuesday, August 27th from 12pm - 1:30pm. Learn how to identify crabs by their molted shells and help stop the spread of the invasive European green crab by participating in this citizen science project. Visit the WSU to register and learn more. | | | | | | | |
Beachwalkers Needed! Beached Bird Training Session On Saturday, September 7, 11am – 4pm, the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST) will deliver an interactive, hands-on workshop on usage of the custom COASST field guide, Beached Birds. Participants will then have a chance to try out their newly acquired identification skills on seabird species common to the North Pacific. The COASST training provides participants with the tools to monitor for potential changes in the marine environment and promote stewardship of local marine resources. | | | | | |
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