In a recent Kitsap Sun article, journalist Josh Farley drew attention to the amazing lifetime achievements of Kitsap county arborist and community forester Jim Trainer. Jim was an incredible advocate for local conservation efforts, and he spent many years leading educational tours for Great Peninsula Conservancy on our preserves and local greenspaces. Former GPC staff…
Have You Met the Neighbors?
When news of COVID-19 swept the nation early last spring, it marked the beginning of a period of drastic change in many of our daily lives. This was no exception for the staff of Great Peninsula Conservancy. Almost overnight, we transitioned to working from home. GPC’s Spring Dinner was postponed and eventually cancelled, as were…
Great Peninsula Conservancy Earns National Recognition
Bremerton, Washington (Aug. 20, 2020) – One thing that unites us as a nation is land: Americans strongly support saving the open spaces they love. Founded in 2000, Great Peninsula Conservancy (GPC) has been doing just that for the people of west Puget Sound for the last twenty years. Great Peninsula Conservancy now announces it…
Celebrating Gary Cunningham’s Legacy
For half a century, Gary Cunningham lead the way for conservation in the Puget Sound region. As one of the founding fathers of Great Peninsula Conservancy, Gary’s recent passing has been keenly felt by our board, staff, and members. It is hard to envision GPC without Gary, but we know that every acre protected is…
Words from the Woods: straight from the source
Here it is. The last report from GPC’s 2019 NextGen Outdoor Camp. Be sure to tune in next year for more Words from the Woods! It was a whirlwind summer for NextGen Outdoor Campers. We rode bikes, horses, and waves. We picked plums, pulled ivy, and plotted the slope of Lions Park Beach. We learned…
Words from the Woods: from ponies to tide-pools
A few impactful words from NextGen Outdoor Camp’s Outdoor Education Specialist Skyler Schmidt. Skyler is a Washington native who spends his off-season teaching elementary school in Pacific Beach, and his summers teaching NextGen students how to embrace the wild places of his home state with confidence. Skyler, aka “Geoduck,” has a special talent for creating…
Words from the Woods: summer harvest
NextGen Outdoor Camp is beyond lucky to have Evergreen College grad Breanne Johnston interning with us this summer. Breanne aspires to teach middle-school history, and is using the summer to work closely with professional teachers Lauren Richardson and Skyler Schmidt to learn how to navigate our dynamic outdoor classroom, and to design curriculum that will…
Words from the Woods: a letter of thanks
NextGen Outdoor Camp students have the privilege of meeting with some phenomenal mentors this summer. These individuals have given of their time and resources to create impactful experiences for NextGen students that reflect GPC’s mission: to get students outside and provide them with the recreational and educational opportunities that will allow them to appreciate their…
Words from the Woods: for the next generation
Outside the Suquamish House of Awakened Culture, Denita Holmes sits on her knees gently sifting through strips of red cedar that rustle like paper as they settle on the lawn. She’s collected the cedar herself, and describes to the small group of NextGen Outdoor Camp students what that process entails. The tree must be at…