Thanks to the hard work and dedication of Leadership Kitsap, GPC, and the community, Misery Point Preserve is officially open to the public! Despite the threat of rain, more than 80 attendees gathered to celebrate the opening and learn more about the unique and beautiful site. They were greeted to the soothing sounds of…
Taking a “Lichen” to Mosses & Lichens
On April 29, thirty people showed up in the Banner Forest Heritage Park’s parking lot at the head of the trails for an exciting morning spent examining the forest floor for mosses and lichens. Leading the Moss & Lichen Walk & Talk was GPC’s own 2020 Volunteer of the Year, John Foltz. John is an…
Protected lands in bloom
The cherry trees have finished dropping their petals, but many other flowers are just getting started! You can find all sorts of native species on GPC preserves that are just beginning to blossom – so enjoy the springtime and get outside to see some! At GPC’s Klingel-Bryan-Beard Wetland Wildlife Refuge near Belfair, we’re finding willow…
The Hansville Greenway Expansion is Officially Open!
It was the culmination of a lot of hard work. Last Saturday, the ribbon was officially cut at the new Hansville Greenway Expansion, marking the ceremonial opening of this land to the public. Close to 100 community members from Hansville and all across the peninsula showed up to celebrate this happy moment, and the incredible…
Hansville Greenway and the Secret Lives of Birds
GPC’s second Walk & Talk of the year was a birding expedition out at Hansville Greenway with field ornithologist Dan Froehlich. Dan is an expert bird handler and tour guide with a passion for educating people about the magnificence of birds. Before the ten excited birders got started on an early morning hike, ornithologist Dan…
The best strategies for environmentally conscious forest management
Every year, more than 100,000 people visit the beautiful Ueland Tree Farm, just outside of Bremerton. Hiking on the trails here can take you to some of the most gorgeous viewpoints on the whole peninsula, along with the magical secret that is Dickerson Falls. Although this property is timberland, and the trees on this land…
Planting for the future at Klingel-Bryan-Beard
There’s a new forest being made down at the Klingel-Bryan-Beard Wildlife Refuge. This beautiful preserve, which sits on Hood Canal near the Union River estuary, has been the site of a major restoration project. With at least 225 volunteers contributing, this just might be the largest volunteer effort that Great Peninsula Conservancy has ever organized!…
The Hidden Refuges from Climate Change
The forests that surround us are full of incredible variety. As the climate of our region changes over the coming decades, different parts of the landscape will be affected differently. Those areas that remain relatively buffered from the worst impacts are known as refugia. These microsites within the landscapes we protect will be incredibly important…
Six Actions For Forest Resilience
1. Build Habitat Piles Everybody needs a place to live, and habitat piles are like high-rise apartments for the forest! Especially in second-growth forests where there’s not always a lot of places to live, habitat piles can be essential. Squirrels, chipmunks, toads, newts, songbirds, and more will all move in to one these – and…
If a tree is felled in a forest – does it make a difference?
For thousands of years, the forests of Puget Sound have been cared for by the native peoples who lived here. Many places that we may now think of as “wild” have in fact been carefully managed. Generations of cumulative human impact is what made the forests here into tremendous natural cathedrals. The American settlers that…