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…
A Farewell Letter from Kit
My first thought when I was invited to put something in the newsletter on ending my time as GPC’S president for two years and “terming off” the board was stage fright, but I realized I appreciate the chance to say how much I’ve missed being in contact with you all! The last item on the…
The Big and Small of Land Acquisition
As Conservation Project Manager, Brenna Thompson has helped oversee several of Great Peninsula Conservancy’s recent land transactions. In this month’s blog post, she identifies how GPC’s conservation team identifies projects to acquire, including working with partners on large-scale projects, prioritizing climate-resilient lands, and expanding existing preserves. She also addresses a common question we receive from…
Protecting Climate-Resilient Lands Through a New Initiative
The Pacific Northwest Resilient Landscapes Initiative is a partnership between community foundations in Oregon, Idaho, and Washington, that the Land Trust Alliance launched with lead support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation to conserve essential climate-resilient lands. Great Peninsula Conservancy received a technical assistance grant of $14,000 from the initiative to use the latest science…
Washington Has Received Big Money From Federal Wetlands Grants Program
WASHINGTON PROJECTS WITH 2020 FUNDING For the full list of approved projects nationwide, download the coastal wetlands grants project summaries (PDF 540 kb). Misery Point, $1 million Located near Seabeck on Hood Canal, this 21-acre property with 3,500 feet of shoreline includes a 1,600-foot-long sand spit sheltering a three-acre lagoon. A “feeder bluff” on Misery Point…
Behind the Scenes with Ali: Baseline Reports
In the weeks before the “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order, Great Peninsula Conservancy’s Stewardship Associate Ali Erskine completed a baseline report for The Trust for Public Land at the Dewatto Headwaters Forest on Hood Canal in Mason County. For four days she walked the boundary of this 2,154-acre property, always with a GPC colleague or…
Appreciating Nature in the Time of COVID-19
Dear GPC members and supporters, These are certainly difficult times we face as a community. And now, after more than two weeks under the stay-at-home order, the long-term ramifications brought on by COVID-19 are no doubt dawning on all of us. But while we are holed up in our homes trying to make the best of…