2021 Midseason Bluebird Update
Western Bluebird pair | Kathy Finholm The weather has warmed up and my oh my the bluebird season is upon us! [...]
A Delicious Duet
Viola adunca and Fragaria vesca Nature’s garden is full of delights. Along paths, shorelines, waterways, and even roadsides, an array of [...]
Videographer Phenomenon: Michael Noonan
Michael Noonan came to us like Mary Poppins: One day he just showed up, as if blown to our doorstep by [...]
School Partnerships
This past year, we've made some of our preserves available as “learning landscapes” through partnerships with schools. We recognize the benefits [...]
Capturing Aspects of Nature
Aaron Vliet from Friday Harbor Highschool chose to work with the Preservation Trust to complete a community project this past semester. [...]
Air Hugs for Volunteer Month
Volunteers help lift and carry forward an organization’s mission, and the San Juan Preservation Trust has been blessed by many over [...]
It’s Amphibian Season!
With Spring comes another a joyful amphibian season in the islands. Just last week, SJPT Land Steward Rob Roy McGregor spotted [...]
Kudos to Skip
Ruthie Dougherty, Ellis Preserve Curator, writes: Two years ago, faced with some unusual projects at the Marilyn and Fred Ellis Preserve [...]
The “Steller” Stars of Whale Rocks
Dr. Frances Robertson, Coordinator of the San Juan County Marine Resources Committee (MRC), takes a boat trip to the swift waters [...]
2021 Swan Count Results
Each year in late January, Preservation Trust's Stewardship Manager, Kathleen Foley Lewis (with help from Sierra O’Connell) coordinates a count of [...]
2020 Swan Count
Three Swans Flying and Three Swan Counters at Zylstra Lake Preserve | Michael Noonan Thirty three [...]
Swan Survey One-Day Count Guidelines
Swans over Cascade Lake | Steve Alboucq Thank you for registering to help us with our annual swan count! Please read [...]
Visiting Preserves with iNaturalist
Looking for a new solo activity that can enhance your environmental literacy? Join one (or all) of our iNaturalist projects and [...]
“Just a Moment” Video Series
Staying connected to our community and to nature is important, which is why the Preservation Trust staff created a video series [...]
Bluebird Project 2020 Season Wrap-up
MALE WESTERN BLUEBIRD | KATHY FINHOLM 2020 is a year that most of us won’t forget. In a time of uncertainty and [...]
Preserving the Balance
Georgia Drost (SJPT Intern), Ian Woofenden (SJPT volunteer), Rob Roy McGregor (SJPT Land Steward), Patty Rose (SJPT volunteer), Emma Jacobs (SJPT [...]
This Summer’s Internship is Different
Each year in January, we open the search for candidates for our Fred E. Ellis Summer Internship program. Little did we [...]
Happy Birthday, Partner!
Reflections on the San Juan County Land Bank at 30 The San Juan County Land Bank turns 30 this year. To [...]
Summer Comes to the Ellis Preserve
“The lovely flowers embarrass me. They make me regret I am not a bee…” –Emily Dickinson At the Marilyn and Fred [...]
Meet Our 2019-20 Volunteers of the Year
Maya Heikkinen | Three Ponies Photography; Catherine Houck | Staff archive Each year, the Preservation Trust’s staff [...]
2020 Summer Activity Guides
To make sure our young naturalists are getting outdoors and learning about their island's protected land this summer, we have put [...]
Backyard Bingo – Springtime Birds Edition
Download PDF here: Backyard Bingo April 2020
Support Your Island Growers
Another troubling outcome of this pandemic is that local farmers aren't able to sell their produce to restaurants or hotels. With [...]
Backyard Haiku Challenge
Have you taken some time recently to clear your mind from the weight of the world and reflect upon nature in [...]
Earth Month Pledge for Earth Day’s 50th!
One of the best backyard stewards we know, Thom Pence The San Juan Preservation Trust planned to go big in celebrating [...]
Preserving Our Night Sky
Credit: David Lorens (University of Wisconsin-Madison) overlaid on Google Earth At the mention of land preservation, one's mind often fixates on [...]
A Swan’s Sounding Sojourn
If you sleep with your windows open, you may have noticed the morning songs of passerines (songbirds) gradually diminishing, until one [...]
Cleaning Your Bluebird Nest Boxes
HOW TO CLEAN YOUR NESTBOX Nest boxes should be cleaned out each year. You will greatly increase the chance of bluebirds [...]
Help for Hemlocks?
For more than 30 years, a tiny sap-sucking insect has been killing untold millions of hemlock trees in the eastern United [...]
Participate in Orca Recovery Day on October 19th!
Spyhopping Southern Resident Orca | Steve Smith The Southern Resident Killer Whales that call Puget Sound home are critically endangered. By [...]