Ingoldsby Preserve

San Juan Island

In 1995, a 10-acre natural area with a stand of large old-growth Douglas fir and western red cedar, graceful madrones, and rocky outcrops was donated to the San Juan Preservation Trust by Fern Ingoldsby in memory of her first husband, Commander DeLancey Nicoll, Jr.  Prior to the land donation, Mrs. Ingoldsby had donated a conservation easement on this property, (and part of an adjoining parcel, which has subsequently changed ownership) located off of Yacht Haven Road on the north end of San Juan Island.  The intention was to prohibit structures and to protect the land as permanent old growth habitat in a neighborhood of waterfront residential development.

The Ingoldsby Preserve includes substantial natural and undisturbed woodlands and has views towards the water.  It provides native wild plant and animal habitat, including roosting sites for bald eagles and other species foraging on the nearby land and waterways, and offers a quiet place of respite in a heavily-developed area.