Reef Island, a jewel of the Wasp Island group | Staff photo
On July 31, we announced that Malcolm Goodfellow, a long-time Preservation Trust supporter and former board member, made a $5.2 million gift. His donation resulted in a 36-acre expansion of Turtleback Mountain Preserve and a return of six acres of shoreline property (identified on many maps as Haida Point) to the Lummi Nation.
As if that weren’t enough, in November Malcolm donated an additional $4 million so the Preservation Trust could purchase Reef Island.
A prominent part of the Wasp Island group, 17-acre Reef Island lies just outside Deer Harbor. It is home to a rare Douglas fir/seaside juniper/Garry oak forest, bounded by just under a mile of rocky shoreline and pocket beaches. Our management goals on Reef will be to maintain these conservation values and remove the few signs of human use.
In keeping with Malcolm’s wishes, Reef will remain private and not open to the general public. It will, however, be available on a limited basis for SJPT staff-guided tours and educational, cultural, and scientific purposes.
This preserve will add to other SJPT-protected areas in the Wasp Island group (which include McConnell Preserve and McConnell Conservation Easement) and other nearby islands protected by WA State Parks (Jones Island) and The Nature Conservancy (Yellow Island).
Reef Island Photo Gallery
Click on any photo to enlarge.
