SJPT stewardship staff explaining wetland restoration work at community event | Staff archive
How Your Support Protects and Restores the San Juan Islands
As a member of the Preservation Trust, you ensure that the beautiful places we all treasure are conserved and cared for, now and for generations to come.
Here are just some of the ways you are helping to advance our mission with your membership:
CONSERVE:
Over the last five years, we have added more than 500 acres to our permanently conserved lands. Key additions include the North Shore Preserve conservation easement on Orcas Island, a partnership expansion of the Conservation Land Bank’s Cady Mountain Preserve, and the new SJPT Mt. Ben West Preserve on San Juan Island, acquired in March 2026, with an anticipated public opening in 2028. Guided by our Strategic Conservation Plan, one of our top priorities ahead is to evaluate shoreline protection opportunities across the outer, non-ferry-served islands to support salmon recovery and the health of the Salish Sea.
CARE:
Stewardship in the San Juans means tending to the intricate connections between land and water. Over the last year, our team completed tree thinning and pile burns on San Juan Island to restore forest health, planted over 1,000 trees and shrubs along Crow Valley Creek on Orcas Island, collaborated with DNR entomologists to address a forest pest on Shaw Island, and partnered with University of Washington researchers to monitor nesting Pigeon Guillemots on Vendovi before we restore the island’s seaside breakwater. Each project is rooted in our promise to keep this region’s vital natural systems, biodiversity, freshwater, maturing forests, and incredible public access to nature thriving side by side.
CONNECT:
Our outreach events continue to inspire, educate, and bring the community together for fresh air and meaningful conversations on protected lands. The Youth Conservation Corps also joined us again this summer for service-learning outings on Lopez, Orcas, and San Juan, where they cared for trails and completed habitat enhancement projects.
Your Partnership Makes This Work Possible
Renewing your annual membership with the Preservation Trust helps us carry this mission forward, and we are deeply grateful for your continued partnership!
