Great Peninsula Conservancy

09/03/2026

Join Great Peninsula Conservancy for our first-ever Run/Walk & Talk at Clear Creek Trail on September 19th from 10am - 12pm! This beloved Silverdale trail winds through forests, wetlands, and along a salmon-bearing stream. Great scenery to get active!

We’ll kick things off with a talk about the trail’s history and what’s ahead, then head out together on the north end. Choose from 3.5-mile and 2-mile loop options or a 1-mile turnaround. Walkers, joggers, and all paces are welcome and encouraged!

Stick around afterward to be part of our raffle for some awesome prizes...including Brooks shoes! And you never know, you may just find your next favorite running or walking buddy!

Learn more or sign up here today: greatpeninsula.org/events/fun-run-at-clear-creek-trail

09/02/2026

After a whirlwind of a summer, we are saying goodbye to our Habitat Improvement Fellows, AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associates, Sam M, Cory, and Sam H. The fellows spent 10 weeks providing direct support to GPC's Stewardship program through habitat enhancement, restoration, volunteer training, and community education projects. Sam M, Cory, and Sam H visited over 25 GPC preserves and conservation easements, working with GPC staff, AmeriCorps, conservation easement landowners, volunteer land stewards, volunteers, and youth. As a team, they braved lightning, heat, thorns, and wasps, and showed up every day ready to tackle the next task. The breadth of what they accomplished in 10 weeks is stunning.

👨‍🌾7 community education and stewardship events
🌿Vegetation data collection in 34 plots across 4 preserves
🌲30 trees girdled
🪏10+ acres of invasive species managed
🤝10 conservation easement landowners assisted with the stewardship of their protected lands
👣Public access infrastructure maintained
📷Updated photographic data collected for 10 property management plans
🐿️10 annual monitoring visits conducted

Every day, their positivity and dedication to our protected landscapes, and our mission, shone bright and is an inspiration. Sam M, Cory, and Sam H: best of luck as you continue your journey, and thank you for all your hard work!

Stay tuned... in the next few weeks we'll be sharing some of the amazing projects they've been part of!

Learn more about how we steward land here: greatpeninsula.org/what-we-do/steward-land

09/02/2026

The seasons are changing, and the trail is waiting!🍂 Join the Clear Creek Trail Team Saturday, September 12th from 9am - 12pm to help steward the space. We’ll prepare the trail for our monthly Walk & Talk (this month, a walk and RUN🏃‍♀️‍➡️ at Clear Creek Trail) by clearing vegetation, replacing sections of boardwalk, and removing invasive species. We hope to see you out there!

Sign up today! greatpeninsula.org/events/september-clear-creek-trail-work-party-2026

09/01/2026

🌱 What if a single project could help feed our community for years to come?

That’s the vision we share for Petersen Farm. We’re proud to see this special place take on the new purpose of helping Fishline increase access to fresh, locally grown food while addressing food insecurity in our community.

Turning Petersen Farm into a productive growing space is an investment in food security, community resilience, and a healthier future for our neighbors. We’re grateful to Fishline and our other partners for bringing this vision to life!

To bring the Petersen Farm into production for the 2027 growing season, they will need your support! Visit: https://northkitsapfishline.givingfuel.com/neighbors... and select “Petersen Farm” from the dropdown menu.

Visit their blog to learn more about their goals for their 2-acre plot at Petersen: https://fishlinehelps.org/.../fishline-partners-with-gpc.../

🌱 What if a single project could help feed our community for years to come?

That's the vision behind the Petersen Farm. By growing food locally, Fishline can increase access to fresh produce while building a more sustainable food source for our neighbors experiencing food insecurity.

Transforming the farm into a productive growing space will require investment in staff, infrastructure, equipment, and land preparation. But the result will be something that gives back year after year.

Thank you to our partners Great Peninsula Conservancy, WSU Extension Regional Small Farms Program and WSU Kitsap County Extension Master Gardeners, and Kitsap Conservation District.

To bring the Petersen Farm into production for the 2027 growing season, we will need your support! Visit: https://northkitsapfishline.givingfuel.com/neighbors-helping-neighbors and select “Petersen Farm” from the dropdown menu.

Read more about our new project on our website: https://fishlinehelps.org/2026/07/29/fishline-partners-with-gpc-to-grow-fresh-food-for-kitsap-neighbors-in-need/

09/01/2026

Join us for our next bi-monthly book club meeting on September 9th from 5:30pm - 7pm! We’re reading Finding the Mother Tree by Suzanne Simard. From a leading forest ecologist at UBC, this fascinating read explores the interdependence of trees and fungi in forest ecosystems alongside stories of Simard’s journey of discovery. Find a copy at your local library () or independent bookstore and then join us for a lively discussion to unpack what we’ve learned!

Bookworms is a nature-focused nonfiction book club that meets every other month at the Clear Creek Interpretive Center. All are welcome to learn with us, share book recommendations, and come get to know other bookworms like you! We’ll provide coffee and tea for you to enjoy☕💚

Sign up today! greatpeninsula.org/events/september-book-club-meeting

09/01/2026

Are you interested in launching your career in the environmental field? Our partner, Washington Conservation Corps, offers opportunities to build hands-on career skills while supporting critical habitat restoration and outdoor recreation enhancement projects around the state! Check out https://ecology.wa.gov/about-us/jobs-at-ecology/washington-conservation-corps/join-wcc to view openings and submit your application!

08/30/2026

We recently spent time with the IslandWood docents for a day of reciprocal learning focused on sustainable forestry, climate resilience, and restoration.

Our team shared some of the work we, and the Listen Up Collaborative, are doing at Grovers Creek, including forest monitoring, assisted migration, and other efforts to help forests adapt to a changing climate. The goal? To give IslandWood educators some of our tools to bring these ideas to the kids and adults they work with through their environmental education programs.

And the learning doesn’t stop here! Later this year, we will learn from the IslandWood team about forest ecology and deepen our own understanding of the forests we work to protect.

We’re excited to keep learning, sharing, and building a stronger network of people working toward healthy, resilient forests! 🌿

And to , thank you for sharing your knowledge with us!

08/29/2026

This past Saturday, 12 volunteers joined GPC staff at Stillwaters Environmental Center to clean up its greenhouse and Cedar Post Pavilion and complete trail-maintenance mulching to address invasive yellow archangel on the property. Volunteers cleaned and removed old materials from the Cedar Post Pavilion, helped manage yellow archangel by mulching a trail on the property, and helped staff gather reusable materials from the greenhouse.

Naomi Maasberg, Joleen Palmer, and a dedicated board of directors founded the Stillwaters Environmental Center in 1999. It operated on nine acres of diverse habitat along Carpenter Creek in Kingston. The organization played a key role in the Carpenter Creek Estuary Restoration, collaborating with Kitsap County and state agencies to replace undersized culverts, culminating in the “Stillwaters Fish Passage.” In November 2023, the Stillwaters Environmental Center officially became part of Great Peninsula Conservancy’s Land Labs program, marking an exciting new collaboration to enhance community engagement and environmental education in North Kitsap.

Sign up for the September work party at Tahuya River Preserve today! greatpeninsula.org/events/planting-maintenance-at-tahuya-river-preserve-2

08/28/2026

A few months ago, naturalist Chris Rurik and GPC director Nate Daniel ventured out to Filucy Bay, one of GPC’s preserves. Chris captured the experience in his latest submission to his Wild Peninsula column for the Key Peninsula News, and it is an amazing read!

From the fascinating landscape to the unexpected challenges of exploring a preserve, Chris brings the experience to life with such a fun and engaging style of writing. It’ll make you feel like you’re right there trekking through Filucy Bay with them! Check it out today!

Filucy Bay Preserve remains largely closed to public access, but our naturalist offers a window into its terrain.

08/26/2026

Looking for a fun activity to do with your littles? Join us on Saturday, August 29th from 10 a.m.- 1 p.m. at Austin Estuary Park, 4009 Harborview Dr, Gig Harbor, WA 98332 as we learn together about how healthy estuaries, functioning watersheds, and thriving salmon populations contribute to the environmental health and quality of life in the Gig Harbor community.

GPC is partnering with various local organizations and professionals all excited to teach, including:
🛞The Rotary Club of Gig Harbor - Presenting on what Gig Harbor Rotary has been doing in the area and discussing conservation in Gig Harbor.
🐋Two Girls Take on the World - Leading a 30-minute orca activity.
🚶GPC - Leading a short walk-and-talk around the area.
🌧️GPC AmeriCorps - Leading Drizzy Bear, a watershed activity to learn about watershed dynamics.
🐟Minter Creek Hatchery - Hosting a live salmon dissection
📿Harbor Wild Watch - Presenting about salmon life cycles, accompanied by a beaded bracelet activity

This FREE event offers exciting opportunities, including hands-on activities, interactive demonstrations, guided walks, and more. Discover local salmon species, their life cycles, and the role you play in their survival. Bring your family, gather your friends, and prepare your questions.

Be sure to RSVP, as space is limited! https://greatpeninsula.org/events/estuary-family-fest/