While it does comes down to money, it’s about so much more than that. It’s about watching people from all over Island County and beyond, work together to save this giant piece of land. You cannot walk into a local store, cafe, or lumberyard without seeing donation jars with “Save the Forest Now” buttons and postcards on them. Hikers, joggers, birders, photographers, horseback riders, and other groups lead talks and rides through the property. Even small schoolchildren are not spared, helping raise funds and teaching people about why we need to Save the Forest Now [...]
|
||||||
|
A few months ago, I read an article in DWELL magazine talking about the “slow build movement” happening in this country. Here I thought we were just slow builders, but it turns out we are actually part of a “movement.” While I’m not too sure the “slow build movement’ is going to catch on like wildfire, (mostly because people don’t like to live too long with unfinished projects), we realized the time we’ve been taking to build may have actually led us do a few things right. We know this because we are still married. [...] Whidbey Camano Land Trust launches ambitious campaign to save largest parcel of forest land on Whidbey Island by Sherrye Wyatt They say bold moves make history. After a 25-year legacy of successfully pioneering the protection of natural places, working farmlands, and other significant lands, the Whidbey Camano Land Trust is about to make history once more. The [...] Now that my husband Bob and I have built two small sheds and a 110 sq. ft cabin, it was time to take on the Big House. A term generally reserved for a jailhouse, the locked in feeling to this project both financially and physically has us doing two to five with some time off for good behavior. [...] Harry Case has lovingly managed his 176 acre forest for over 60 years and has now permanently protected it for future generations. At the end of 2008, he donated a conservation easement on this land. Located near to both Putney Woods and Saratoga Woods, this forest boasts over five million board feet of timber. The conservation easement protects this forest from being clear-cut and developed into 35 homes. [...] …using some of what I learned from our forest stewardship class, I began to clean up parts of our forest, limbing up the large hemlocks, spruces, and firs to create flyways for birds. We got what we set out to do. The unfortunate part that I sort of forgot about, was that we had in effect created the perfect hunting grounds for owls, eagles, and hawks…. [...] When the road to building a “green” house is paved with a little mud. When we purchased our property, I always knew I wanted to get it certified as a stewardship forest. I loved seeing those cool little green and brown signs along someone’s private drive. How do you get one of those things? I [...] |
||||||
|
Copyright © 2010 EcoZome Journal - All Rights Reserved |
||||||