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Sea Level Rise is the Subject of 2026 Bainbridge Island Environmental Conference, set for March 29 at Islandwood

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Sea level rise is no longer a distant possibility. It is already shaping our shorelines, infrastructure, ecosystems, and daily lives in Puget Sound, so say the backers of this year’s Bainbridge Island Environmental Conference.

“Rising Seas” is the topic of the 2026 Environmental Conference, which will be held from 12:30-4 p.m. Sunday, March 29 at IslandWood. Register today at www.islandwood.org/biec-rising-seas.

This year’s conference focuses on the latest science behind sea level rise in Puget Sound, the real impacts already being felt on Bainbridge Island, and the tools, policies, and community actions that can help us adapt. Through plenary talks, panel discussions, interactive breakout sessions, and tabling with local organizations, participants will learn how sea level rise affects natural habitats, parks and recreation access, infrastructure, housing, public health, and long-term community resilience.

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The event brings together community members, scientists, local governments, Tribal partners, nonprofit organizations, and artists to explore what sea level rise means for our island and how we can respond together.

Infrastructure is one of the topics to be discussed

The conference emphasizes practical, place-based solutions by highlighting current efforts underway locally and regionally, sharing lessons learned, and creating space for dialogue across sectors. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of the challenges ahead, opportunities to reduce personal and collective risk, and ways to support stewardship of our island’s natural and built environments.

In addition to the conference on Sunday, attendees can also register for field trips on Saturday (March 28) to see sea level rise impacts and adaptation strategies firsthand at sites around Bainbridge Island, and lunch on Sunday before the conference at IslandWood.

See the conference schedule and register at  www.islandwood.org/biec-rising-seas

Agenda Overview

11:30 am – 12:30 pm – Optional Lunch (purchased in ticketing)
12:30 – 1:00 pm – Doors Open
1:00 – 1:45 pm – Welcome, Awards, & Opening Plenary
1:45 – 2:00 pm – Break & Visit Tables & Partner Orgs
2:00 – 2:45 pm – Breakout Session One
2:45  – 3:00 pm – Break & Visit Tables & Partner Orgs
3:00 – 3:45 pm – Breakout Session Two
3:45  – 4:00 pm – Wrap-Up & Action Takeaways

Breakout Sessions – Choose two of these when you are registering, so we know how many folks to expect in each breakout and can plan accordingly. Thank you!

Join us for a series of interactive breakout sessions exploring sea level rise from multiple perspectives, including:

    • Art as the Water Rises
      Artist Jill Pelto leads a hands-on activity to explore how art can communicate the science, emotion, and urgency of sea level rise, and how creative expression can inspire awareness and action.
    • Local Government Planning and Action
      Hear from City, County, and

      Water cycle infographic. Ecosystem concept. Water recycle, evaporation, condensation ecology diagram. Groundwater, water cycle. Hydrologic landscape.

      representatives about how local governments are planning for sea level rise, including infrastructure, land use, and policy responses at multiple scales.

    • Shared Ground: Habitat, People & Parks
      Using Fay Bainbridge Park as a case study, explore how rising seas impact habitat, recreation, and park infrastructure, and learn about regional approaches to shoreline protection and restoration. Join Bainbridge Island Metro Parks & Recreation, Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation, Bainbridge Island Land Trust and the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife to consider how Bainbridge Island can strive to balance shoreline access, habitat protection, and long-term resilliance in a changing climate.
    • Natural Resource Management in a Changing Coastal Landscape
      Explore how sea level rise is affecting wildlife and ecosystems. This session highlights responses from parks, land trusts, Tribes, and state agencies addressing coastal squeeze, habitat protection, and stewardship of natural areas.
    • Beyond Our Shores: Large-scale Adaptation Approaches
      We can’t do everything we need to about sea level rise on Bainbridge Island. What can we influence beyond our shores at the regional, state, national and international scales – for people and nature?

This year, the conference has a special optional lunch + entry ticket! Simply select the choice for Community Lunch & Entry Ticket, versus Entry Ticket, or a combo for your party.

Your lunch will be made in-house by our celebrated culinary team! IslandWood food is famous for a reason.

If choosing the entry ticket by itself, this includes entry to the conference, plenary presentations, interactive breakout sessions, and opportunities to connect with local organizations, agencies, and community partners working on sea level rise, climate adaptation, and coastal resilience in Puget Sound. Refreshments during the conference are included.

Islandwood asks participants to be vigilant entering and leavingcampus and on roadways nearby, as rough-skinned newts are heading to their breeding wetlands.

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