Springbrook Creek Preserve Open House, Saturday, January 29, 2022 – Presented by the Bainbridge Island Land Trust
Like many community events, the Bainbridge Island Land Trust’s annual potluck dinner (a 300-person event) was put on hold. This year the Land Trust is excited to announce a new community event, open to all islanders and Land Trust members and supporters.
“The 23-acre Springbrook Creek Preserve contains a resplendent landscape of mixed conifer uplands and stream-side alder forests. Flowering wild ginger, foamflower, and abundant salmonberry grace the banks of Springbrook Creek – one of the finest fish habitats on the Island. The forests and wetlands play a key role in providing cool, clear, and consistently flowing water in the creek for local wildlife including birds, mammals, and amphibians. This conservation area was selected after completing a multi-year stream assessment, assisted by local landowners and the Wild Fish Conservancy,” per the Land Trust’s website.
The Preserve is not yet open to the public, and the Open House is a wonderful opportunity to experience this amazing piece of paradise on Bainbridge Island. In addition, it gives our community a chance to interact with each other and long-time Land Trust members and staff in a safe and open environment, bursting with natural beauty and habitats (see below for Covid requirements/guidelines).
Situated in the meadow, booths containing refreshments and information about the Land Trust will be available, which allows plenty of open space for socializing with friends new and old! Pastries and warm drinks will be offered for your enjoyment! To minimize waste, the Land Trust asks that you bring your own thermos or mug.
Take the Tour – tours are available throughout the Open House, from 10a.m. to 1p.m. in groups of 8 to 10 people. Stewardship staff members from the Land Trust will be available at various locations along the well-marked trail to talk about the streams and watersheds, forests and wildlife, and habitat restoration with you! The tour takes around 40 minutes to complete and are conducted on a first-come basis.
Come Prepared – it’s wet and wild this time of year, please be prepared for wet weather and uneven, muddy terrain. Bring binoculars – enjoy the wildlife and birds frolicking along the designated trails.
Parking – Springbrook Creek Preserve is located on the corner of NE Twin Ponds Road and Fletcher Bay Road NE. Parking will be available at the upper lot of Johnson Farm (on NE Twin Ponds Road), as well as along the shoulders of Fletcher Bay Road near the intersection with Island Center Road NE. Volunteers will be on site to assist with parking.
Covid requirements and guidelines: the Land Trust asks that attendees wear masks unless eating or drinking, and their sign-in sheet requires attendees to attest that they have been vaccinated for Covid-19.
In 2017, the Land Trust and Stand for the Land launched and ambitious (and successful) campaign to raise funds to preserve as much of Bainbridge Island’s natural habitat as possible. The Stand for the Land project is the largest campaign in Land Trust history. Other acquired properties as a part of the SFTL campaign include the Jablonko Preserve, Cougar Creek Preserve, Rockaway Bluff Preserve, and Miller-Kirkman Preserve.
The Bainbridge Island Land Trust was established in 1989, and its mission is to conserve and steward the diverse natural environments of Bainbridge Island for the benefit of all.
There are many volunteer opportunities provided by the Bainbridge Island Land Trust, such as Stewardship Monitoring, First Wednesday Work Parties, and Fall Native Plant Sale.
The Land Trust is always looking for advisors, such as wildlife and fisheries biologists, botanists, geologists, hydrologists and more, as well as conservation-minded community members who want to advance their mission. For more information on volunteer opportunities, click here.
If you’d like to learn more about the Land Trust, check out our previous articles:
*Content and logos provided by The Bainbridge Island Land Trust. Photographs by Sue Larkin.
