The Keta Legacy Foundation was founded in 1968 by a small group of conservation-minded leaders who wanted to educate people on the values provided by the mountains, forests, and waters of the Pacific Northwest. These visionaries recognized the need to preserve the natural beauty and ecological integrity for future generations.
For more than 50 years, our volunteer-led Foundation has combined an unwavering dedication to restoring and preserving the vibrant ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest with our desire to connect people of all ages to the outdoors.
The Foundation puts our mission into action through four unique programs that have remained steadfast for decades.
Rhododendron Preserve
We proudly steward, preserve and restore the beautiful 466-acre Rhododendron Preserve, an incredible treasure in the heart of Kitsap County. The Preserve is home to an important watershed that supports salmon and other fish, and is also home to an 11-foot wide Douglas fir affectionately known as Big Tree.
Education to inspire conservation
The Preserve isn’t just a pretty place – it’s a place of profound learning too. The Foundation works with local schools and community members to provide engaging education experiences for learners of all ages.
Land acquisition
The best way to ensure you can protect the land is to own it. The Foundation has purchased 256 acres over the past decades to increase conservation efforts at the Preserve, and helped other organizations purchase and preserve thousands of acres of land throughout the Salish Sea region.
Community grants and partnerships
Community is everything to the Foundation. Since 1970, the Foundation has supported hundreds of conservation-focused non-profit organizations through our competitive grant program, amplifying our mission.
We operate with an all-volunteer board and have a rich history of working with amazing and generous donors. Together, we celebrated our 50-year milestone as a registered 501 (c)(3) organization in 2018.
Our vision is people connecting with and protecting healthy ecosystems.
That same year we added Keta Legacy Foundation to our name, though our focus and programs remain unchanged. This name embodies our core values of conservation and connection using a metaphor from salmon life cycles. Keta is the Latin name for chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), which need healthy ecosystems from the mountains, through forests and streams, and throughout the marine environment. These natural systems also support communities of people with a vested interest in the health and wellbeing of all the residents of our region – people and wildlife. That’s why this simple word – keta – captures what we have done as an independent organization since 1968.
Our numerous longtime supporters remember that our original name beginning in 1968 was Mountaineers Foundation. We are proud of the legacy we built as the Mountaineers Foundation, the many supporters who have supported us under that banner, and the work we will continue to do under our new name Keta Legacy Foundation.
While the Foundation sometimes partners with The Mountaineers, a recreation-focused alpine club, and has even contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to support some conservation programs of their organization over the past few decades, we have always been separate and independent from one another. Today, more than ever, we remain deeply committed to conservation for everyone, including people fortunate enough to enjoy the mountains and waters of the Salish Sea region.
IRS Form 990
Officers
Katha Miller-Winder grew up in eastern Washington, where she learned that all the interesting things are outside. As an adult, this has translated into a passion for outdoor education, both encouraging kids to learn about the environment and encouraging educators to use the natural environment to inspire learning. “It’s a lot more fun to learn about circumference measuring actual trees than boring circles on a page.” In the Keta Legacy Foundation, she’s found a place that allows her to channel her passion.
Jeff Wirtz began his first term on the Foundation Board in early 2017, after several years of helping to survey the Rhododendron Preserve. He is an environmental scientist at a local consulting firm. In his free time, Jeff can usually be found performing restoration work at the Preserve or climbing in the Cascades or the Olympics.
Scott Eby spent most of his childhood car camping and trout fishing with his parents in eastern Washington. That early experience, followed by participation in Boy Scouts and the Mountaineers, instilled a life-long love of the outdoors. Scott has a great appreciation for what we have to lose if we do not take care of the outdoor environment. Serving on the Foundation Board allows Scott to give back to the land in a tangible way that he was unable to do before.
Linda Anderson-Carnahan joined the Foundation Board of Directors in 2016 and is currently the Co-Chair of the Preserve Committee. She is also a member of the Kitsap Branch of the Mountaineers and is the Chair of the Branch’s Climbing Committee.
Linda holds a Bachelor of Science degree with a double major in chemistry and biophysical environmental studies from Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin. She also holds a Master of Science degree in Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where her thesis research focused on characterization of the byproducts of drinking water disinfection by ozonation.
She began her career in environmental science, policy and management in Atlanta in 1984 after working at the Centers for Disease Control. Over the last 33 years, Linda’s experience includes both staff and management positions in the areas of air and water quality, toxicity and risk assessment, pollution prevention, strategic planning, grants management, and the Puget Sound, Superfund and Brownfields programs.
Linda and her husband David live in Bremerton. Her interests include cycling, backpacking, sea kayaking, cross-country skiing, and mountaineering.
Jesse Adams began serving as a board member in 2022. He earned his BS in Natural Resources Conservation Planning from the University of Idaho. Jesse’s professional expertise lies in riparian restoration and noxious weed removal. As a 2021 recipient of Kitsap County’s Earth Day Award, the values of the KETA Legacy Foundation are Jesse’s values.
Board Members
Joe Albrecht is a retired military veteran with nearly 25 years of service in the US Army. Joe currently serves as a Washington Conservation Crew (WCC) Supervisor in Belfair performing ecological restoration and recreational enhancement on the Kitsap and Olympic peninsulas. Joe is also a stewardship program coordinator for the Washington Native Plant Society. He has nearly four years of experience in ecological restoration across seven counties in both western and eastern Washington. Joe is an experienced military leader, planner, and project manager, and has a master’s degree in military planning and a bachelor’s degree in cell biology from the University of Washington. Joe is married to Megan and they have four daughters (Paige, Samantha, Alexis, and Kaitlin), and loves to volunteer and spend his free time outdoors.
Eva Blair, born in Kitsap County, spent her formative years immersed in the natural beauty of the region. Eva is a proud alumna of Western Washington University, she holds a Bachelor of Science degree with a minor in Geographical Information Science. During her academic journey, Eva engaged in hands-on learning through an internship at Kitsap Conservation District, contributing to the Backyard Habitat Program’s restoration efforts. In her role as a Fisheries Research Technician at the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group, Eva played a vital role in safeguarding endangered species such as the Hood Canal Summer Chum and Puget Sound Steelhead. This experience ignited her passion for Pacific salmon and solidified her reputation as a devoted “fish nerd.” Beyond her professional pursuits, Eva cherishes her free time with her young daughter, indulging in outdoor adventures like camping, hiking, and mastering the art of fly fishing.
Jim Gates first volunteered at the Rhododendron Preserve in 2012, helping clean up Hidden Valley and removing invasive plants. He was immediately captivated by the old growth forest and the natural beauty of Lost and Wildcat Creeks. He sees the Preserve as an invaluable resource to the community, and was honored to accept an invitation to join the Foundation Board in early 2016. A construction project superintendent, Jim brings 30 years of construction skills to the restoration of Hidden Valley’s natural beauty.
He is a member of the Mountaineers, and volunteers with their intermediate climbing committee, in addition to teaching new and less experienced climbing students to safely climb; with a focus of rock and glacier alpinism.
Jim’s hobbies include reading, sports, running and alpinism. He is a lifelong resident of Washington and currently lives in Tacoma.
Rick Gillatt was raised on a 40 acre farm in Arizona. He currently resides on Bainbridge Island with his wife and two daughters. His education includes Kent School, a Bachelor’s in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology with an emphasis in Marine Sciences from University of Arizona, and Sea Education Association, Woods Hole/Boston University.
Rick’s career in ecology and biology has included work experience in plankton research, teaching, water chemistry, aquaculture research, marine animal care, seabird rehabilitation, and cattle farming. He has worked for New York Ocean Science Laboratory, Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corporation, and The Seattle Aquarium, to name just a few.
In addition to being a member of the Keta Legacy Foundation Board, Rick serves on the Education, and Grants committees. He is also a wildlife care steward/educator with raptors at regional events and schools for the West Sound Wildlife Shelter, and conducts seasonal educational salmon programs at the Mountaineers Foundation Rhododendron Preserve.
Renee Johnson is a Salmon and Ecosystem Recovery Planner. She coordinates West Sound Partners for Ecosystem Recovery, bringing together diverse partners from cities, counties, tribes, non-profits, and businesses to develop and implement salmon recovery strategies and to develop science-based priorities and actions to Recover Puget Sound.
Before working as a planner, Renee served as an Environmental Health Specialist in the Water Pollution Identification and Correction program at Kitsap Public Health District. There she protected public health and natural resources by sampling the water in Kitsap’s streams and at the shorelines. She worked to track pollution to and correct it at the source, keeping it out of streams, shellfish beds, and swimming beaches.
She also spent seven years with WSU Kitsap County Extension. There she managed the Water Stewardship Programs, which include Salmon Docents, Stream Stewards, Beach Naturalists, Native Plant Advisors, and Shore Friendly Ambassadors. She proudly coordinated Salmon Tours where residents come to see salmon spawning and learn about the species that have sustained the people of this region since time immemorial.
Amy Lawrence is a Kitsap County native and began serving as a Board member in 2018. She earned her BS in Environmental Studies from WSU and a MS from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. Amy has experience in environmental permitting work with local consulting firms and now is a professor of Biology and Environmental Studies at Olympic College in Bremerton. Amy also volunteers with local environmental groups such as the Chico Salmon Park Stewardship Group and the Clear Creek Task Force. Amy loves connecting her students with our beautiful outdoor spaces – especially the Rhododendron Preserve – where she and her students can be found documenting vegetation and wildlife several times her year.
Mindy Roberts has served several terms on the Foundation’s Board, primarily focusing on the long-term health of the Rhododendron Preserve. She conducted research on the forests around Lost and Wildcat Creeks as part of her environmental engineering dissertation from UW. Mindy currently leads the Puget Sound program at the Washington Conservation Action.
Amy Smalley is a graduate from Western Washington University’s College of the
Environment. Following her love of outdoors and a curiosity for the process
behind environmental protections and regulations, she earned a bachelor’s
degree in Environmental Policy with a minor in Environmental Science.
Amy currently works for Washington State University Kitsap Extension as the
Water Stewardship Program Coordinator. Amy coordinates the Streams Stewards,
Salmon Docents, and Beach Naturalists Programs, as well as the annual Kitsap
Salmon Tours event.
Amy is passionate about community outreach and education. She feels that
understanding, and respecting, our human connections with our environment and
valuable ecosystems is an important aspect in protecting those ecosystems for
generations to come. Amy lives in Port Orchard with her husband and three
children. In her free time, she enjoys gardening and adventuring with her family.
Maximillian Talbott currently works as a groundskeeper at the retirement community, Panorama. Before that, he spent the last 2 years working as the Tool, Safety, and Production Officer for the Washington Conservation Corps crew based out of Belfair. Max’s crew was hired to complete work at the Rhododendron Preserve. He sees great potential at the Preserve and wishes to contribute what he can in the effort to conserve and protect the land.
Katie Trembley is a long-time Kitsap County resident, growing up backpacking and adventuring in both the Olympic and Cascade ranges. She holds a Bachelors of Arts in English from Washington State University and a Masters of Science in Education from McDaniel College. Katie is passionate about education, specifically helping children wonder at and experience the natural world.
After discovering the Rhododendron Preserve in 2021, Katie regularly brings friends and groups to enjoy the beauty of this natural space. Through her volunteer work with restoration and education efforts at the Preserve, she hopes to restore and protect the natural spaces she loves, while teaching future generations to do the same.
Connor Upchurch grew up beneath the mixed-hardwood canopy of the North Carolina Piedmont. The forest – and wild spaces altogether, have never ceased to nurture and enthrall. Connor has lived in WA since 2015. Serving on the KLF board is one of many ways he seeks to reciprocate “nature’s” nurture.
– You see, for us, the forest was a game. But for Connor Wakefield Upchurch, the forest was life. * adapted from Sandlot
Doug Winder is a lifelong resident of Washington State, Doug worked for the Navy (Civil Service) at Keyport until he retired. He has been involved with the Preserve since before the property was transferred to the Foundation. He’s been an active participant in Foundation activities for decades. He enjoys telling stories about the Preserve and helping to show people its natural wonders.
Staff
Emily Mottino is a native Washingtonian who was born and raised in Seattle. She worked in the nonprofit event field for five years until marrying a Naval Officer, moving to Japan and starting a family. She is now back in the Pacific Northwest and excited to be working with the Foundation.
Emily holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Humboldt State University and a Master’s degree in Sport Management from The University of California, Long Beach.