Each year we award the Chico Champion to a person who has had a positive impact on the Chico Creek watershed.
Previous Chico Champions include accomplished and passionate people, from Suquamish Tribal staff, donors who supported key land purchases, and last year to former intern Casey Blankenship who continues to volunteer his time to support interns and the Preserve.
This year’s award winner was no different. We were delighted to award our 2024 Chico Champion award to Nathan Daniel, Executive Director of the Great Peninsula Conservancy (GPC). Nate joined GPC in 2019, and we have had the pleasure of watching the organization grow under his leadership.
In his own words in his GPC bio: He believes our children and all future generations should have opportunities to connect with the natural world. Nate knows the best way to get things done is through collaboration and is ready to work with community members who want to preserve habitat and protect biodiversity. When he’s not at his keyboard, you’ll find Nate and his partner Kim out sauntering through the forest, field guides and binoculars at the ready.
And Nate has absolutely delivered results for future generations on the Kitsap Peninsula. GPC is THE go-to group for land protection on the Peninsula, and we have enjoyed seeing their holdings and stewardship grow and grow. Most recently, he and his staff have been securing funding to purchase part of the Ueland Tree Farm immediately south of our Rhododendron Preserve. This will be huge! We value our relationship with the tree farm, and we are also looking forward to welcoming GPC as a neighbor as well as a long-time collaborator.
We are proud to support Nate and GPC, and so we were happy to select Nathan Daniel as the 2024 Chico Champion!
He was given his award by Tom Ostrom, who received the Foundation’s inaugural Chico Champion award.
– Mindy Roberts, Treasurer