We’re having fun with our Bremerton-Kitsap Area Television membership. After the success of our “Who is the Keta Legacy Foundation” public service announcement (PSA), we’re working on a PSA specifically about the Preserve. There is so much to share about the Preserve. We have a lot to offer our community members, students and visitors. We had more than 100 visitors for Salmon Tours this year and even more visitors came to see the salmon outside of Salmon Tours. There were also nearly 100 students that visited for field trips specifically to see the salmon. The Preserve has some of the healthiest salmon runs in Western Washington, thanks to our restoration work and our partnership with the Suquamish Tribe that has shared their expertise with us for many years. Seeing salmon spawning is just one of the reasons people visit the Preserve.
Maybe you visit the Preserve just to visit Big Tree? This approximately 800-year-old Douglas fir has a diameter of over 11 feet! We think Big Tree is well worth a visit. And not just Big Tree but the old growth section of the Preserve where Big Tree lives. Did you know the Preserve including conservation easements is over 500 acres? It is truly an ecological jewel and a proud member of the Old Growth Forest Network. It is a special place where people can experience the magic of nature. We are home to the last remaining stand of old growth of any significant size in Kitsap County.
Perhaps you visit the Preserve to connect with the native peoples who call this place their home? It is an incredibly special place for Suquamish Tribe, making our work with them as we partner in continuing to care for the Preserve even more significant to the Foundation.
Your favorite spot might be in Hidden Valley where you can imagine what it was like to be a homesteader and to call the valley home. Hidden Valley was settled as a homestead in the late 1800s. The first homesteader sold out because the cries of the wildcats kept him awake at night. You can imagine how that would feel and as you visit, it’s something to think about – how these pioneers in the area settled on the land and the challenges and opportunities they faced in such a rural and lush location.
Studying the restoration of Hidden Valley and the heavily impacted buffer parcels could be another reason to visit. It’s fun watching nature recover with a little bit of help. It’s also a chance to see how human help can assist nature in recovering and adapting to climate change and man-made disturbances in nature.
Perhaps you’re one of our student or teacher visitors enjoying the Preserve as an outdoor classroom and laboratory? It’s an incredible resource for educators and students. At the Preserve, there is a healthy forest ecosystem and inspiration for those working to restore healthy environments.
Whatever your reason for visiting and whatever you like most about the Preserve, we hope you enjoy the simply pleasure of spending time in nature. Even as we are experiencing winter weather, you are welcome to come out and enjoy the Preserve, volunteer to help our restoration work, or be part of our student field trips.
-Jeff Wirtz, Vice President