Jennifer Holmes is delighted with a hummingbird nesting in her Coupeville yard this spring. Holmes says she’s looking forward to seeing baby birds by late April. Photo by Jennifer Holmes.
The abundance of nature and scenic beauty on Whidbey and Camano islands is helping many people to better cope during this truly difficult time.
We’re asking members of the Land Trust community to describe how nature is helping them during the COVID-19 pandemic. Share a photograph with a caption. Or share words, a poem, artwork (including children’s drawings), or a short video (email us: info@wclt.org). Conciseness is appreciated!
We’ll be sharing your inspirational photos and messages throughout spring to highlight the importance of local conservation and celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22. Below are recent contributions (check back to see more!):
Grateful for All the Nature at Crockett Lake Preserve
A Short-Eared Owl at Crockett Lake Preserve.
I am so grateful for the protection of places like Crockett Lake Preserve — now more than ever! Coronavirus is the topic at work, the newspaper and radio stations, and it fills our social media! Even before parks and beaches were closed, I was heading to the Crockett Lake Preserve to escape the daily stress that coronavirus has brought us. When I’m at the preserve with my camera in hand, I can forget all of the day’s noise and just be one with nature.”
— Jennifer Holmes, Coupeville
Tom Trimbath, volunteer site steward for the past 11 years at Hammons Preserve, near Clinton.
Open Space feels ‘so much healthier’
I’m very glad I live on Whidbey Island. It’s nice to be in a place that’s open. It just feels so much healthier.
— Tom Trimbath, Land Trust volunteer
You Really Otter See This to Believe It
Cats get a window seat to a nature show.
One of the most enjoyable experiences we’ve had since we moved to Whidbey Island five years ago is the annual return of a mother river otter and her yearly brood of pups. Our two cats watch with great anticipation in the spring as Momma Otter returns right on schedule and then makes her frequent and exciting trips down our driveway, over our stepping stones to the bluff edge, and then down to the beach and into the water to fish. We then wait with anticipation as she invariably returns successful, wet, and on a mission to get back home, only to repeat the process for several months. Her serpentine movements, hyper alertness to her surroundings, and fascinating patterns of behavior have entertained our family and thrilled us! Our backyard wildlife have certainly made this spring a little brighter during these unsettling times.
— Michael McGarry, Land Trust board member, Coupeville
Ann Linnea regularly walks in the woods at Trillium Community Forest, not far from her home, while practice safe social distancing. She was inspired to write a haiku.
Spring is Here! A Haiku by Ann Linnea
Spring is Here!
Alder leaves are out
Lime green leaves against blue sky
Spring’s sprung. Go outside!
— Ann Linnea, Freeland
View More Inspiring Images from the Islands
A Short-eared Owl poses for Coupeville photographer Jennifer Holmes in late March at Crockett Lake Preserve.
The Price family builds one treasure while enjoying another on Whidbey Island in early April. “We came to Whidbey for two reasons: World class natural beauty and a friendly community atmosphere," Scott Price said. "The Land Trust is a pure intersection of that. There are so many fulfilling and relaxing gems in the permanently protected experiences at Ebey’s, Trillium, Wilbert, Saratoga, Greenbank Farm, and more. The Land Trust team brings the values and aspirations of our community to life.”
Dugualla Bay Preserve on May 10, 2020. The restored estuary offers critical food and shelter for juvenile salmon. Photo by Matt Ferguson/ferglandfoto.
Transient orcas make an appearance in Saratoga Passage in early April. Among them is a light gray orca known as "Tl'uk," Photo by Jill Hein.
A pink moon rises over Three Fingers peak on April 9, 2020. Bob Laufenberg took the photo from a walking path between Camano Island and Stanwood.
Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) in bloom at Trillium Community Forest. Photo by Cleveland Hall.
Alex Morgan, 7, of Clinton, made a wild discovery during a visit to Trillium Community Forest on March 19, 2020. "Mom is it poisonous? Because I really want to pick it up," he asked. Alex discovered a Northern Alligator lizard, one of seven lizard species found in Washington. It wasn't poisonous.
A deer crosses the meadow at Del Fairfax Preserve, near Oak Harbor, earlier this month. Lenny Corin, a Land Trust member and volunteer site steward at the preserve, took the photograph. "I think we’re blessed here being in a place where most people value nature," he said. "I think that’s why a lot of people live here on Whidbey Island. Imagine being in a city and not having access to natural areas."
Eliza is enjoying nature at home on Whidbey Island on a beautiful April day.
A wonderful discovery at Admiralty Inlet Preserve in March: Killdeer eggs. Killdeer parents build the nest and watch over the eggs in usually sandy or gravelly material.
An inspirational piece of artwork hangs from a bush along a trail in Trillium Community Forest in March.
Hand-crafted artwork hangs from a bush in Trillium Community Forest in March.
Deer are quite the sight in a backyard near Coupeville with Admiralty Inlet serving as the backdrop. Photo by Michael McGarry.
Taylor, our stewardship assistant, working out in the field at Admiralty Inlet Preserve.
Cutest Killdeer Chicks You'll Ever See
A mother killdeer protects her newborn chicks on the side of a road on Central Whidbey Island near Crockett Lake Preserve in ...
A hummingbird strikes a pose at Dugualla Bay Preserve on North Whidbey Island on May 10, 2020. Photo by Matt Ferguson/ferglandfoto.
Vivi enjoys a walk on the trails at Trillium Community Forest with her owner, Ann Linnea, on April 12.
Joyce Richards, a valued volunteer, proudly dons her Land Trust cap from her home on Camano Island. "My view of the protected Barnum Point from my home on Camano Island is a daily reminder of the great work of the Whidbey Camano Land Trust, making every day an Earth Day for all!" she said.
A river otter is a common visitor each spring in a backyard near Coupeville. Photo by Michael McGarry.
Cats peer through a window at an annual visitor to their Coupeville backyard each spring. Photo by Michael McGarry.
A rough-skinned newt finds a trail at the Bounty Loop trailhead at Trillium Community Forest to its liking in March. Photo by Gretchen Luxenberg.
A hummingbird rests in a nest in Jennifer Holmes's backyard in Coupeville. Jennifer is looking forward to seeing baby birds by late April. Photo by Jennifer Holmes.
Alma harvesting nettles on the family farm on Whidbey Island.
Get out in nature! Make new friends! Find out what great land stewardship is all about. The Land Trust is always on the lookout for people who are as passionate about caring for land as we are.
