“I wanted to keep a piece of Whidbey as it was when my relatives settled here,” said Arletta Lynch Uptegrove on why she donated her 5-acre forest to us and transferred a conservation easement on the other part of her family’s property. We have been working with volunteers to remove invasive species from the diverse forest, especially ivy and spurge laurel. At some point, the forest will be donated to Coupeville to become part of the Krueger Woods open space. We’ll reserve a conservation easement to ensure it’s always protected as one of the scenic entrances to Coupeville and for wildlife to enjoy. A future trail will someday link to the Walking Ebey’s Trail system.