March 2023

23 Mar Celebrate Earth Month!

Events Emily Gaskin

We invite you to celebrate Earth Month with the Bainbridge Island Land Trust! We will be taking action throughout the month of April to to support our natural environment. Please join us on Wednesday, April 5 from 9-11AM at Quitslund Preserve for our First Wednesday Work Party! We will be removing Himalayan blackberry and maintaining the areas cleared during the 2022 volunteer work parties. Please register here. On Saturday, April 22 from 8AM-3PM, stop by our stand for the 2023 Earth Day Expo at Battle Point Park. We will be featuring watershed demonstrations for kids of all ages! On Sunday, April 23 and Sunday, April 30 from 10AM-4PM, we invite you to bring your invasive weeds to the Bainbridge Disposal Transfer Station for our FREE invasive weed disposal event. Invasive plant targets are Scotch broom, English holly, English ivy, Himalayan blackberry, tansy ragwort, English laurel, and the noxious weeds on King County’s “Noxious Weed” list. Learn more here. A calendar of Earth Month events on Bainbridge Island is available here.

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14 Mar Free Invasive Weed Disposal is Back this April!

Events Emily Gaskin

Sundays, April 23rd and 30th from 10 am to 4 pm. We’re here to help you get your yard in order with two days of FREE Invasive Weed Disposal! Bring your weeds to the transfer station and the Land Trust will cover the cost of disposal. Invasive plant targets are Scotch broom, English holly, English ivy, Himalayan blackberry, tansy ragwort, English laurel, and the noxious weeds on King County’s “Noxious Weed” list. Please do not mix in non-invasive yard waste. For questions about whether or not something will be accepted, email Andrew Fraser, Land Trust Stewardship Manager, or call (206) 842-1216. Invasive plant species are one of the leading causes of vegetation biodiversity loss. They spread quickly and can displace native plants, prevent new native plant growth, and create monocultures. Lack of diversity among native plants reduces the quality and quantity of fish and wildlife habitat. Remove your invasives now while the ground is soft and make room for native plants come fall and winter when the weather is best for planting! Resources: The Land Trust’s Invasive Weed Primer Jeannette Franks’ Despicable 6 King County Noxious Weed List Bainbridge Island Cooperative Weed Management Area Priority Weeds A special thanks to Bainbridge Disposal for helping facilitate this important event. If you are interested in volunteering for the invasive disposal effort, please email Thea.

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07 Mar The 2023 Bainbridge Island Environmental Conference is Here!

Events Emily Gaskin

Seattle science journalist and author Madeline Ostrander will be the keynote speaker at the 19th annual Bainbridge Island Environmental Conference, “Our Island Home on an Unruly Planet.” The conference will be from 12-5 p.m. Saturday, March 25, at the Bainbridge High School Theater. It is presented by Bainbridge Island Land Trust, Sustainable Bainbridge, EcoAdapt, the Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation, and IslandWood. Ostrander’s 2022 book “At Home on an Unruly Planet: Finding Refuge on a Changed Planet” examines how climate change has destabilized our fundamental notions of “home” through stories of finding resilience in the face of dramatic environmental change – melting permafrost in Alaska, rising seas in Florida, catastrophic wildfires in Washington state, and petrochemical disasters in California – Ostrander offers essays on our historical, social and psychological constructs of “home” as a place to be cherished and defended. Ostrander’s book is available before the conference through Eagle Harbor Book Co. For the full conference schedule, including additional speakers and breakout sessions, and to buy tickets, visit the event site here.

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06 Mar Bainbridge Island Land Trust Seeks Public Comments for Reaccreditation

News Emily Gaskin

The Bainbridge Island Land Trust welcomes public comments on compliance with national land trust standards and practices to support reaccreditation process. The Bainbridge Island Land Trust is currently applying for reaccreditation through the Land Trust Accreditation Commission (LTAC). Reaccreditation by the LTAC is a rigorous process that evaluates a land trust’s adherence to national standards and best practices in land conservation. The standards cover a range of topics, including ethical and legal responsibilities, financial management, land transactions, conservation easements, stewardship, and community engagement. Land Trust accreditation is important to the Bainbridge Island Land Trust because it provides external validation of our commitment to excellence in land conservation, enhances our credibility and reputation, and helps to ensure the long-term success of our mission. Additionally, this process can help the Land Trust continually improve our operations and programs by providing a framework for ongoing evaluation. The Commission invites public input and accepts signed, written comments on pending applications. Comments must relate to how the Bainbridge Island Land Trust complies with national quality standards. These standards address the ethical and technical operation of a land trust. For the full list of standards see http://www.landtrustaccreditation.org/help-and-resources/indicator-practices. To learn more about the accreditation program and to submit a comment, visit www.landtrustaccreditation.org, or email your comment to [email protected]. Comments may also be mailed to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, Attn: Public Comments, 36 Phila Street, Suite 2, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. Comments on Bainbridge Island Land Trust’s application will be most useful by May 25, 2023.

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