Ruby Ranch in Chimacum is Now Protected Forever!

Cattle at Ruby Ranch

We’re celebrating the permanent protection of another family farm in Chimacum with the purchase of a conservation easement on Ruby Ranch. This 65-acre property owned by Joe and Val Goularte is located in the fertile bottomlands of Beaver Valley. The Goulartes currently raise a herd of grass-fed beef cattle and are eager to begin diversifying…

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The Conservation Bell – a Joyful Sound

View of Quilcene Bay

When we get official notice that a new property deed has been recorded at the county, Sarah Spaeth, Director of Conservation and Strategic Partnerships, rings a special bell at Jefferson Land Trust’s office. This tradition, which started about 10 years ago, is our way of acknowledging and celebrating that another important place in Jefferson County…

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K-12 Educational Field Program is Growing Fast

Field Trip to Duckabush Oxbow and Wetlands Preserve

The thank you notes and poems arrived soon after Port Townsend first and second graders visited Illahee Preserve to learn about salmon. Inside were messages filled with warmth and gratitude. “Thank you for the experience of being in the forest,” Addie H. wrote. “Thank you for saving the salmons,” said Laverna. “I loved being a…

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Our Top 3 Reasons to Visit the Duckabush Oxbow & Wetlands Preserve

Roosevelt elk

In the Duckabush River Valley, more than 3,250 acres of permanently protected land create a corridor of wildlife habitat. This greenbelt corridor hosts a wide variety of species – fish, insects, amphibians, mammals and birds – that have relied on this land for thousands of years. In addition to providing important spawning and rearing habitat for…

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Volunteer Spotlight: Scotty Scott

Scotty Scott Leading a Lesson

Scotty Scott’s lifelong passion for nature fueled a 40-year career as a science teacher. Now she’s inspiring hundreds of students by volunteering with Jefferson Land Trust’s local school partnerships. “We need to think as brothers and sisters to all life and honor what nature gives us.” Scotty helps with everything from designing lesson plans to…

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Roosevelt Elk Herd Expanding in the Duckabush River Valley

Roosevelt Elk in the Duckabush River Valley. Photo by Caitlin Battersby.

The Duckabush River greenbelt hosts many animals that have relied on this land for thousands of years. In addition to providing important spawning habitat for endangered salmon, wildlife such as bear, beaver, and cougar have all been observed there recently. And one more common, but no less magical, sighting on the Duckabush is its herd…

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Just Protected: Duckabush Mid-Reach Preserve

Duckabush Mid-Reach Preserve

We’re celebrating a great success for wildlife on the Duckabush River this winter! Local sculptor Mark Fissler and his family worked with Jefferson Land Trust and our partners to protect 15 acres of their longtime family land in the middle reaches of the Duckabush River as a permanent wildlife preserve.

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