Freeland Wetland Preserve is celebrating perpetual access to the Wetlands and trails!

Sept 15th 2-4PM

1820 Newman Rd, Freeland, WA 98249

Special Presentations, Acknowledgements, Refreshments & Wetland Trails! A year ago WWS received a Conservation Futures Fund Grant to secure the 2.8 acre Freeland Wetland Preserve access and parking adjacent to our trails and wetland, protecting access to all 48 acres of wetlands, forest, trails & wildlife in perpetuity!

We hope you will join us as we acknowledge many of those who facilitated preserving the Freeland Wetland Preserve — today & for future generations. Whidbey Island’s water comes from ground water collected by rainfall and held by our wetlands, a critical element for our diverse birds, reptiles, amphibian, mammals and forest. You can expect lively remarks by LEPS’ Don Meehan & Linda Kast whose family once farmed the property and continuing to work with local environmentalists to steward the wetlands. Ray Green, a former Rotary President, took the lead on several of the access improvements at the FWP and he helped build our Maxwelton Outdoor Classroom. Island County Commissioners, local non-profits, and local environmentalist continue to bolster our efforts, and they share their knowledge to make us better stewards! Thank you all, come share refreshments, mingle with friends & take home a Port Orford Cedar, courtesy of Bayview Farm & Garden, to plant as we learn to ‘plant forward’ in a changing climate!

Post Event Report:

On September 15th Whidbey Watershed Stewards hosted an open house event at the Freeland Wetland Preserver. It was the perfect fall day to celebrate receiving the Island County 2023 Conservation Futures Fund (CFF) Grant — used to purchase 2.8 adjoining acres which insures access & parking, in perpetuity, for the 45+ acre Freeland Wetlands Preserve!

The WWS Board & Staff were honored to welcome the many guests that attended, including: IC Commissioner Melanie Bacon, CFF members Linda Kast & Susan Bennett, Don Meehan (Lighthouse Environmental Programs Grants Lead). Linda Kast recounted stories of her family's stewardship of the wetlands over several decades.

Supporter Sievert Rohwer, a forest Steward and ornithologist, spiced up the event with tales of island wood ducks, complimenting input from Wetland Ecologist Dyanne Sheldon, Earth Sanctuary's Chuck Pettis and Wetland Restoration contractor & Board Member Jeremy McKnight!

The chain of ponds and wetlands along Newman Road support wide diversity of birds, reptiles, mammals, amphibians, gastropods, upland forest, woodlands and fungi! Many locals enjoy the loop trail through the woodlands to the pond and report greeting many bird watchers enjoying rejuvenating nature walks The preserve is an easy Island Transit stop for a nature walk and bird watching!

Whidbey Watershed Stewards expressed their appreciation for the support from the Rotary Club of South Whidbey, the Whidbey Camano Land Trust, Sound Water Stewards, Steve Ellis, Dyanne Sheldon, David Parent & 10th District Rep. Clyde Shavers, Island County Commissioners Bacon, Johnson & St. Clair and the Conservation Futures Fund members. 

The Whidbey Watershed Stewards (WWS) welcomes community members to enjoy all the properties we steward including the Freeland Wetlands Preserve, the Maxwelton Outdoor Classroom and Robinson Beach! You are invited to upcoming events there and at our Environmental Learning Center at the South Whidbey Community Center where we host groups & share learning! Volunteer & learning opportunities abound!

Freeland Wetland Preserver

1820 Newman Rd

Freeland, WA 98249