The first annual Natural Skagit Day will be held at Skagit Land Trust's Lyman Slough Conservation Area on Saturday, June 15. This family-friendly event begins at 9am at the Lyman Town Park and will feature nature walks, fly fishing demonstrations, and volunteer opportunities. The Trust acquired this 18-acre property in 2004 with funds from the Salmon Recovery Funding Board and help from Skagit County to protect the significant salmon rearing habitat found here. Since 2004, many volunteers have assisted in caring for this conservation area.

Visit the Natural Skagit Day event page to learn more.

Our executive director, Molly Doran, is a volunteer commissioner with the Land Trust Accreditation Committee. She was recently interviewed and featured on their website - click here to learn more about her background and why she chooses to serve as a commissioner. Skagit Land Trust is proud to be an accredited land trust since 2008. Interested in learning more about what it means to be accredited? Visit the accreditation committee website to learn more.

Two amazing matching opportunities in one week rallied long-time and new Skagit Land Trust supporters to give BIG for local lands. On May 9, the Skagit Community Foundation held the first Skagit Day of Giving event with a generous challenge match from Leighton, Susan, and Stedem Wood to match all gifts up to $15,000 per participating charity. 58 donors stepped up to the plate to help us exceed our goal and $39,000 was raised!

On May 15, the Trust participated in the Seattle Foundation's Give BIG program. 23 donors made contributions online and with stretch funds from the Seattle Foundation's matching pool, the Trust raised $7,000 in one day. These funds will be put to use immediately to protect and steward Skagit's most important natural areas such as Barney Lake, Cumberland Creek, Guemes Mountain, Barr Creek and more. Thank you!

The Skagit Community Foundation invites seven local non-profit partners and YOU to participate in Skagit Day of Giving at the St. Joseph Center in Mount Vernon on Thursday, May 9 from 4 to 8 p.m. This unique event will offer an unprecedented opportunity for community members to Strengthen Your Community and Double Your Impact with a 1:1 challenge offered by the Foundation to match all donations made. Visit skagitcf.org to learn how you can help Skagit Land Trust raise $15,000 in matching funds!

Responding to a community grassroots effort that began two years ago, President Obama announced on March 25 the creation of a new National Monument on lands currently owned by the federal Bureau of Land Management. The San Juan Islands National Monument designation applies to approximately 1,000 acres that are located throughout this archipelago that extends into San Juan, Skagit and Whatcom counties.

These lands, which include over 60 uninhabited islands, headlands and lighthouse properties, provide exceptional wildlife habitat and some of the most popular recreation destinations in the region. Local land trusts the San Juan Preservation Trust, Lummi Island Heritage Trust, and Skagit Land Trust enthusiastically supported this designation, which ensures the highest level of protection for these important federal properties while providing a strong local voice in their management.

photo: Patos Island - WA DOE Coastal Atlas

Skagit Land Trust was honored to be chosen by Cascadia Weekly readers as the best nonprofit organization in the 2013 Best of Skagit issue.

Thank you to all who join with us to protect Skagit's rich natural heritage!

With two new acquisitions in the past two months, the Trust has added 14 more acres to the Hurn Field Conservation Area for a new total of 95 acres. This is one of our more well-known sites because of the local elk herd often found grazing at Hurn Field, but these 95 acres preserve much more than a place for elk to forage. Visit the Hurn Field profile to learn more about the diverse landscapes found here that makes it an important part of our conservation efforts in the Middle Skagit. Thank you to all who support the Trust, we couldn’t do it without you.

Interested in receiving Skagit Land Trust events and news alerts by email? Learn about upcoming property tours, community events and volunteer work parties by subscribing to our e-newsletter. Visit our e-news sign up page today!

Join us for our Annual Members Meeting on Friday, March 29th at the Shelter Bay Clubhouse. Following the business meeting and awards, guest speaker Dr. Jon Riedel - geologist with the North Cascades National Park - will present 'Blue Legacy: Glaciers, Climate Change, and Water in the Skagit Watershed'. Visit the event page for more information.

Thank you to the 260 guests who attended the Trust's 7th Annual Auction & Dinner on March 2, 2013 - $104,000 (net) was raised for local land conservation!

Thank you to all the people who gave their talent, time and treasure to make our auction a huge success: Don Wick - Emcee; the auction committee; the 56 event volunteers; the 200+ auction item donors (visit our Business Supporter page to view some of these generous donors; and the Trust's staff & Board of Directors. We also extend our gratitude to the 2013 Sponsors: Bank of the Pacific, Foothills Auto Center Toyota/Scion, NW Real Estate Valuation, Puget Sound Energy, Skagit State Bank, Land Title & Escrow Company, Lautenbach Industries, Daniel Rasmussen, DMD, Dr. Gary Brown, Hampton Inn & Suites, Oliver Hammer Clothes Shop, Hexcel Corporation, Karen E. Homitz DDS, Sierra Pacific Foundation, Skagit Law Group, and Windermere Real Estate - Anacortes & Skagit Valley. And In-Kind Sponsors: Breadfarm, Gere-a-Deli, Premier Graphics, Skagit River Brewery and Washington Bulb Company.

Save the date for The Trust's 8th Annual Auction & Dinner - March 1st, 2014.