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Conserving wildlife habitat, agricultural and forest lands, scenic open space, wetlands, and shorelines for the benefit of our community and as a legacy for future generations.

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Skagit Land Trust Launches Online Speaker Series

Skagit Land Trust is launching an online speaker series that will help us connect with the community throughout the fall, winter, and spring. We hope you can join us for some of the following talks:

"History of Environmental Change in Skagit County, 1850-1980" with historian Theresa L. Trebon

We are thrilled to introduce our first speaker, historian and Skagit Land Trust volunteer Theresa Trebon. Theresa will talk about the History of Environmental Change in our area, a fascinating and relevant topic for the SLT community!

The event will take place on Zoom on February 13th from 6pm - 7:30pm. Please click this link to register via Eventbrite. Zoom meeting access information will be emailed to registrants shortly before the meeting.

More about the Speaker:

Theresa Trebon is a historian who has worked to preserve and interpret Pacific Northwest History for over thirty years. She is the author of First Views-An Early History of Skagit County, among other books. Her work may be found in collections at Ebey’s Landing NHR, the Nordic Heritage Museum, the Anacortes Museum, Collection for Pacific Northwest Studies, and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, where she served as their first archivist from 2007-2022.

"Dam It: Beavers in Washington State" with Shawn Behling, Wetland Wildlife Species Specialist for Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife

Beavers are amazing but controversial animals, especially given their preferred habitat is exactly the same habitat humans prefer, too. How can we find the balance that works for both our species and theirs? What challenges do beavers and landowners face in Washington, and are there tangible benefits to beavers’ work on the landscape? Join Shawn for a discussion on the history, biology, and management of beavers in our state.

The event will take place on Zoom on April 22nd, from 6pm - 7:30pm. We will post an event registration link soon. Zoom meeting access information will be emailed to registrants shortly before the meeting.

More about the Speaker:

​Shawn Behling's work focuses on beavers, but includes waterfowl and wetlands across the state as well. She has earned degrees in plant ecophysiology from Seattle University, University of Maryland, and University of Washington, and while in her PhD program, she began working with beavers through Beavers Northwest. She has the best job of anyone you know and when she’s not in a beaver pond, she’s riding her mountain bike or traipsing through the woods with her dog Flapjack.

"Hiking Close to Home" with Jack Hartt, co-author of the Hiking Close to Home guidebook.

Whidbey, Fidalgo and Guemes Island offer great places to explore with bluffs and beaches, forests and fields, wetlands, wildflower walks and lovely lakes. This online presentation will introduce a bunch of Jack's favorite hikes in our area. We will also discuss hikes that community members can take on Skagit Land Trust properties!

The event will take place on Zoom on May 14th, from 6pm - 7:30pm. We will post an event registration link soon. Zoom meeting access information will be emailed to registrants shortly before the meeting.

More about the Speaker:

Jack Hartt was born and raised near the shores of the Salish Sea in Seattle. After earning a degree in forest science with a speciality in park management, Jack worked for Washington State Parks for over 40 years before retiring in 2017. Recently, with SWS member Maribeth Crandell, Jack co-authored Hiking Close to Home, a guidebook to hikes and trails of Whidbey, Fidalgo & Guemes Islands. Jack loves beaches, sunsets and sunrises, warm weather, flying, photography, hiking, sauntering, kayaking, biking, laughing, basketball, writing, playing with his kids and grandkids, eating blackberry pie, and finding rainbows.

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