Sound Experience

Bainbridge Island Land Trust is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and protecting the natural habitats and landscapes of Bainbridge Island, WA through initiatives such as watershed conservation, acquisition of land, and stewardship programs. The organization engages the community through volunteer opportunities, events, and educational resources, emphasizing the importance of environmental conservation for current and future generations.Generated from the website

Citizens For A Healthy Bay is a non-profit organization based in Tacoma, WA, dedicated to promoting a healthy environment and community. They work towards the effective cleanup of toxic contamination in and around Commencement Bay, mobilizing the community and advocating for prioritizing human and environmental health in cleanup plans. They also focus on addressing climate change by advocating for a temporary freeze on future fossil fuel facilities and expansions in the Tacoma Tideflats. Through their Bay Patrol program, they identify and tackle pollution in the South Sound, working closely with local agencies and organizations. With a science-based approach, Citizens For A Healthy Bay engages people and empowers the next generation of environmental stewards through their youth education efforts, such as the Student Stewards Conservation Program. They provide monthly newsletters to keep the community informed and offer opportunities for individuals to get involved through volunteering and donations. Their work is crucial in ensuring a healthy bay, community, and future for Tacoma, WA.Generated from the website

With a population of 118, 000 people, Skagit County in Northwestern Washington is a rural county renowned for its wild and scenic rivers, expansive floodplains, fertile agricultural lands, native forests and abundance of wildlife. This natural wealth, within 60 miles of the major metropolitan area of Seattle to the south and Vancouver B.C. to the north, makes the Skagit stand out as a special region in the United States. The artery of the county is the Skagit River, one of the principle rivers in the Western United States, draining more than 3, 000 square miles. The Skagit River boasts one of the largest endangered wild Chinook salmon runs in Puget Sound and is the only river in the state that supports all five species of native salmon. Standing above the river are the still-wild North Cascade Mountains. The upper elevations in the county are forested and glacier-clad designated wilderness, providing critical habitat wildlife. In the lowlands, where over 90% of the county's population resides, extensive floodplains and farm fields create open space, agricultural wealth and offer world-class bird habitat. The Skagit has the highest number and variety of raptors in North America. Conifer forests, extensive eelgrass bays, rocky cliffs, islands and rich estuaries line the county's coastal edge and form the entrance to the San Juan Islands. The natural riches in Skagit County are, however, under threat. With Skagit County's location between two growing metropolitan areas, loss of the county's natural heritage is happening at an alarming rate. Sprawl and development are particularly placing lowland ecosystems in Skagit County at risk - streams, streamsides, floodplains, lowland forests, marine shorelines, freshwater wetlands and agricultural lands. Population growth for the county has surpassed population growth rates in other areas of the state with a 31% increase between 1990 and 2001. Development is funneled to the lowlands and river basins with on-going disturbance to ecosystem integrity and loss of open space. Yet even under this increasing threat, a geography of coincidences coupled with the influence of a rural economy and natural disturbances such as flooding, have allowed Skagit County to resist convergence to a suburb of Seattle/Everett to the south, or Bellingham to the north. Remarkably, given its location, the county offers one of the best chances for conservation of critical habitat and open space in Western Washington. Skagit Land Trust's History and Mission Skagit Land Trust was founded in March 1992 by three visionary leaders and 31 Charter Members to help protect the natural lands, open space and wildlife habitat of Skagit County for the benefit of this and future generations. The Trust has grown steadily to become a respected grassroots organization with strong local support and is recognized as an innovative leader in conservation. The six staff, 15 board members and 50 active volunteers are joined by over 1, 000 members to protect the most important and beloved land and landscapes in the county. The amount of land and habitat protected by the Trust has grown to more than 5, 000 acres including more than 18 miles of shoreline. The Trust is currently working on a dozen new projects under the guidance of a Conservation Strategy that helps protect the best, most at-risk lands first. Skagit Land Trust's Unique Position While other partner organizations are working very effectively at the local level on protection of particular types of land in Skagit County ( e.g. Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland, Ducks Unlimited ) Skagit Land Trust focuses on permanently protecting all types of natural and resource lands with exceptional conservation value throughout Skagit County. For example, no other organization in the county routinely accepts Conservation Easements on diverse private lands, countywide. Yet today in the world of conservation we do not have the luxury of a singular or divided vision. Ecosystems are a web and th