Land Trust starts planning for next year’s StreamFest
September 28th, 2007Planners for North Olympic Land Trust’s StreamFest 2008 weekend are looking for ideas, volunteers and sponsors for next year’s event.
Land Trust’s Board of Directors gave unanimous approval earlier this month (Sept. 20) to the 2008 weekend with two days and three events. President Ken Sweeney said StreamFest has become an important opportunity for people to celebrate the area’s outstanding surroundings and gain information about caring for them, in addition to providing a significant fundraiser for the nonprofit organization.
Ideas contributed for next year include:
- Insider’s Tour on StreamFest Saturday focusing on the Salt Creek watershed and estuary.
- Saturday StreamFest at Ennis Arbor Farm with more homegrown music, food and other activities.
- Sunday StreamFest at Ennis Arbor Farm with more children’s activities, including a possible costume parade with participants representing animals, plants and other parts of the local environment.
Land Trust helps couple protect habitat for birds, other wildlife
September 27th, 2007
Ron and Donna Raven check the helichrysum plants they grow on their 13.7 acres north of Sequim. In the background are some of the ponds, wetlands, forest and agriculture areas the Ravens’ agreement with North Olympic Land Trust will permanently protect.Ron and Donna Raven’s agreement covers nearly 14 acres, which includes ponds, wetlands, forested, pasture and agricultural areas. The agreement recognizes the property’s diverse qualities and its special importance to native birds using the nearby Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge and as upland habitat for other waterfowl along the shoreline. It will accompany the property’s title in perpetuity while enabling the Ravens and future owners to continue using it while helping the Land Trust uphold the agreement.
When the Ravens bought their home in 2002, June Matriotti owned the 13.75 acres adjacent to the Ravens and the home next door, where she still lives. June and her husband, the late Bob Matriotti, had built both homes and developed other nearby property. Matriotti family members were pioneers in the area, and Matriotti Creek, a tributary of the Dungeness River, carries the family name.
“We told June to let us know if she ever wanted to sell this property,” Donna remembered. “We told her our intention was to put it in the Land Trust, and she liked the idea of protecting the view and habitat.”