Sequim resident Suzanne Fleming (1940-2021) was a long-time supporter of the Land Trust who left a lasting impact on local land conservation. As a lover of animals and the outdoors, Suzanne enjoyed daily walks on the old Dungeness Levee trail with her dog. Many years ago, kind locals placed a couple of Adirondack chairs on the old levee for her to rest on while enjoying the trail. Those chairs were removed along with old levee through the process of restoring the floodplain for salmon habitat on the lower Dungeness River.
With construction done on the new levee and salmon already enjoying the incredible habitat, a new bench was created to replace the Adirondack chairs. We are grateful to Land Trust volunteer David C., who lovingly crafted the bench from western redcedar he sustainably harvested and milled near Port Townsend. We also give our thanks to volunteers Eric M. and Steve L. who applied the finish and installed the bench in its new home.
Under a gorgeous summer sky with the Olympic Mountains showing off in the distance, a small group of loved ones, Land Trust supporters, representatives from the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe gathered on August 11th for a ceremony in honor of Suzanne’s contribution to the Land Trust. Together, we made a toast to Suzanne with crisp, clean Dungeness River water.
Suzanne also loved the Port Angeles Symphony Orchestra, and violist Tyrone Beatty performed a beautiful rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow, which can be viewed below.
We want to thank all of those who attended, our volunteers for making the bench happen, Tyrone for the lovely performance, and most of all Suzanne for her dedication to local conservation through the Land Trust.
Another big thank you to the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe for the immense work they have put in on the levee setback and floodplain restoration, letting us place the bench on the portion of the levee that they manage, and keeping the levee open for public recreation. We encourage you to take a walk or bike ride on the new levee trail, enjoy the incredible landscape as it undergoes restoration, and relax on Suzanne’s bench.
Please click here to learn more about legacy gifts to the Land Trust.
