Two bald eagles swoop low over the Dungeness cow pasture, right in front of a newly placed memorial bench–an awe inspiring moment for the ~20 folks who gathered to remember Simone Nichols. Simone was an early founder of Friends of the Fields, and her memorial bench was placed along the southern end of the levee, just off Towne Road, facing permanently protected farmlands and floodplains.
Simone’s love of farms turned her into a passionate farm protector. As a real estate agent and an early founder of Friends of the Fields, she used her “know-how” to encourage sensible farm conservation. As Friends of the Field folded into North Olympic Land Trust–joining the two missions–Simone’s passion for protecting the Peninsula’s farms and habitats grew.
Rather than recounting facts about this history of Simone and the incredible work she’s done, what stands out to me, as someone nearing five years with the Land Trust, is the incredible outpouring of love from many countless individuals since Simone passed in August of 2024–nearly one year ago. The rally for Simone has not abated, and I understand why.
Few people will ever achieve the amount of admiration Simone had flowing her way. Her unwavering willingness to help others meant she knew just about everyone. More importantly, she cared deeply about people, and she knew how to make people feel welcomed and have a good time.
It was Simone’s love of people that led her to conservation. She protected farms because she wanted farmers to have jobs, and her neighbors to eat fresh food. She championed safe outdoor recreation. Simone wanted every person to experience the delight of seeing the swans arrive for the winter.
Simone was the living embodiment of Shakespeare’s line, “one touch of nature makes the whole world kin.” This favorite quote of hers is also on her memorial bench to serve as a reminder to all.
In typical Simone fashion, she had two bald eagles do a flyby–distracting us with nature–as we stood in community to remember our dear friend.
In the spirit of Simone, consider a donation to the Land Trust in her memory.
From the desk of Alex Wilson, Development Director
Photos: Top Left- The plaque on Simone’s bench; Bottom Left – a group of Simone’s loved ones remember her legacy; Right – From left to right, Tom (Land Trust Executive Director), Barbara (Simone’s daughter), and Alex (Land Trust Development Director) with the new bench.