Our work to help ensure both social and environmental resilience across the North Olympic Peninsula goes beyond land conservation because we understand it takes a holistic approach. This understanding drives the team at North Olympic Land Trust to support the growth of sustainable, community-centric businesses whenever possible. As a “Resource Partner” of this year’s Sustainable Small Business Competition, North Olympic Land Trust is happy to provide tools and insight to those participating.
Learn more about this unique opportunity, including details on deadlines and events at Washington Coast Works.
Washington Coast Works Launches 2017 Sustainable Small Business Competition
Article courtesy Washington Coast Works. Released March 14, 2017.
The third year of the Washington Coast Works initiative kicks off March 21 with a round of Community Conversations led by past Coast Works winners and participants.
Community Conversations will be held in Aberdeen (March 21), Forks (March 23) and Port Angeles (March 25) to envision what sustainable wellbeing means in their communities and to identify projects or activities that could help bring it about. These conversations will continue throughout the year and participants will be invited to a year-end summit to share projects and ideas.
Last year’s Coast Works winner, Jessica Ellis, won $10,000 to expand Freedom Acres, a dog boarding business that uses salvaged materials, solar power, and all natural supplies for its K9 lodge and K9 kennels. In 2015 Emily Foster, a Quileute tribal member from Forks, won $10,000 for equipment and supplies to launch Lonzo’s Seafood Company, offering smoked Quileute-caught fresh salmon.
“Jessica is leading sustainability through her business, and Emily is building a business that will encourage responsible use of our natural resources”, says Eric Delvin, Emerald Edge Director for The Nature Conservancy, one of the organizations leading the Coast Works initiative.
The goal of the Coast Works initiative is to catalyze small and locally-owned triple bottom line businesses that generate profit by contributing to conservation of local natural resources and that will lead a network of community conversations focused on building sustainable community well-being in rural communities on the Washington coast.
“Local businesses promoting sustainability and making sustainable use of local natural resources are an essential part of the foundation for durable conservation and long-term well-being in our rural communities on the coast,” adds Delvin.
Folks interested in learning more about the Coast Works initiative are encouraged to participate in the upcoming Community Conversations. Further information is available at www.wacoastworks.org.
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Washington Coast Works was established by The Nature Conservancy, in collaboration with the Center for Inclusive Entrepreneurship and the Taala Fund. The program is designed to diversify the economies in Grays Harbor, Jefferson and Clallam Counties through the development of new small businesses, build business leadership in local communities, grow a constituency that supports conservation and sustainable natural resource use, and ultimately contribute to a new vision of sustainable community and economic development on the Washington Coast.