On June 15th, and to a crowd of 50+ people, the heart of San Juan Island officially opened for day-use public access! Over nearly 20 years, the Land Bank has endeavored to conserve portions of Cady Mountain – piecing together six separate transactions between 2003 – 2022, culminating in 470 acres protected.
Identified by The Nature Conservancy as an important climate resiliency area, the 2021 addition boasts high diversity wildflower areas along with extensive Madrona and Douglas-fir forest and several intermittent streams and was the key piece to providing trail connection from Cady Mountain Preserve to the National Historical Park’s English Camp and Roche Harbor Highlands trails system. The Land Bank and the San Juan Preservation Trust partnered on the 2021 addition to the Cady Mountain conservation area – joining forces, funds, and each other’s complementary strengths to protect the property. Through the San Juan Preservation Trust, 50 donors contributed over $500,000 to help the project succeed.
Twinflower (Linnaea borealis)
Hiker highlights from opening day included Pileated woodpeckers, native Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) and Twinflower (Linnaea borealis), and the delight of a child discovering what lies beyond the bridge.