Inspiring Kids Preserve, Photo by Doug RidenourCapitol Land Trust (CLT) is excited to announce the purchase of Harmony Farm on Henderson Inlet, completing the acquisition phase of what will become the Inspiring Kids Preserve. Many thanks to our project partners who made this milestone possible: Becky & Jeff Sobel, WA Recreation and Conservation Office, WA Department of Ecology, US Fish & Wildlife Service, and Thurston County.
Harmony Farm was originally conserved in 1992 when Harmony Glover donated a conservation easement to CLT. Harmony’s family purchased the property in 1929, and her father posted several signs that said: “No hunting. . . No shooting. . . Wildlife Sanctuary.” Harmony held this same desire to protect the land for future generations of wildlife and people.
The 56-acre property hosts many different habitat types, including 1,300 feet of shoreline, two pocket estuaries, wetlands, and mature forest. The pocket estuaries, fed by streams that seep from the hillside, are frequented by Kingfishers and provide important salmon habitat. The upland parts of the property are home to stands of Western red cedar, Douglas-fir, big-leaf maple and red alder, and old orchard trees remain between the forest and an agricultural field that is being restored.
Just to the south of Harmony Farm is the former Stillman Tree Farm that CLT purchased in 2016. Together, the two properties will combine to make the 108-acre Inspiring Kids Preserve, a place where kids can come to learn, explore, and be restored. The variety of habitats, along with the restoration already underway, make the learning opportunities seem endless, and the property’s proximity to public schools make it a viable option for school field trips.
In the coming months, CLT will reach out to schools and organizations in the community who might use the Preserve to find out what improvements will assist them in their programming and make the space welcoming to the youth they serve. Construction of these improvements, including a trail system, covered structures, bus access and parking, and restroom facilities will be phased in over the next couple years.
Would you like to get more involved or have an idea of an organization we should reach out to as we design the site? We’d love to hear from you. Email us at: [email protected].