For a PPS map of the wetland see GPS MAP

For Pictures taken on the Wetland see The Pond, The Trees , The Moss

The Friends of Freeland are the trustees of major sections of a magnificent stretch of wetland on the edge of Freeland, extending from Double Bluff Road to nearly the intersection of Newman Road and Scott Road. Members of FOF will recall that our organization was actually founded for the purpose of acquiring and protecting the first wetland parcel, reflecting the need for a community-based non-profit to support smart growth planning and assist in planning for quality of life issues affecting greater Freeland.
Since the initial acquisition of 12.1 acres our holdings have been increased in two ways.

First, a group of landowners owning two parcels on the Freeland side of the original acquisition have, through sale and through gift, added 1.30 acres of critical wetland buffer to FOF’s property. They have pledged to develop their property in such a way as to enhance, not harm, the adjacent wetland, and raised the possibility of providing public access in the future, when their own plans have become better defined and when we have gained enough understanding of the ecological functioning of the wetland to know what kind of community access is appropriate.

Second, FOF received an extraordinarily generous gift of 26.2 adjacent acres of this wetland system from Freeland resident Virginia Booth, given in honor of her late husband William with the explicit stipulation that the land should be protected, not developed.

Thus, in the short time span of 4 years FOF has become the steward of 40 acres of one of the most rapidly-disappearing types of ecosystems in the region, and indeed world-wide. Wetlands are essential habitat for many species of residential and migratory birds, and for amphibians. Birds have many defenders, but fewer of us know about the diverse frogs, salamanders and newts that live in our region. Their populations are declining rapidly, in some cases disastrously. We have a chance to provide them a haven right in our own community. In addition to their biological role, wetlands occupy a central position in the great water cycle of nature. They trap a great deal of water that falls as rain, filter it, and replenish our aquifers with clean water. Compare this with the problems we face when nature’s cycle is interrupted: storm water runoff, typically polluted, causing flooding and often mixing with sewage. The clean-up costs can be huge.

FOF, then, is in a position to help keep our immediate environment in balance. By properly stewarding our precious property, which we own because of generous community support, we can conserve habitat, support a healthy water cycle, and in the long run provide educational and quiet recreational opportunities for our community members.

May of 2005 marked the completion of a collaboration with the Whidbey chapter of Audubon, who did a monthly census of breeding and migratory birds to better understand who inhabits this particular wetland, and where nesting areas are located. The information from this survey, in addition to wise counsel from other ecologists, will direct our placement of access trails for the community’s enjoyment.

FOF is now working to expand the Wetlands through the purchase of 5 acres adjacent to the original holdings.