Nature Counts!, a preparation for the City Nature Challenge, is the subject of the 2025 Environmental Conference, 1-4 p.m. Sunday, April 13, at IslandWood.
Register today at https://www.sustainablebainbridge.org/programs/biec/
This year’s Environmental Conference is a celebration of community science that engages, informs, and helps our community prepare for the upcoming City Nature Challenge (April 25-28). Connect with organizations dedicated to conservation, education and stewardship, and learn tools, techniques and scientific methods that will support your involvement with community science projects in our area.
Megan Rohrssen of the Bainbridge Island Land Trust and Christina Woolf from IslandWood will present local projects that rely on community engagement to identify and monitor our natural ecosystems and resources. We will celebrate the community activism of a local couple receiving this year’s Environmentalist of the Year award, a 20-year Environmental Conference Tradition. And we’ll have displays and walking tours of IslandWood that help participants how to use the tools and skills of observation to help gear our Island up for the City Nature Challenge.
The Bainbridge Island Environmental Conference is presented by Sustainable Bainbridge, EcoAdapt, the Bainbridge Island Land Trust, IslandWood, and the Bainbridge Parks & Trails Foundation.
Participating organizations leading activities, interpretation and guided walks at the conference include: IslandWood (Reptiles & Amphibians Team); Bainbridge Island Land Trust (Plants Team); Kitsap Peninsula Mycological Society (Team Fungus Among Us); WSU Extension (Insects & Stream Bugs Team); Bainbridge Island Beach Naturalists (Marine Biology); Kitsap Audubon (Birding Team); Woodland Park Zoo Amphibian Monitoring (Amphibians Team); and Bloedel Reserve (Plants Team).
About the City Nature Challenge: One of the main objectives of this year’s Environmental Conference is to get participants excited about and trained for the City Nature Challenge, April 25-28. Any time during these four days, participants in the Challenge record and upload what they see using an easy-to use platform called iNaturalist (the Conference will include training). City Nature Challenge is as easy as walking out your door any time in these four days and observing and recording what you see! There are also multiple events around Kitsap County that you can participate in to conduct observations in specific places likes parks, reserves, and open spaces. The list of events is still being populated and will be available soon on the City Nature Challenge events webpage.
About the Bainbridge Island Environmental Conference: The Bainbridge Island Environmental Conference is a joint project of Sustainable Bainbridge, EcoAdapt, the Bainbridge Island Land Trust, IslandWood, and the Bainbridge Parks & Trails Foundation. The conference is an annual collaborative effort of multiple community organizations. BIEC brings local experts across a range of topics addressing the environment and sustainability into conversation with community members to increase learning and knowledge sharing across the community, energizing and encouraging action(s) to take as a follow up to conference participation. BIEC aims to provide new perspectives and solutions to environmental issues facing the Puget Sound region.
Information: https://www.sustainablebainbridge.org/programs/biec/