News Archives | Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation

39 acres at Grand Forest East saved, with major gift through Parks & Trails Foundation

39 acres at Grand Forest East saved, with major gift through Parks & Trails Foundation

Thirty-nine acres of Grand Forest East will be preserved for public use, after a successful $2.2 million fundraising effort by the Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation and Bainbridge Island Land Trust.

The property will be purchased by the Bainbridge Island Metro Park & Recreation District, under an agreement with the Bainbridge Island School District. The 39-acre parcel has been managed as part of the Grand Forest parkland for more than 30 years, while it was owned by the School District as a possible school site. The School District surplussed the property for sale earlier this year.

The preservation effort was anchored by a $1.6 million gift from a private conservation fund established by an island family, made through the Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation.

Hundreds of individual donors gave separately through the Bainbridge Island Land Trust and Parks & Trails Foundation, through […]

39 acres at Grand Forest East saved, with major gift through Parks & Trails FoundationDouglas2025-05-02T13:43:37-07:00

Strawberry Hill Bike Park build is underway

Strawberry Hill Bike Park build is underway

The guys from Shire Built construction were on the scene just a few hours, and already the contours of Strawberry Hill Bike Park were taking shape.

The first jump, fashioned from a scavenged boulder mounded over with dirt. The first of countless berms, the banked, earthen curves that will propel riders through progressive “racing lines” around the course. The first 30 or 40 yards of the mile and half of chute-like trails that soon will serpentine down and around the wooded hillside.

“You’ve already gone from there to there?” an onlooker asked.

Shire Built trail builder Spencer Baldwin shrugged off the fast start.

“No time wasted.”

“With a coffee break,” added builder Scott Scamehorn. “Heck yeah!”

Heck yeah, indeed. Long sought by local riders, the island’s first-ever dedicated bike park is under construction at Strawberry Hill. A summer opening is […]

Strawberry Hill Bike Park build is underwayDouglas2025-05-02T10:51:39-07:00

Volunteer at Trillium Trail Run

Volunteer at Trillium Trail Run

Don’t want to run the race? Help run it instead!

We have many great volunteer opportunities for the Trillium Trail Run, May 10 at Battle Point Park. From pre-race packet assembly, to course marking and monitoring, to handing out medals at the end (and more), we have a role for you.

Check out the opportunities and volunteer today!

VOLUNTEER

Volunteer at Trillium Trail RunDouglas2025-04-30T13:04:21-07:00

Summer opening possible as Strawberry Hill Bike Park breaks ground

Summer opening possible as Strawberry Hill Bike Park breaks ground

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND – Strawberry Hill Bike Park broke ground this week, and a summer opening is possible with $95,000 in fundraising left to complete the project.

The island’s first ever-bike park will feature more than 1.5 miles of wooded trails, challenging hillside jumps, berms and flyovers, and skill-building areas for young riders.

It is being built on 8 acres at Strawberry Hill Park near Winslow.

Gifts to complete the Bike Park can be made at www.bikestrawberry.org.

Oceanside Construction of Bellingham and Shire Built earth movers on Monday began sculpting bike trails into the hillside. The firms have previously built the acclaimed Galbraith Mountain and Bellingham Harbor bike parks.

The Strawberry Hill Bike Park course was designed by local riders and Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance, a regional bike park designer.

Isley Construction of Bainbridge Island is providing pro bono services to […]

Summer opening possible as Strawberry Hill Bike Park breaks groundDouglas2025-04-30T13:01:44-07:00

Student Conservation Corps hiring for Summer 2025

Student Conservation Corps hiring for Summer 2025

Bainbridge Island high schoolers: Bainbridge Metro Parks’ Student Conservation Corps is hiring for summer 2025.

Positions available include Assistant Leader, Crew, and Peer Mentors! Check out the SCoCo program home page for the most up to date information, follow links to open positions and job descriptions, and prepare for a summer with SCoCo.

The Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation is proud to support SCoCo, an innovative work-learn, education and leadership program. SCoCo offers vigorous, meaningful summer employment and skill building for high schoolers, providing critical care for public parks and trails while cultivating the next generation of environmental stewards. Your gifts to the Foundation help make it possible.

APPLY TO SCOCO

Student Conservation Corps hiring for Summer 2025Douglas2025-03-28T13:26:01-07:00

Strawberry Hill Bike Park will break ground in April

Strawberry Hill Bike Park will break ground in April

Strawberry Hill Bike Park, the island’s first-ever dedicated bike park, will break ground in April. About $110,000 must be raised to complete bike park (estimated cost $416,000) for a fall 2025 opening, with fundraising by the Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation.

“This is it – we are at the ‘Send to the End’ campaign final push to open our first-ever bike park this year,” said Mary Meier, Executive Director the Parks & Trails Foundation. “The tremendous response to our ‘Dig Deep’ campaign so far puts the finish line in sight.”

The Bainbridge Island Metro Park & Recreation District this week awarded the Bike Park construction contract to Oceanside Construction of Bellingham. Subcontractor Shire Built will build the park at the northwest corner of Strawberry Hill Park, with groundbreaking set for April 20.

“Shire Built is well known in the local mountain biking […]

Strawberry Hill Bike Park will break ground in AprilDouglas2025-04-21T13:49:44-07:00

Nature Counts! Bainbridge Island Environmental Conference, April 13

Nature Counts! Bainbridge Island Environmental Conference, April 13

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 […]

Nature Counts! Bainbridge Island Environmental Conference, April 13Douglas2025-03-18T17:39:08-07:00

Celebrate Earth Month in April

Celebrate Earth Month in April

April is Celebrate Trees! Earth Month on Bainbridge Island

April is Earth Month on Bainbridge Island 2025! Celebrate with activities and events for all ages for Earth Day and Arbor Day during the entire month of April and beyond.

Sustainable Bainbridge, in partnership with many Bainbridge Island nonprofits, is hosting an incredible variety of opportunities, including weed pulls and work parties, Earth Day celebrations, free invasive weed disposal, and nature talks and walks.

Earth Month events include the Bainbridge Island Environmental Conference, “Nature Counts! Community Science on Bainbridge and Preparing for the City Nature Challenge” (April 13 at IslandWood), and the community Earth Expo (April 26 at Battle Point Park).

Learn more at https://www.sustainablebainbridge.org/programs/earth-month. Take action every day as an individual, a family, or a group with our […]

Celebrate Earth Month in AprilDouglas2025-03-14T08:36:01-07:00

Registration open for Trillium Trail Run, May 10

Registration open for Trillium Trail Run, May 10

Run for the trails! The Trillium Trail Run 10K/5K and Kids Fun Run returns to Bainbridge Island Saturday, May 10, a benefit to acquire, build and maintain new Bainbridge Island trails.

The Trillium Trail Run is presented by the Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation.

Early-bird registration for the timed event is now open at www.trilliumtrail.run. Cost is $35 for the 10K run and $30 for the 5K, with all proceeds supporting trail projects on Bainbridge Island. The Kids Fun Run is free.

Runners and walkers will enjoy a scenic course from Battle Point Park, along the Forest to Sky Trail and over Hilltop meadow, and looping among the great firs of the Grand Forest.

Race packets and timing bibs will be distributed the morning of the event. Race T-shirts must be pre-ordered at registration.

[…]

Registration open for Trillium Trail Run, May 10Douglas2025-04-22T15:17:01-07:00

Foundation, Land Trust launch campaign to preserve Grand Forest East

Foundation, Land Trust launch campaign to preserve Grand Forest East

The Bainbridge Island Land Trust with the support of the Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation have launched a campaign to raise funds to protect 39 acres at Grand Forest East, allowing purchase by the Bainbridge Island Metro Park & Recreation District.

The Park District on February 21, 2025, announced its intent to purchase the property, contingent on a successful fundraising campaign. With negotiations now underway, the fundraising campaign, Stand for the Grand Forest, is expected to be over $2 million, said Cullen Brady, Executive Director, Bainbridge Island Land Trust.

The Board of the Bainbridge Island School District voted to surplus the 39-acre property.

“This is an urgent campaign,” Brady said. “The School District’s January 9, 2025, action to surplus and sell this property, among their first order of business in the new year, started the clock ticking. We need the community to […]

Foundation, Land Trust launch campaign to preserve Grand Forest EastDouglas2025-03-24T14:49:25-07:00