Gift to The San Juan Preservation Trust
Preserves Wildlife Habitat on
Sinclair Island
posted 02/28/01
John Sayre and his family have donated five acres of forested wetland on
central Sinclair Island to The San Juan Preservation Trust. For 20 years
the Sayres have enjoyed boating, fishing, watching wildlife and exploring
Sinclair Island's exceptional natural beauty. Now they have taken steps to
preserve what they have cherished.
Sayre developed a love of the outdoors during his childhood in the
Nisqually flats, a love he shared with his father. Over the years, he has
been saddened to see how much of the Nisqually region has been lost. "I
knew I wanted a place where my kids and grandkids could experience land andnature - what this country is about,"he recalls. "Our property on
Sinclair Island was purchased with the intention of keeping it natural and
passing it on to the family. Giving some land to the Trust seemed the best
way to preserve it, and we want to do more in the future."
Due to rich, wet soil and very few deer on Sinclair Island, the vegetation
in the preserve is particularly dense and provides excellent cover for
wildlife. Sword fern fronds arch overhead, and light filters through
tree-tops to a moss-covered world. Huge cottonwoods and stately cedars
host an array of bird life -- from diminutive warblers to dynamic peregrine
falcons.
Under the stewardship of the Trust, this nature preserve will
protect both the lives of plants and animals as well as the values and
dreams of the Sayre family in a shared legacy. The San Juan Preservation
Trust accepts donations of conservation easements on private land, as well
as outright gifts of land, such as the Sayre's generous gift. For more
information call the Trust at 360.468.3202.
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