Activity Report Explorer

Polly Dyer – Seattle • Entered by Penelope Peterson on September 28, 2024

Regional Broadwalk

June 24, 2024 – June 27, 2024

Key Issue: Multiple apply
Activity Type: Education & Outreach (tabling, films & lectures, regional B-walks/works)
Key Partners: Whidbey Camano Land Trust; Island County Marine Resources Committee; Pacific Rim Institute; Sound Defense Alliance; and Northwest Straits Foundation

Measurable Outcomes

Outcome 1: Event Attendees (30 people)

Short Description of Activity

Discovering New Passages at Deception Pass State Park—June 24-27, 2024

On June 24-27, 2024, the Polly Dyer Seattle Broadband hosted “Discovering New Passages,” a regional Broadwalk at Deception Pass State Park. By land or sea, this sprawling park has passages – 38 miles of trails and more than 100,000 feet of shoreline, both saltwater and freshwater. It has old growth and mature forests, rugged ocean cliffs, and gullies of ferns. The park spans two large islands, Whidbey and Fidalgo, and encompasses many small islands. And it has history!

Originally home to several Salish Coast tribes , from 1866 to 1922 the land around Deception Pass was a US military reservation. In 1922, Deception State Park was created, but the bridge linking Whidbey and Fidalgo (and the two halves of the park) was completed in 1935. Since then, the parkland has been expanded, and in 2014, a partnership between Washington State Parks and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, Kukutali Preserve, believed to be the first park in the United States to be co-owned and managed by a tribe and another government.

In the evenings during the Broadwalk, we had six expert speakers speak to us. These included the Deception Pass Head Park Ranger and Manager who spoke about challenges facing the park and a speaker from the Whidbey Camano Land Trust who talked to talked to us about the importance of land trusts. A speaker from the Northwest Straits Foundation spoke about their work on shoreline restoration, and a local author discussed her reflections on the land and people of Whidbey Island. And finally, someone from the Sound Defense Alliance gave us an update on their work to “save the silence” and stop growlers from flying over Whidbey Island. We also had guided hikes, kayaking with a naturalist, and a water color class taught by Suze Woolf, who is herself a Great Old Broad.

Broads had their choice of one of three stewardship activities in which they could participate. Two of these were weeding at two different restoration sites. The third was gathering native plant seeds for prairie restoration at the Pacific Rim Institute. I have submitted each of these stewardship projects as three different activity reports.

We also had a major advocacy project unique to Whidbey Island. Whidbey has its own “birding gem” called, Deer Lagoon Preserve, which is home to multiple species of birds including migrating birds. The Preserve is owned by the county but is not being adequately protected. On the first night, Carlos Anderson, spoke to us about the uniqueness of Deer Lagoon Preserve and the need to protect it. The next day we wrote postcards to the county commissioners advocating for them to develop a systematic and effective plan to protect Deer Lagoon Preserve. I have submitted this advocacy activity in a separate report.

We stayed at the Cornet Bay Retreat Center, and provided two dinners. Broads brought their own food for lunch and breakfast and snacks. We had a potluck dinner the first night. Dinners were provided on the second and third nights. We had a commercial kitchen with refrigerators and ample space to store participants’ food. Broads had their choice of lodging–a tent site, RV site, or bunk in a cabin or bunkhouse.

Reflection/Evaluation

Thirty Broads and Bros participated in our Deception Pass Broadwalk. Most were from the Polly Dyer Seattle Broadband, but we also had several Broads from the Bitterbrush Broadband, the Cascade Volcanoes, and the South Sound Broadband. We definitely met your goal to have fun. We also had successful stewardship and advocacy projects as evidenced by the amount of participation in these projects. We received many compliments on the Broadwalk as Broads departed for home. Participants particularly liked the speakers, and many commented that was their favorite part of the Broadwalk. All in all, we consider our Broadwalk to be a huge success.

Photos/Uploads

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Photo Captions

1. Participants at Polly Dyer Seattle’s Regional Broadwalk at Deception Pass State Park, June 24-27, 2024.
2. At Polly Dyer Seattle’s Deception Pass Broadwalk, Broads sit in front of an ancient Douglas Fir tree that has stood for more than 850 years.
3. Broads gather around the campfire and listen to music at Polly Dyer Seattle’s Regional Broadwalk at Deception Pass State Park, June 24-27, 2024.
4. Great Old Bro, Dave Cook, leads a bird watching hike at Polly Dyer Seattle’s Regional Broadwalk at Deception Pass State Park, June 24-27, 2024.