Every movement needs a catalyst. For the Land Trust it was Whispering Firs Bog. 30 years ago, preserving this incredibly rare habitat caused the formation of the Vashon-Maury Island Land Trust. The rest, as they say, is history.

“The Bog”, as it is affectionately called, is one of only three peat bogs in the Southern Puget Sound. Sphagnum bogs, like Whispering Firs, have no inlet nor outlet for water. This makes their ecosystems extremely delicate. Peat traps more carbon than forests, and a change in acidity or temperature can cause the bog to die, and all of that trapped carbon to be released into the atmosphere.

This miniature forest is one of the most vital landscapes on the island because of its carbon-capturing capabilities, and it must be protected. Thankfully, back in 2012, the remainder of the bog came up for sale. With our island neighbors, we were able to purchase the rest of the bog and ensure its protection in perpetuity.