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Wildlife conservation
"Those who wish to pet and baby wild animals "love" them. But those
who respect their natures and wish to let them live normal lives, love them more."
~ Edwin Way Teale, Circle of the Seasons, 1953
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Cyrus Gates Memorial (Chuckanut Island) Preserve
Nature Conservancy
http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/washington/preserves/art6355.html
Why You Should Visit: This preserve is accessible only by boat and
is an excellent stop off for boaters launching from Larrabee State park. Located South of Bellingham in
Northwest Washington.
How to Prepare for Your Visit: Open year-round, the island is accessible by private boat only.
Please beach boats on northeast and west beaches only. Please stay on the foot trail that circles the island.
The preserve is open daylight hours only. For more information, please see our "Preserve Visitation Guidelines"
page.
Directions: From Bellingham: Take Interstate 5 to Exit 231 onto Route 11 (also known as
Chuckanut Drive.) Proceed south for 14.4 miles to Larrabee State Park, a public boat-launching site. Continue
north by boat around Governor's Point to the preserve.
What to See:
Plants: The Cyrus Gates Memorial Preserve offers a protected forest island habitat of Douglas-fir
(some well over 250 years old) along with grand fir, madrone, and western red cedar. The understory is
dominated by salal, ocean spray and snowberry. Western starflower blossoms appear each April.
Animals: The tidal areas of the island are home to many marine invertebrates including
barnacles, rock crabs, sea cucumbers, limpets, hermit crabs, and blue mud shrimp. Surfbirds, which
winter in flocks of two dozen or more in Chuckanut Bay, frequently perch on the island's rocky shore.
There are two bald eagles that nest on the island.
Why the Conservancy Selected This Site: This island was a gift to the Conservancy in 1976.
It is home to a bald eagle nest and is healthy example of native coastal forest habitat.
What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing: An active volunteer network has provided
surveillance for inappropriate land use such as campingand fires. The island is also being managed
for non-native plants such as ivy that would disrupt the natural balance.
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