Happy New Year! You have just helped us purchase this amazing 175 acre campus! Though the purchase has dominated our communications lately, there have been many other things going on, too. Check out the rest of the newsletter for some recent happenings as well as some upcoming events and workshops. A new addition to our newsletter this year is our 'Monthly Features' section. Each month, we will present to you a Photo of the month, a Recommended Reading of the month and a featured In-Kind Need. We hope you will enjoy these additions! Looking forward to an incredible year!  Holly M. Syreen Development Director
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The Big Purchase
On December 15, 2014, we purchased 175 beautiful acres in Central Whidbey to the Pacific Rim Institute. This five year effort was possible with the generosity of donors near and far. Click here to learn more.
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Meet our newest intern: Jessica Kim
B.S. Biology. Class of 2014. Messiah College, PA "I am incredibly excited to be working with the Pacific Rim Institute this season." Read more...
Contact us to learn more about how to become an intern at the Pacific Rim Institute.
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Five acres seeded 
Last Fall, with the help of one of our conservation partners, Center for Natural Lands Management, we seeded over five acres of land with native Roemer's fescue grass. A small portion of this (about .75 acres) was done on Ebey's Landing through an on-going research and restoration project. This seeding follows almost five years of land preparation. We will add a variety of flowering plants to this area next year. These efforts have been supported by both the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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New Savannah Ecosystem
We have recently started re-creating a savannah ecosystem in our eastern forest. We have strategically thinned out two acres of trees and shrubs in order to establish the natural transitional habitat between the prairie and the forest. Next year, we will add two more acres of savannah and we will plant native grasses and flowers among the trees. Much of this work has been funded by the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
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Upcoming Events - Fruit Tree Workshops
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Class 2: Fruit Tree and Vine Pruning and Training
Saturday, January 24 10:00 am - 2:00 pm $10 if you pre-register ($15 at the door) See our website for more details
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Class 3: Grafting Day
Saturday, February 14 10:00 am - 4:00 pm FREE (unless you decide to purchase grafting materials so you can take home your own custom-grafted tree) Pre-registration is REQUIRED for this event See our website for more details
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Photo of the Month
Submit your photos from our property or programs
 The Owl Barn
Photo by Brandon Roos of Ever Green Building after they replaced the deteriorating roof. Funding for this project came from an Ebey's Forever grant and a local donor.
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Recommended Reading of the Month
 "Harry the Woodpecker's Search for a Home"By Joy and Craig JohnsonJoin Harry and Harriet's search for the perfect place to raise a family. Fly alongside these remarkable birds as they face and overcome challenges. Watch the dedicated parents create a nest cavity, then care for and teach their youngsters how to forage and survive on their own. Celebrate the renewal of life with these Hairy Woodpeckers. You can learn more about this book and the authors here. Recommended by: Dr. Robert K. Pelant, CEO ~SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY~After Joy and Craig found out that we were featuring their book in our Newsletter, they decided to donate 50 books to PRI to be used as a fundraiser towards paying back the loan that allowed us to purchase our property. Make a suggested donation of $10 to receive your copy (or $12 if you need it shipped). To get a copy, contact us at (360) 678-5586 or holly@pacificriminstitute.org. Note: The intention of this feature is not to advertise or promote books that are of benefit to PRI, but to be a resource to our readers. This book recommendation was chosen BEFORE this amazing fundraising opportunity was offered by the generous authors.
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 Clean Edge White Business Cards Any quantity
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 Interested in volunteering at the Pacific Rim Institute? We have several opportunities this spring. This summer, we will bring back our Prairie Seed Challenge where volunteers compete for a prize for most hours spent collecting native seed. Contact us if you are interested! |
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Summer Internships and Employment
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 In our February newsletter, we will announce openings for our summer internships and jobs. Stay tuned! |
Prairie Open House
May 7 - 9, 2015
Join us for daily guided tours of the prairie!
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Whidbey Raptor Day
September 19, 2015
Get up close and personal with hunters of the air!
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Whidbey Eco Net:
Check out the community events calendar on the Whidbey Eco-Net Website for environmentally related events, workshops, volunteer opportunities and more.
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