A Busy Start to Summer
Since our spring landowner workshop wrapped up, our team has been busy! We've completed more than a dozen site visits in the last two months with shoreline landowners who have been eager to learn about beach processes, shoreline health, forage fish, and alternatives to bulkheads.
Each visit is a reminder of how our community cares about the long-term health of Kitsap's shorelines.
If you're interested in having us out for a Shore Friendly Site Visit you can sign up using the button below.
Highlights From the Spring Landowner Workshop
Our recent Shore Friendly Landowner Workshop brought together more than 60 waterfront property owners for an insightful session focused on preserving healthy and resilient marine shorelines. Attendees explored strategies for erosion control, native vegetation, and stormwater management from expert guest speaker John Bornsworth of Peninsula Environmental Group. The workshop was an open space for participants to ask questions and learn about tools for effective shoreline stewardship.
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Participants dug into topics like:
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Erosion and beach processes and how to read your shoreline
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Native vegetation for slope stability and habitat
- Stormwater drainage overview
View the presentation slides here:
June Beach Walks
In mid-June, our team got to host a couple of beach walks in Manette with Keeley Chiasson, a geomorphologist from Herrera Environmental Consulting. We met with two small groups of neighbors in the Manette area, educating them on the natural history of the waterways and shorelines, discussing changes they have witnessed as well as changes to come, and sharing ways in which they can prepare their shorelines and homes for said changes.
In some situations, a home or building can be too close to the shoreline, restricting a homeowner’s ability to remove their bulkhead. However, when house relocation or a transition to a natural beach is not an option, there are still many ways to protect your shoreline and home, including:
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Planting native vegetation, providing shade for wildlife habitat and stabilizing soils
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Repairing and maintaining aging bulkheads, to lower long-term costs and avoid damage to homes
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Raising homes to avoid long-term water damage as the sea-level rises
Both groups were wonderfully interactive, asking lots of great questions and creating a day full of learning for all involved!
Read, Roam, Rules
Join Read, Roam, Rules for a guided walk and interactive activity focused on water quality - exploring how land use, recreation, and environmental factors influence lake health. We'll share insights from The Life and Death of the Great Lakes by Dan Egan and connect them to the real-life conditions we observe along the way, from shoreline uses to watershed impacts, and how policy and stewardship shape the health of our lakes.
Rain or shine, we'll be out there. Please dress according to the weather.
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Date: July 20, 2026, 5pm-7pm
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Meeting Point: Long Lake Park, 5100 Long Lake Road SE, Port Orchard, WA
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Distance: 0.5-1 mile + water quality activity
- Free & open to all
RSVP now to explore how planning, design, and community vision shape walkable places!
Book Club Workshop
From the Death and Life of the Great Lakes to the lake of Kitsap County. This book club workshop explores how water systems shape our communities through a facilitated discussion and local connections.
📅 Monday, July 27, 2026, 5pm-7pm
📍 Port Orchard Library, 87 Sidney Ave, Port Orchard,
🎟️ Free & open to all
RSVP Link: Book Club Workshop: The Death and Life of the Great Lakes
Hosted in collaboration with Kitsap Regional Library. Books are available for free at the Port Orchard Library and Kitsap County Administration Building - Community Development Lobby while supplies last!
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