UW-Restoration Ecology Network

Earth Sanctuary, Whidbey Island

A privately-owned 72-acre mosaic of aquatic, wetland, and forested habitats where restoration efforts are part of a 500-year plan to create an ecological and spiritual sanctuary for nature and humans

2002 - 2003 | 2003 - 2004 | 2004 -2005 | 2005 -2006

2005 - 2006
Project name	Earth Sanctuary: Newman Road margin and central fen shoreline
Location	Whidbey Island
Client	Chuck Pettis, owner and director
Students
Site description
Restoration challenge	Collectively, the megaliths, coir logs, and installed plants must meet the requirements of the client to combine ecology, art, and spirituality.
Restoration approach

2004 - 2005
Project name	Earth Sanctuary: Newman Road margin and central fen shoreline
Location	Whidbey Island
Client	Chuck Pettis, owner and director
Students	A. Vanderslice (UW Bothell; Environmental Science), D. Chandler (UW Seattle; Forest Resources), A. Breuer (UW Seattle; Philosophy), L. Lacher (UW Seattle; Biology), J. Leach (UW Seattle; Environmental Horticulture) , N. Edmonds (UW Bothell; Environmental Science)
Site description	a moderate slope leading from the edge of an adjacent road down to a fen shoreline. Roadside habitat was dominated by non-native plant species and the slope down to the fen was a species-poor early-successional forest assemblage with low structural complexity. This was an adjacent continuation of the 2003-4 Earth Sanctuary project site.
Restoration challenge	Client desired attractive native assemblage along roadside to garner the attention of those passing by. The forested slope was dominated by a loose canopy of deciduous trees with little understory diversity and the beginnings of non-native species incursions.
Restoration approach	UW-REN students, working with the Earth Sanctuary landscape designer, removed non-native species from the roadside and added native plants with conspicuous and attractive growth forms and floral displays. Interpretive signage and art constructed from plant materials was also added. The forested slope was planted with a focus on species to (1) accelerate succession to a mature evergreen canopy appropriate to the changing hydrology along the slope and to (2) create structural diversity in the understory for habitat.

2003 - 2004
Project name	Earth Sanctuary: Newman Road margin and central fen shoreline
Location	Whidbey Island
Client	Chuck Pettis, owner and director
Students	E. Augenstein, S. Wrenn, and E. Chia (UW Seattle; Forest Resources), A. Hall (UW Seattle; Environmental Studies), M. Medeiros (UW Seattle; Landscape Architecture)
Site description	a moderate slope leading from the edge of an adjacent road down to a fen shoreline. Roadside habitat was dominated by non-native plant species and the slope down to the fen was a species-poor early-successional forest assemblage with low structural complexity.
Restoration challenge	Client desired attractive native assemblage along roadside to garner the attention of those passing by. The forested slope was dominated by a loose canopy of deciduous trees with little understory diversity and the beginnings of non-native species incursions.
Restoration approach	UW-REN students, working with the Earth Sanctuary landscape designer, removed non-native species from the roadside and added native plants with conspicuous and attractive growth forms and floral displays. Interpretive signage and art constructed from plant materials was also added. The forested slope was planted with a focus on species to (1) accelerate succession to a mature evergreen canopy appropriate to the changing hydrology along the slope and to (2) create structural diversity in the understory for habitat.

2002 - 2003
Project name	Earth Sanctuary: forest restoration and medicinal plant garden
Location	Whidbey Island
Client	Chuck Pettis, owner and director
Students	T. Fordham and S. Douglas (UW Seattle; Sustainable Resource Sciences), M. Cooksey (UW Seattle; Fisheries), A. Busche (UW Seattle; Botany), D. Irick (UW Bothell; Environmental Science)
Site description	a gentle slope adjacent to a fen. The site was dominated by a low diversity of non-native and native invasive shrubs with low structural complexity.
Restoration challenge	Client wished to remove non-native species, create habitat diversity, promote succession to a mature, native evergreen forest, and incorporate plantings and interpretive displays of native species with traditional medicinal importance to Native Americans.
Restoration approach	UW-REN students, working with the Earth Sanctuary landscape designer, removed non-native and native invasive shrubs and added native plants with a focus on species to (1) accelerate succession to a mature evergreen canopy and to (2) create structural diversity in the understory for habitat. A medicinal plant garden was imbedded in the restoration site along with interpretive signage.