Who We Are
Whidbey Watershed Stewards is a non-profit 501c(3) corporation working with the Island County community to promote watershed stewardship, habitat enhancement, and environmental education for all ages. We seek to inform and engage people and be a catalyst for positive actions in order to ensure the vitality of our watersheds and nearshore for the people and environment of Puget Sound.

Our adventure began in 1991, when students and teachers from the South Whidbey Intermediate School imagined a stream site where they could release the salmon fry they had raised in a classroom aquarium and learn more about the local environment.

Our first logo

Educators, parents, and local experts collaborated to form Chums of the Maxwelton Salmon Adventure in
December 1994, then brought the
community together to realize the vision
of the Maxwelton Outdoor Classroom.

Classroom dedication, 1997

The Mission Expands
Recognizing that salmon are only one indicator of a healthy watershed,
MSA's mission soon broadened to concern for the whole watershed and all of its inhabitants.
Our work included research and study, landowner assistance, creekside restoration with native plants, and watershed education for adults. We published A Journey Through the Maxwelton Watershed in 2002 to highlight the area's history and stewardship efforts.

In April 2006 we widened our focus again, realizing that this small watershed and its nearshore had a role in the much larger context of the health of Puget Sound. While still using the Maxwelton Watershed as our base, Whidbey Watershed Stewards will work on stewardship and education throughout Island County as opportunities arise.

Our Tenth Anniversary booklet
(published June 2005)
details MSA's many activities
and accomplishments
through the years.

Send for a copy

Our annual budget, funded by private donations and grants, is approximately $50,000 plus project-specific grants and contracts which vary from year to year. Our Board and task force project meetings are open to the public. Let us know you'd like to attend and we'll send you the current information.

Fun at a 2004 Board meeting