Bainbridge Island Environmental Conference: Nature Counts!

The Bainbridge Island Environmental Conference (BIEC) inspires participants to become educated and take individual and collective action around environmental issues vital for Bainbridge Island.

The conference is an annual collaborative effort of multiple community organizations. BIEC brings local experts across a range of topics addressing the environment and sustainability into conversation with community members to increase learning and knowledge sharing across the community, energizing and encouraging action(s) to take as a follow up to conference participation. Additionally, BIEC aims to provide new perspectives and solutions to environmental issues facing the Puget Sound region.

The 2025 Environmental Conference will be focused on community science and and preparing for the 2025 City Nature Challenge which is coming up at the end of April.

We're calling it Nature Counts!

Connect with organizations dedicated to conservation, education and stewardship, and learn tools, techniques and scientific methods that will support your involvement with community science projects happening in your area such as FrogWatch USA, Ebird, Project Budburst, European Green Crab Monitoring, Stream Stewards & more!

The conference will include an overview of community science, including many local efforts to quantify the biodiversity and natural systems of our own Island; the inspiring Environmentalist of the Year award will be presented; and there will be an opportunity to head out on IslandWood’s trails and work with naturalists to learn about how to participate in the City Nature Challenge to document local biodiversity.

We are thrilled to welcome these organizations to lead activities, interpretation and guided walks with you and your family! Special thanks to these organizations for your support in providing speakers, interpretive displays, guided walks, event support & more. We couldn't do it without you!

IslandWood welcomes you to the Reptiles & Amphibians Team

Bainbridge Island Land Trust welcomes you to the Plants Team

Kitsap Peninsula Mycological Society welcomes you to Team Fungus Among Us

WSU Extension welcomes you to Insects & Stream Bugs Team

Bainbridge Island Beach Naturalists welcomes you to learn about Marine Biology

Kitsap Audubon welcomes you the Birding Team

Woodland Park Zoo Amphibian Monitoring welcomes you to the Amphibians Team

Bloedel Reserve welcomes you to the Plants Team

INaturalist support provided by BI Parks & Trails Foundation, Sustainable Bainbridge, EcoAdapt and the Bainbridge Island Land Trust. The INaturalist platform is the premiere platform for the City Nature Challenge 2025, is free and easy to use, and Kitsap County wants to win the CNC this year - we hope you join us in learning this easy app, and we can support you on-site with ease-of-use, uploading observations, best practices for identifications and more.

The Bainbridge Island Environmental Conference is a joint project of Sustainable Bainbridge, EcoAdapt, the Bainbridge Island Land Trust, IslandWood, and the Bainbridge Parks & Trails Foundation. This group sets the annual theme and shares the responsibilities of planning and coordinating the conference. We welcome your ideas for topics for future environmental conferences. Please contact us if you have ideas or suggestions!

YOUR TICKET INCLUDES:

Your ticket price includes entry to the conference, refreshments, and activities with taxonomic experts in plants, amphibians & reptiles, insects, marine organisms & more!

We work to ensure that all reasonable accommodations are in place so that everyone can fully participate and learn during their time on our campus. All indoor spaces and many of our outdoor spaces and field structures were built and are continually maintained to meet ADA code, adhering to WAC 51-50. Learn more about the physical accessibility of our campus here.

Service animals only, please.

Your health and safety, as well as that of our staff, is our first priority. Wearing a mask is optional and we are following all CDC and local state guidelines for your safety. If you are feeling unwell, please stay home and rest up! We care about you.

Info: Check-in with us, and if you arrive on the earlier end, you can visit with our event partners and learn how to get involved.

Info: Let's start this nerd party off right! Our keynote speakers this year are Megan Rohrssen from the Bainbridge Island Land Trust and IslandWood's Senior Naturalist, Christina Woolf. The Environmentalist of the Year award will be presented by Sustainable Bainbridge's Maradel Gale.

Info: Enjoy some refreshments and visit our booths and make new connections! We'll have displays on insects, marine ecology, INaturalist support & more!

Info: Our guided hikes, led by local organizations and volunteer taxa team experts are fun for the whole family! You can pre-select the taxa team you'd like to be on in the order form, or just choose a team with space on the day of the event.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

IslandWood, 4450 Blakely Avenue Northeast, Bainbridge Island, United States