Connection to Place: Where We Belong
As BCF’s Community Report shows, studies conclude that an individual’s sense of place can be a vital component to their well-being and is recognized as critical to a healthy life.
In addition to the known physical benefits of accessing green space, there is a growing body of research that proves the mental health benefits as well. This is particularly important, as the BCF Community Report identifies Island teens as a population vulnerable to mental health challenges. A 2019 study showed that two hours a week, or 120 minutes, in the outdoors is the threshold for when there is measurable long-term impact on mental health. Another study by the University of Michigan showed 20 minutes outdoors reduced short-term stress in the body and cortisol in the brain by more than 21%.
Some recent studies define Connection to Place more broadly than access to green space, and includes emotional attachment to a physical place, which will be covered more thoroughly in the next iteration of the Community Report.
Below is a snapshot from BCF’s Community Report.
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Nonprofits working in this sector are making a meaningful impact. Read more below.
The Bainbridge Island Land Trust’s mission is to conserve and steward the diverse natural environments of Bainbridge Island for the benefit of all. It works to protect and restore Bainbridge lands and waters to honor past generations, preserve a legacy for future generations, and build a network of protected lands resilient to a changing climate. The Land Trust has contributed to the protection of 1,604 acres, including 1,188 publicly accessible acres, and 48 conservation easements on Bainbridge Island.
During the Land Trust’s many activities, they collect stories about how individuals and groups connect with their surroundings. Here are a few stories directly from the Land Trust about their programming with students:
“Sometimes we plan for connections, and sometimes they happen organically when an organization has capacity to be in the right place at the right time. At the Parks District’s Earth Day event, I talked with a parent about the Land Trust’s community science work, including amphibian monitoring. Thanks to [Bainbridge Community Foundation’s] grant, we were able to turn that conversation into a late-season amphibian exploration for her multiage homeschool group.”
“One of my favorite stories was developing a relationship with a family who wanted to support the campaigns to protect the school district-owned portion of Grand Forest East. A student’s parent reached out to ask if her elementary-aged daughter could sell artwork to fundraise for the campaign. Thanks to our increased capacity, we were able to invite the student to sell their artwork at a community event and at the Land Trust’s Drop-in Day. This student managed to raise $350 for the successful campaign! The family has continued to be involved, including participating in education programs with the Land Trust and other groups, and organizing a school work party at a Land Trust property. This family’s commitment to stewardship of our Island’s natural spaces is exemplary and deserves recognition!”
“The students had a great time discovering the remains of hatched-out slimy egg masses, larvae with both fluffy gills and spindly little legs, and even a couple of adult Northern red-legged frogs. One young, keen-eyed and happily muddy student became the group’s Egg Mass Whisperer. The fun of finding tadpoles is perfect framing to learn age-appropriate science content, to build a sense of connection with nature, to model ways to behave respectfully around wildlife, and to talk about conservation-related issues like habitat needs, threats particular to amphibians, and cleaning your gear to avoid spreading harmful plants, animals, and diseases.”
Learn more about the Land Trust.
Article written and photo taken by Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation
For the Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation, public trails are the essence of placemaking, connecting parks, schools, neighborhoods, even families.
When Sandra McIver moved to Bainbridge Island, she and her husband settled at West Port Madison, and her daughters and their families at Agate Point – neighborhoods geographically close, yet historically never linked. So even a quick visit from one household to another meant a drive out to the busy highway. “From the very beginning,” McIver says, “we were looking at Bloedel Reserve between us thinking, wouldn’t it be great if there was a trail we could walk? I just thought that was a complete fantasy.”
Today, it’s a reality. The Arbor Trail (dedicated February 2025) links W. Port Madison Road with Dolphin Drive/Agate Loop, the first-ever nonmotorized connection between the two neighborhoods. The trail is the result of a partnership between the Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation and Bloedel Reserve, and a powerful example of placemaking in action. The winding, wooded half-mile path is a local connector for the neighborhoods. Trail planning and construction were funded by gifts through the Parks & Trails Foundation. Bloedel Reserve granted an easement along its west boundary for the trail route.
“It’s like a dream come true to me, to walk through there,” McIver says. “I know that is true for my neighbors, because I see smiles on their faces. People are just really giddy walking this trail.” Add neighbors Anne and Rob Miller: “The Arbor Trail has been transformative for all of us in West Port Madison and Agate Loop. Before the trail, walks and runs were extremely short and limited, as it was unsafe to walk on 305 to access other neighborhoods. The trail opens up most of the north end and creates a bigger community here. The trail is in constant use, and we have gotten to know more of our neighbors, if only for a friendly wave hello.”
“These neighborhoods, West Port Madison and Agate Loop, have always been back-to-back as the crow flies but never linked by foot,” says Mary Meier, Parks & Trails Foundation Executive Director. “The Arbor Trail opens up new opportunities for safe, healthy walks in all seasons. We’ve already heard how the trail has transformed the neighborhoods, and we know it’s true.”
The Arbor Trail is the first to be completed under Trails Connect Bainbridge Island, the Parks & Trails Foundation’s campaign to bring four new trails to island neighborhoods. The campaign is rooted in the spirit of placemaking, fostering deeper connections between islanders, the natural environment, and their neighbors and community.
The Parks & Trails Foundation has since welcomed the Sunny Hill to Nute’s Pond Trail, a recreational trail that enhances access to one of the island’s most scenic but remote parks.
Bainbridge Island is about to reach the milestone of 50 miles of public trails, thanks to the Parks & Trails Foundation’s work.
The planned Lost Valley Trail – connecting the Head of the Bay with Fletcher Bay Road, and completing a walkable corridor from Winslow to Gazzam Lake – and the Waypoint Woods gateway trail near the ferry terminal, continue the Foundation’s active work of placemaking through public trails.
Learn more about Parks & Trails Foundation.
When a century-old oak tree outside the Bainbridge History Museum began to fail beyond repair, city officials asked BARN woodworkers for their help. Rather than letting this piece of Island history go to waste, the City of Bainbridge Island partnered with BARN Woodworking and Small Boatbuilding Studio to repurpose much of the timber.
The magnificent red oak, believed to have been planted in 1903 after making a long journey from Kew Gardens in England, had become a beloved fixture at the Bainbridge History Museum property at 215 Ericksen Ave NE. With a trunk measuring 55 inches across and over 96 counted rings, the tree truly was a living piece of island history.
The red oak was one of three historic trees on the museum property that Robert Cave, a renowned horticulturist who arrived on Bainbridge Island in 1888, originally brought as seedlings from Kew Gardens in London. Read more.
In addition to this collaboration, Bainbridge History Museum is a nonprofit that provides residents and visitors with access to "a remarkable past that's as rich and diverse as the people who have called this island home. Whether petroglyphs and pickleball, street dances and shipbuilding, berries and the Buy Nothing Project, canoes and Coast Artillery Corps, industries and immigration, cookbooks and Chilly Hilly bike rides, Bainbridge holds an astounding—and storied—history for an island our size." This access to our community's history gives context to our current events today, providing us with a profound sense of place.
Learn more about Bainbridge History Museum.
Other stories connected to BCF’s Community Report:
Civic Participation: Building a Better Future Together
Addressing Affordability Together
The Power of Cultural Connection
The Power of Learning
Accessing Justice
Want to learn more?
Contact us at info@bainbridgecf.org — we’d love to hear from you.
