Kitsap Public Works presents 2025 Earth Day Awards to six volunteers and groups

Kitsap County Public Works and the Board of County Commissioners on Monday honored six recipients with the 2025 Kitsap County Earth Day Awards for conservation, waste reduction and community stewardship.

Outreach coordinators Tamara and Cammie presented awards created this year by Port Orchard artist Melissa Pothier and recognized six recipients chosen from public nominations. The honorees and highlights of their work include:

• John (surname not specified in the presentation) — a 17‑year county volunteer and master gardener who has led restoration projects at Chico Salmon Park and Ireland’s Point Preserve, organized more than 160 work parties, logged nearly 5,000 volunteer hours, served as a salmon docent and created wayfinding and interpretive signage.

• Jane Martin — leader of the Zero Waste Bainbridge tableware lending library and longtime volunteer at fix‑it fairs and community events; cofounder of a women’s shelter jewelry project that repurposes donated jewelry to raise funds for shelters and to provide items to clients.

• John Almquist — an Adopt‑a‑Spot volunteer who has adopted 6.25 shoulder miles in the Hanceville neighborhood, submitted 104 cleanup reports, logged about 215 hours and collected roughly 128 bags (about 2,560 pounds) of litter.

• Dylan Corson — ISA‑certified arborist and qualified tree risk assessor who operates Holistic Tree Care and works on urban forestry education, habitat repurposing and sustainable tree practices.

• Neurodiverse Students Conservation Corps (program leaders Morgan and Cody, Bainbridge Island Parks) — a crew providing hands‑on conservation training to neurodivergent high school students; in 2024 they restored four parks, removed about 60 cubic yards of invasive species, identified more than 15 plant species, spread 10 cubic yards of wood chip mulch and planted hundreds of native plants.

• Lost Creek Lane Road Committee — a neighborhood committee that coordinated funding and contracting to pave a private unpaved road serving more than 60 parcels, install water bars and reinforce ditches to address stormwater runoff into a county ditch and impacts to Wildcat Lake. The presenters said the runoff previously violated Kitsap County Code and state water quality standards; the committee worked to meet compliance deadlines and complete physical improvements.

Commissioners joined staff to present awards and thanked volunteers for their long‑term contributions to parks, waste reduction and neighborhood environmental improvements. Award recipients and supporters were invited to an immediate reception for photos after the meeting.