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Kitsap County honors six individuals and groups with 2026 Earth Day Awards
Summary
At its regular meeting the Board of County Commissioners presented six 2026 Earth Day Awards recognizing volunteers, student groups and nonprofits for habitat restoration, food‑rescue work and park stewardship. Presenters cited hundreds of volunteer hours and large community‑led restoration efforts.
Tamara, outreach program coordinator with Kitsap County Public Works, opened the meeting’s Earth Day awards segment by describing the program’s history and announcing six 2026 recipients, bringing the county’s total awards to 217. She said the awards, established in 1993, celebrate work to protect and restore the county’s natural resources.
The board recognized Rachel Beeson, director of food services at Kitsap Community Resources, for leading the Farm to Freezer program that converts surplus and imperfect food into prepared meals for local food banks. Tamara said Rachel and her team rescued more than 44,000 pounds of edible food in 2024–25, distributed more than 11,000 meals and educated roughly 135 adults about food waste and healthy eating.
Volunteers were also highlighted: Tamara noted Jim Heidvold’s 37 years of community cleanups at Harper Estuary and his advocacy for a bridge replacement, and she praised Jerry (Gerry) King’s multi‑county Adopt‑a‑Spot work and large collection totals. The Friends of Miller Bay were recognized for planting oysters and contributing volunteer hours toward watershed restoration; Tamara reported volunteers planted 200,000 oysters in 2025 and secured more than $800,000 for land protection efforts.
The Newberry Hill Heritage Park stewards were honored for maintaining more than 1,000 acres in Silverdale; Tamara said stewards completed 115 work parties and logged 5,764 volunteer hours in 2025.
Commissioner Walters praised the volunteer corps and described the awards ceremony as “one of my favorite nights of the year,” adding that local stewardship is essential to maintaining the county’s parks and natural areas.
The board then invited recipients and supporters to brief photos and moved on to the business agenda.
