Ebey's Forever Conference welcomes keynote speaker Judy Wicks

Ebey's Forever Conference and Community Event is quickly approaching, now just 6 days away! This year's conference keynote speaker is Judy Wicks, a nationally recognized entrepreneur promoting local economies through service, community, employees and the natural environment. She is also the founder of Philadelphia's renowned White Dog Cafe and the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies. The Alliance strives to bring together small business leaders, economic development professionals, and community leaders to promote flourishing local economies. She has won numerous awards including Oprah Magazine's "5 Amazingly Gifted and Giving Food Professionals."

Local film producers Melissa Young and Mark Dworkin recently featured Judy Wicks. Check out http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3033909137706747300&ei=MMbpSpbYNImaqAOTwsznBQ&q=finding+solutions+-+movingimages.org&hl=en# to view a preview.

If you haven't registered for the conference yet, head on over to http://www.ebeysforever.com/. Friday's fieldtrips are filling up quickly, and the whole event is shaping up to be an fun-filled learning experience. We look forward to seeing you!

Life on the Reserve

Life keeps moving on the Reserve. Farmers are busy tilling in the wheat and barley stubble, preparing the fields for a new crop. The beets were mowed a few weeks back, helping to control the weeds- but also reducing the cover for those persistent few pheasants on the run. I saw a male out on a date with two hens in a drainage ditch the other day. Not the most romantic local, but it is out of the way of those strangers dressed in Orange.

We are less than two weeks away from the start of the conference. If you have not registered yet, or know someone who needs to, now is the time!

Orcas off Ebey's Landing

Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve residents and visitors had a special treat twice this week as resident orca pods swam past Whidbey Island along the Admirality Inlet. The pods were heading south early in the week and passed by again heading north on Wednesday, October 21, 2009.

Observers at Fort Casey State Park had a great view of the pods as they passed leisurely by, hugging the Port Townsend side of the waterway.

The orcas have passed by several times this summer, including in July when Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve Interpreter Lauren Gansemer snapped this phot of a J-Pod orca spy hopping near the Keystone Ferry landing.

Fall Is Here

After a gorgeous weekend it feels like a real Whidbey island fall has blown in. Neither the rain nor the rainbows want to stick around long. With the clouds moving fast, the sun has just enough time to light up the golden straw in the Fields, highlighting the leftovers of the season's grain crops.

The last Coupeville Farmer's Market of the season attracted large crowds Saturday. The Harvest Festival was complete with gourd bowling, an overgrown zucchini competition and the heaviest pumpkin contest. This year brought a Harvest Festival competition record for the heaviest squash, almost tipping the tractor at 1016 pounds.

You may have seen our booth at the festival handing out information on the 2nd Ebeys Forever Conference. Registration continues for both the field trips on Friday the 6th of November and the conference classes on Saturday the 7th. Also look for our posters around town and at our sponsors like Whidbey Island Bank. Where you see our displays you can pick up registration cards to mail in which also have information on how you can register by phone or on the Ebeys Forever site.

Have fun walking the gorgeous trails of the reserve this week, keep an eye out for all of the mushrooms popping up and those few wiley pheasants still hiding out in the leafy beet fields. Hopefully those pretty Olympic Mountains will continue to keep us out of the major rain showers for a little longer. Happy Exploring!