Preserve and Protect First

Habitat loss is one of the world’s greatest threats to species diversity and to the natural world. Habitat loss occurs when natural habitat is destroyed, fragmented, or degraded. Most of the time, habitat loss is a human caused occurrence and is often preventable. Habitat Loss, degradation, and fragmentation are thought to be the current greatest cause of species extinctions. Approximately 43% of land surfaces on the planet have been altered or destroyed due to human activity. Here in the United States, it is estimated that there is less than 500,000 square miles of protected lands, that is only 14% of the total land area of the United States. 

Preserving natural lands have a lot of benefits for both humans and wildlife. By preserving and maintaining healthy lands we can provide clean drinking water to humans and wildlife, we can better the air quality and have places to reflect and recreate in nature. The preservation of habitats, like wetlands, can also help protect against natural disasters such as flooding. Natural lands can also aid in absorbing carbon from the earth’s atmosphere. In addition to the human benefits of keeping nature preserved, undeveloped protected lands act as a haven for wildlife by providing them with safe places to live, raise offspring, rest, and feed.  
One of the most important things we can do is to preserve and protect the natural lands before they are lost or too degraded to restoration.   

SHADOW stewards over 109 acres of protected habitat with habitat ranging from a rare peat bog to beautiful woodlands.  We see a variety of large and small wildlife using the land we manage as a place to raise young, forage, and sometimes just to pass through. SHADOW works hard to maintain healthy habitats through protection and restoration. But our work in preservation is not complete. We are committed to supporting land protection in South East King County and helping to educate our community on the importance of preserving these wild spaces.  

To learn more about our preservation work and to learn how you can help support SHADOW’s preservation efforts check out our website!