Friends of Camano Island Parks

Welcome!

We are a non-profit, 100% volunteer community organization.
The mission of FOCIP is to promote preservation and protection of the wildlife and the scenic and recreational resources of State Parks, County Parks, and DNR lands on Camano Island.

Three Focused areas of our Mission:

To provide stewardship activities and projects which include implementation of Camano Island park maintenance and improvements.
To provide educational programs and activities compatible with the preservation of the natural habitats and wildlife on Camano Island.
To advocate for acquisition of appropriate Camano Island properties for the purpose of new State or County lands for parks or preserves.

Click on the button below to see a short video about us

FOCIP Video

Join Friends of Camano Island Parks!

Membership donations are used for purchase of maintenance tools, supplies and necessary items to carry out volunteer tasks in the parks.

Volunteer your time to help protect, preserve and maintain the parks, trails, and preserves.

Meet new friends!
Help make a difference in our community.

Become a Member

Volunteer

Upcoming Events

Support Elger Bay Forest Preserve

We’re at an important time in preserving one of our park gems on Camano Island. The lease for Elger Bay Forest Preserve expires in about 6 years. At that time the Preserve could revert to the control of Washington Department of Natural Resources for future logging or sold for development. Neither is acceptable to us.

Whidbey Camano Land Trust (WCLT) and Island County are leading an effort to seek funding through the Washington Trust Land program to permanently preserve Elger Bay. Please show your support whenever possible to WCLT and Island County for permanently protecting Elger Bay as an accessible public gem on Camano Island.

The Land Trust and the County will be making a presentation to the Department of Natural Resources on June 10. This will begin the process of moving Elger Bay into the Island County Parks Department. To help move this process along, you can email our state representatives and senator for District 10: Rep. Clyde Shavers, Rep. Dave Paul, and Sen. Ron Muzzall.

Go to the Washington State Legislature website and follow the email instructions to express your support for saving Elger Bay Preserve. It is truly a wonderful place.

Elger Bay Forest Preserve deserves our support.

CAMANO WILDLIFE PROGRAM

Wednesday, October 21st, 7 PM
LIVE at Island County Multi-Purpose Center

Birds of Camano Island
with Joe Meche, Whatcom County bird columnist and photographer

This presentation will showcase the birds of Camano Island according to the four seasons, from spring through winter, including migratory and resident species.

Joe Meche is a writer/photographer, past president of the North Cascades Audubon Society in Bellingham, and retired builder/carpenter/cabinet maker. Joe has been watching birds for more than 70 years and captures their beauty on film and video tape to share with others. His monthly column, Beaks and Bills, has been a staple for a Bellingham paper for over 24 years with more than 250 columns published to date.
Joe will also be bringing a few of his nest boxes for sale. Cash preferred, please.

The Camano Wildlife Habitat Project, sponsored by Friends of Camano Island Parks, hosts public presentations the third Wednesday of the month. For information about the Camano Wildlife Habitat Project, visit
www.camanowildlifehabitat.org,
call 360-387-2236, or email
camanowildlifehabitat@gmail.com.

FOCIP Winter Walks

Returning Saturday, November 7th

Our first walk of the 2026 – 2027 season will be at Cama Beach State Park.

Friends of Camano Island Parks (FOCIP) will again be hosting a series of Winter-Spring Walks for the public on Camano Island State Parks and Island County parks trails the first Saturday of the month November through June. FOCIP continues to carry out this tradition following the first year in 1995. Since that time,
we have sponsored new parks, and constructed, maintained and enhanced the trails through its continuing stewardship program.

All walks start at 9:45 AM and are completed by noon. See the unique features of each park and hear about the history of each acquisition. Join FOCIP members and Backyard
habitat stewards on these walks. The pace is moderate and adjusted for youngsters and adults. The walks take place rain or shine. Walks are cancelled if there is snow, extremely high winds, or lightning.
Participants are asked to wear appropriate clothes for the weather and sturdy shoes or boots. No dogs
please for the safety of the walkers.