Coastal Watershed Institute (CWI)

Mission

To protect and restore marine and terrestrial ecosystems through scientific research and local community, place based partnerships.

Description

The Coastal Watershed Institute (CWI) is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization formed in 1996 by a small group of resource scientists and managers who share a commitment to Pacific Northwest ecosystems.

CWI's goal is to advance protection of intact and critical natural ecosystems thru long term wise ecosystem management, mentoring our next generation of scientists and managers, and citizen partnerships.
1. We lead scientific field studies to inform management and the local,regional, and national community about the importance of protection and restoration of nearshore coastal system including feeder bluffs and shorelines.
2. We link top science with community landowners, the managers of our critical nearshore ecosystems, and college students- the next generation of managers- to provide critical information on wise, conservation based, stewardship of our region and world. Our current foci: Conservation and restoration of burgeoning north Olympic Peninsula and linkages to Salish Sea and the north east Pacific nearshore. We bring scientists and community together restore and not further damage this critical but unsung element of our region;
3. We mentor. We've had more than 100 college interns on our projects over the last 20 years.

We know that preservation and restoration can take decades-and that bureaucratic and political challenges (sometimes significant) are not reasons to quit. We lean forward.

Recognition

see www.coastalwatershedinstitute.org for a full list of our partners/supporters, collaborators, board members