Guemes Island is part of the ancestral homelands of the Coast Salish peoples and the Samish Indian Nation, who lived throughout the San Juan Islands from time immemorial. The Samish name for the island, Qweng7qwengíla7 translates to “Lots of Dogs Island.” Guemes was one of many islands where the Samish raised the Salish Woolly Dog, whose long white hair was sheared and spun for weaving. 

Dog Woods is intended to remind us of this Samish history, and the dogs and people who have wandered the beaches, meadows, and forests of the island. 

This property is within the Guemes Island Wildlife Corridor, a network of protected lands that extend across the southern half of the island that is a collaborative effort of the Skagit Land Trust and San Juan Island Preservation Trust. In time, Dog Woods will be gifted to Skagit Land Trust, to be forever conserved as a nature preserve.

Our Goals:

1) Restore and maintain a diversity of climate-resilient forest, shrubland, wetland, and meadow habitats;
2) Maintain a trail network for quiet recreation, education, and the enjoyment of nature; and
3) Welcome and collaborate with Samish and Coast Salish communities to use the land for traditional and cultural purposes. 

We invite you to enjoy the woods, and ask only that you respect and appreciate this special forest.

Paul Beaudet & David Wertheimer, Dog Woods LLC