Time to protect Cappy’s Trails, an invaluable part of our community | Guest Column

By Hilina Taylor-Lenz
Posted 1/29/25

 

 

Cappy’s Trails and the Quimper Wildlife Corridor (QWC) are invaluable recreational spaces for people of all ages in Port Townsend.

While it isn’t in danger of …

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Time to protect Cappy’s Trails, an invaluable part of our community | Guest Column

Posted

 

 

Cappy’s Trails and the Quimper Wildlife Corridor (QWC) are invaluable recreational spaces for people of all ages in Port Townsend.

While it isn’t in danger of one specific company trying to taking it over, this valuable resource is shrinking as people build luxury housing on lots that once belonged to Cappy’s. Indeed, much of Cappy’s has already been turned into housing, and the problem is worsening.

Students for Sustainability is trying to raise awareness for this problem by helping people realize how important Cappy’s is to many people, and how it is threatened.

Cappy’s is actively used as recreational spacesfor people of all ages in Port Townsend, a place to walk, run, and bike. For some, Cappy’s provides a gathering space for social interaction while for others Cappy’s provides a  space  of peace and quiet. Cappy’s is the keystone of the bridge between Port Townsend’s unique culture and beautiful environment.

As a junior at Port Townsend High School, I know the importance of Cappy’s for the youth. There are not many safe and interesting areas in Port Townsend for adolescents Cappys provides a place to hang out with friends, exercise, and enjoy nature. I am also a member of the Cross Country and Track teams, and I know the importance of Cappy’s and the QWC for runners. Nearly every day the Cross Country team uses Cappy’s not only to run through, but a place to have fun, form friendships, and make memories. 

Many of  Port Townsend’s young people have core childhood memories enclosed by the soft green embrace of Cappy’s Trails. “In an ever-changing changing world, it’s important to leave some things as they are,” said Kepler Edmundson, 15, who has spent countless hours in Cappy’s. “Teens in Port Townsend love Cappy’s trails and would like to see it stay.”

For the many Port Townsend residents who are retired, Cappy’s also provides a place to meet friends, walk dogs, exercise, and encounter nature. According to a study by the University of Minnesota “Exposure to nature not only makes you feel better emotionally, it contributes to your physical wellbeing, reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and the production of stress hormones.” In the years ahead, we will need these ecosystem services more than ever.

Port Townsend resident Ellan Chu put it beautifully: “You can walk, mountain bike, take shortcuts, or get lost in its network of trails. Decades-old native rhododendrons bloom spectacularly in spring. And tall Douglas-firs and western red cedars provide welcome cool in summer and damp mystery in fall and winter. Moreover, plenty of native animals make their homes in the woods. Cappy’s is a gem for anyone to enjoy, literally in the town’s own backyard.”

As a community we must come together to do what we can to save this amazing antraul space. We should not only do our best to save Cappy’s for one specific group, but for the community as a whole. I urge you to take a walk in this incredible green space, and as you do, be there in the present, and be grateful for this invaluable green space that is so accessible for the people of the community.

Hilina Taylor-Lenz is a junior at Port Townsend High School.