About Stillwaters Environmental Center
Stillwaters Environmental Center is in Kingston, WA, on the Kitsap Peninsula. We are dedicated to informing and empowering our community to make ecologically responsible decisions. We assist people to achieve sustainability of Earth’s resources – including both humans and our natural environment. We use our Carpenter Creek watershed to teach about the many interactions between the plants, animals and humans that inhabit any ecosystem. We foster action by being a model of sustainability. We teach citizens practical, everyday changes to improve the ecosystems in which they live.
Hello from Our New Program Director
Melissa Fleming, Ph.D.
Hello! My name is Melissa Fleming and I’m the new Program Director for Stillwaters. I took over from Joleen Palmer in January after working with her as Monitoring Secretary for almost 2 years. Joleen has been an awesome mentor in her enthusiasm for and experience in all aspects of our monitoring efforts and I’ve been grateful for her patience and wisdom in helping me get up to speed on everything Stillwaters has accomplished over the last 20 years.
I consider myself incredibly fortunate to be taking over Stillwaters’ science and education programs at this particular time in the organization’s history. With the removal of restrictive culverts on both South and West Kingston Roads, the estuary and salt marsh are now fully available to salmonids, forage fish, and other organisms who rely on these special brackish water environments. With our years of data on previous environmental conditions, our plethora of diligent volunteers, and our long-term relationships with local universities, government and tribal agencies, and other environmental organizations, Stillwaters is exceptionally well-prepared to monitor and document the most important phase of any environmental restoration: the recovery!
I look forward to continuing to learn from our long-term knowledgeable citizen scientist volunteers, with so much hands-on knowledge, and from newer volunteers and interns who bring new perspectives and passion to our mission of advancing scientific research, education and restoration of Puget Sound lowland streams and estuaries. You are welcome to contact me with any questions you may have about the recovery, although you should be forewarned that I may be more likely to recruit you to help find the answer than to provide a simple answer myself! Years of “pre-recovery” data still need to be consolidated and new “recovery” data still need to be collected before we can answer many questions about what the culvert removal has accomplished for both the health of our particular watershed and for salmon recovery in general. And it is by no means clear how long recovery will take for each of the myriad pieces of the ecosystem – the fish, the sediments, the plants, the invertebrates, etc. The science of recovering Puget Sound streams and estuaries is still developing and generalizations about what constitutes “recovery” have yet to be determined for most ecosystem functions or inhabitants.
But this opportunity for discovery is what makes this such an exciting time to be a scientist or citizen scientist at Stillwaters! Our contributions matter and nature is revealing the answers right here in Kingston. We just need to be here to observe these “answers”, record them accurately, and interpret them honestly so that we can learn and show others what we’ve learned. Over the next few months, I’ll be trying out various platforms for getting more information about the recovery out to you, our supporters and volunteers, on a regular basis. In this way, I hope to create more of a dialogue with you and the rest of the community about what being stewards of the environment means today in this place that we and so many other creatures call home.
I consider myself incredibly fortunate to be taking over Stillwaters’ science and education programs at this particular time in the organization’s history. With the removal of restrictive culverts on both South and West Kingston Roads, the estuary and salt marsh are now fully available to salmonids, forage fish, and other organisms who rely on these special brackish water environments. With our years of data on previous environmental conditions, our plethora of diligent volunteers, and our long-term relationships with local universities, government and tribal agencies, and other environmental organizations, Stillwaters is exceptionally well-prepared to monitor and document the most important phase of any environmental restoration: the recovery!
I look forward to continuing to learn from our long-term knowledgeable citizen scientist volunteers, with so much hands-on knowledge, and from newer volunteers and interns who bring new perspectives and passion to our mission of advancing scientific research, education and restoration of Puget Sound lowland streams and estuaries. You are welcome to contact me with any questions you may have about the recovery, although you should be forewarned that I may be more likely to recruit you to help find the answer than to provide a simple answer myself! Years of “pre-recovery” data still need to be consolidated and new “recovery” data still need to be collected before we can answer many questions about what the culvert removal has accomplished for both the health of our particular watershed and for salmon recovery in general. And it is by no means clear how long recovery will take for each of the myriad pieces of the ecosystem – the fish, the sediments, the plants, the invertebrates, etc. The science of recovering Puget Sound streams and estuaries is still developing and generalizations about what constitutes “recovery” have yet to be determined for most ecosystem functions or inhabitants.
But this opportunity for discovery is what makes this such an exciting time to be a scientist or citizen scientist at Stillwaters! Our contributions matter and nature is revealing the answers right here in Kingston. We just need to be here to observe these “answers”, record them accurately, and interpret them honestly so that we can learn and show others what we’ve learned. Over the next few months, I’ll be trying out various platforms for getting more information about the recovery out to you, our supporters and volunteers, on a regular basis. In this way, I hope to create more of a dialogue with you and the rest of the community about what being stewards of the environment means today in this place that we and so many other creatures call home.
Stillwaters Staff
Melissa Fleming, Ph.D., Program Director
Melissa moved to Washington from western Massachusetts in 1985 to attend graduate school at the University of Washington, where she earned her Ph.D. in Animal Behavior (Psychology/Zoology) and taught several undergraduate research courses. As a post-doctoral fellow at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, she learned molecular genetics techniques by working on the Canine Genome Project and applying an evolutionary perspective to identifying genetic mutations linked to breast cancer. She subsequently worked in conservation genetics studying endemic mammals of the North Pacific coast at the University of Alaska Museum of the North and with the Museum of Southwestern Biology in New Mexico. She is a life-long learner who has thoroughly enjoyed her immersion into environmental science since early 2018 when she became an assistant to her predecessor at Stillwaters, Joleen Palmer.
Melissa has lived in Kitsap County since 1999 with her husband, John Ellsworth, and their daughter, Katherine (Kit). Over the years, she volunteered with Kitsap Children’s Musical Theater (backstage manager), Kitsap 4-H (club leader), Kitsap County Fair (poultry superintendent), and Kingston High School Fine Arts Boosters (treasurer) – positions reflecting her daughter’s interests more than her own! One of the unexpected perks to working at Stillwaters has been the sheer enjoyment of getting to know so many diverse, knowledgeable, and dedicated volunteers and supporters who share her interests and concerns. She is thrilled to be able to expand her opportunities to "think globally, [and] act locally" as Program Director continuing Stillwaters' scientific and educational mission.
Melissa has lived in Kitsap County since 1999 with her husband, John Ellsworth, and their daughter, Katherine (Kit). Over the years, she volunteered with Kitsap Children’s Musical Theater (backstage manager), Kitsap 4-H (club leader), Kitsap County Fair (poultry superintendent), and Kingston High School Fine Arts Boosters (treasurer) – positions reflecting her daughter’s interests more than her own! One of the unexpected perks to working at Stillwaters has been the sheer enjoyment of getting to know so many diverse, knowledgeable, and dedicated volunteers and supporters who share her interests and concerns. She is thrilled to be able to expand her opportunities to "think globally, [and] act locally" as Program Director continuing Stillwaters' scientific and educational mission.
Naomi Maasberg, Retiring Administrative Director
Naomi grew up in Portland, Oregon and is a true Northwest native, with webs between her toes. Although she lived in a very urban setting, she and her older brothers built forts in empty lots, climbed trees, and created rivers on the sides of the road with every rainfall. Visits from pheasants, opossums, and hawks were not uncommon in their yard. Summer vacations often meant camping in the woods, and a favorite pastime was going fishing on the Clackamas River with her dad and brothers.
In the early 1970’s, she moved to the Puget Sound area. While an administrator on the regional staff of the Lutheran Church in America, she completed a BA in Women Studies from the U. of Washington. Community organizing and social justice work was the focus of her time at Lutheran Social Services of Washington, where she and Joleen were co-managers of the Social Ministry Program.
Naomi followed her creative passion for wood and construction as well, becoming a professional cabinetmaker and furniture builder. Her passion for plants, wildlife and habitat protection has been renewed with the move to Kingston and the formation of Stillwaters.
A founding director of Stillwaters, Naomi “keeps the wheels turning” by handling the administration and fund raising, and overseeing the maintenance and development of the campus. Her happiest hours, however, are spent tending the native plant nursery, sorting and boxing books for the used book sale, nurturing the plants, pets and wildlife here, and bragging to the world about the amazing folks of Stillwaters.
In the early 1970’s, she moved to the Puget Sound area. While an administrator on the regional staff of the Lutheran Church in America, she completed a BA in Women Studies from the U. of Washington. Community organizing and social justice work was the focus of her time at Lutheran Social Services of Washington, where she and Joleen were co-managers of the Social Ministry Program.
Naomi followed her creative passion for wood and construction as well, becoming a professional cabinetmaker and furniture builder. Her passion for plants, wildlife and habitat protection has been renewed with the move to Kingston and the formation of Stillwaters.
A founding director of Stillwaters, Naomi “keeps the wheels turning” by handling the administration and fund raising, and overseeing the maintenance and development of the campus. Her happiest hours, however, are spent tending the native plant nursery, sorting and boxing books for the used book sale, nurturing the plants, pets and wildlife here, and bragging to the world about the amazing folks of Stillwaters.
Board of Directors
Beth Berglund
Melissa Fleming
Naomi Maasberg
Alicia Olivas
Ken Patterson
Shaun Stephenson
Linda Scibilia
Stillwaters Environmental Center
26059 NE Barber Cut Off Rd
Kingston, WA 98346
360-297-1226
26059 NE Barber Cut Off Rd
Kingston, WA 98346
360-297-1226