A five-year commemoration ceremony and trailhead restoration work party at Putney Woods will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12. The Putney Woods are a 600-acre forest formally managed by the State of Washington Department of Natural Resources.

Previously known as Goss Lake Woods, the forest is filled with a wide range of wildlife living amid stands of Douglas fir, western hemlock, western white pine, red cedar, madrona, and evergreen huckleberries.  Over the years, local citizens created a complex network of trails for non-motorized use.  The Putney Woods trails connect to the Saratoga Woods Preserve and the Metcalf Trust Land.

On Nov. 13, 2006, the woods lost one of it greatest advocates and friends, Gary Putney.  He built and maintained the trails since late 1970 until his death from lung cancer caused by exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam.  As one member of the community said, “He was everything John Wayne ought to have been, but in real life.”  Early in 2007, the Island County Commissioners voted to rename the woods in his honor.

Enjoy hot beverages & treats in the morning, and hot soup, chili, warm rolls & beverages after the work party.

Organizers urge people to bring tools for trail work and wear trail-working attire, and gear that might be needed: gloves, weed whackers, rakes, pruners, etc. Putney Woods is on Lone Lake Road.

For more information, call Diana Putney at 321-5631 or email glputney@whidbey.com.