On the eve of its 50th anniversary, the Whidbey Island Conservation District has hired two new employees and will start work on its five-year plan next month.

Kelsi Franzen joins the Conservation District as a marketing, education and outreach coordinator. She comes with over eight years of experience teaching and developing stewardship and preservation education programs, and spent the past two field seasons working at four central Whidbey farms. She’s a fourth-generation Coupeville native.

Matt Zupich is the district’s new natural resource planner. He brings 10 years of experience in his field, including time as water quality specialist for Island County government and coordinator of the Water Resource Advisory Committee. He also has extensive experience working with conservation districts in other parts of Washington and Oregon.

“The WICD board and staff are excited to have the energy and expertise that Kelsi and Matt bring to our team, as we continue to move into the future assisting our island residents with their natural resource management challenges,” said District Manager Karen Bishop, in a recent news release.

The district is also beginning a six-month process of creating its five-year, long-range work plan. The process aims to identify broad goals, outcomes and a vision for future work with input from the public, partners, staff and board supervisors.

Three community meetings are scheduled, and the public is encouraged to attend. They will take place from 1-3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9, at the Coupeville Library; 4:15-6:15 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9 at the Oak Harbor Library; and from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday, Nov. 10 at the Freeland Library.

Stu Trefry and Shana Joy, regional managers at the Washington State Conservation Commission, have expertise in long range planning and will guide the process.

The Whidbey conservation district was established in 1967, and will turn 50 next year.