Office News
The Methow Conservancy has recently assumed ownership of the 3 Bears property and building in Winthrop and is poised to create a new, permanent home for conservation and community in 2021. To read more about this purchase, see the press release here.
We will keep this page updated with information about this exciting, emerging opportunity for conservation in the Methow Valley.
I still see the 3 Bears sign up.. When will the Methow Conservancy move in?
The sale arrangement provides for the current owners of 3 Bears to retain occupancy until the end of March 2021. After that, we will need to do some interior remodeling to make the space work for our offices and community spaces. Depending on contractor schedules, we anticipate moving in sometime in the fall of 2021.
Do you really need all that space?
We definitely need more space than we currently have. We currently have 10 employees (a mix of full and part-time) and if you have been to our current office, you know that our staff share some pretty small spaces and our conference room is also home to our bookkeeper. We even have an “office” squeezed into the doorway by the back of the building! The 3 Bears building will give our staff the space they need to work effectively AND will provide opportunities for educational spaces, meeting spaces, and other community spaces that we intend to make available for other organizations to use. It will also give us the capacity to say yes to opportunities like hosting interns or visiting researchers, which we have had to turn down in the past due to space constraints.
You keep talking about providing community spaces. What do you mean?
We know that nonprofit and community organizations need meeting spaces for things like Board Meetings or other gatherings. While our vision for all the space is still coming together, we know that we intend to have spaces that can be used by other organizations. That might mean a place for a temporary workspace or an event space. No matter what, we intend to make sure some portion of the square footage is available to support the work of other important community organizations. If you have ideas for what might be needed, we sure hope you’ll let us know (email us at info@methowconservancy.org or call us at 509-996-2870).
What about the Café?
We recognize that the café is a viable business in Winthrop and we are exploring every option to do what’s right for our local economy and community. We welcome your input (email us at info@methowconservancy.org or call us at 509-996-2870).
Can you afford this? Will it cut into your ability to do land protection projects and conservation education programs?
Anonymous, long-time supporters of the Methow Conservancy have stepped forward and made the purchase of the building possible. This incredible generosity means that we can focus our resources on our conservation work. Certainly, the increased square footage and property care will cost us more annually, but we budget carefully and believe that the increased costs will more than be offset by increased community good!
What will you do with all that land?
The property is approximately 4 acres. We are just in the beginning phases of understanding all the potential opportunities for the outdoor spaces. We know that the forested area to the south may benefit from some Firewise efforts and we intend for the property to ultimately be a place for people to see our conservation work in action. We are considering things like demonstration gardens and building a walking path to connect closer to HomeStream Park and to the Meadowlark Natural Area. All of these improvements will take us some time to figure out!
I’m excited for this opportunity for the Methow Conservancy. How can I help?
You can share any ideas you have with us for the space (email us at info@methowconservancy.org or call us at 509-996-2870). And, as moving day nears, we’ll put out a call for volunteers to help us move down the street!