Tucked away at the end of a meandering county road in the Willapa Hills of Raymond, Washington, is the Wildwood Tree Farm. Clear, running streams and winds off the Pacific Ocean and Willapa Bay surround vast acres of Douglas-Fir, Western hemlock, big-leaf maple, and red alder. In spring, hungry bears, deer, and porcupines gorge on the tasty apples from the family orchard. Wildwood’s noisiest residents are the birds, particularly a family of Common Ravens that perch in a nearby tree, watching for the next tasty offering from their beloved humans, Kathy and Stan Stevens. 

Nature has its own beautiful music, and the Stevens never take it for granted. They are thankful to be the dedicated stewards of this 70-acre forest in a hectic world that often moves too fast. The sights, sounds, and smells of a mature forest offer a powerful antidote to the stress of everyday life. The Stevens enjoy inviting the local community into their home and forest to pause, admire, and appreciate nature’s hidden secrets. Kathy’s great-grandparents settled the area in the late 19th century, and she still has the signed document from then-President Grover Cleveland granting ownership. As a child, Kathy played in the forest and learned about it from her grandparents, and later from her parents. 

After moving to California to attend school and teach upper elementary students, Kathy returned to Wildwood in November 2021, becoming a woman-owned forest landowner with her husband, Stan. They are tireless co-equal managers of Wildwood, using their unique talents to steward the forest, the outbuildings, and the wildlife that inhabit it. 

Kathy and Stan have a deep connection to the value of working forests that benefit the local community and small businesses through jobs and tax revenue, and, more importantly, as a way of life in the Willapa River Valley that has established close-knit coastal communities through the vibrant timber and fishing industries that boomed in the early 20th century. They educate themselves inquisitively and engage openly with countless others who teach them how their forest could provide economic and spiritual offerings beyond high-grade Douglas-fir dimension lumber. 

They learned about the healing powers of plants; the variety of mushrooms; culturally significant areas; the life within the streams, the importance of riparian shade and in-stream woody debris; the different soils and how they feel in their hands; and the wildlife that occupied the snags, the streams, the soils, and the rotten wood, both standing and nestled within the forest floor. This curiosity and appreciation are carefully intertwined with their understanding of the importance of stewarding the land through sustainable forestry.

In 2022, they enrolled in Washington State University’s Extension Forestry Planned Coaching online program. During these weekly classes, they learned the basics of forestry and how to craft a forest stewardship plan to guide them in achieving their sustainable forestry goals and objectives, while also providing educational opportunities for the local community.

After engaging with numerous resources provided by the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR), including the Service Forestry Program, Small Landowner Assistance Program, and Forest Practices, a multitude of DNR staff provided the assistance needed to successfully secure their permit for a future commercial thin, enroll in the Family Forest Fish Passage Program, which provides financial assistance to address fish blockages, and complete their forest stewardship plan. Kathy and Stan also enrolled in the DNR’s Financial Assistance Cost-Share program, which compensated Stan’s do-it-yourself efforts to improve 1.30 acres of defensible space around their residence and outbuildings. Stan worked eagerly and tirelessly (Stan is well known for needing to stay busy) to prune and thin suppressed trees, remove an overabundance of brush, and then address all the collected slash by chipping, making wildlife piles, or supplementing their woodshed. Kathy and Stan are extremely grateful for the services provided by the DNR and, in return, love to pay it forward by participating in countless educational events and providing tours of their forest.

The Stevens are active and energetic members of the Washington Farm Forestry Association (WFFA). They attend events whenever possible to learn from other timberland owners and seasoned foresters, and they have participated in the Pacific County Fair for the past couple of years. 

As members of the WFFA, the Stevenses have joined with other members to create a forestry booth at the local fair. In both 2023 and 2024, the Stevenses received blue ribbons for Best Booth, thanks to an extensive display of historic photos, plants, logging equipment, and forest specimens that children and adults alike could learn from by touching and smelling. 

Not to be outdone, Stan, with his innate handiness and imagination, proved to be the biggest hit at the 2025 fair! A powerful windstorm that hit the coast caused isolated windthrow at Wildwood. Stan took advantage of the fallen Douglas-fir and carved a wooden horse. Aptly named “Douglas,” it was proudly on display at the WFFA booth, and countless children and even adults happily galloped alongside “Douglas” while countless cell phone cameras captured the moment. 

Recently, the local Northwest Carriage Museum asked if they could have “Douglas” for the children’s section so visiting children could take a ride. “It was hard to part with him,” said Kathy. “But he is now putting smiles on so many children’s faces.”

Visits to Wildwood often begin with a tour of their recently renovated log cabin. Fifty years ago, Kathy’s mom and dad built the cabin from alder and Doug-Fir they harvested from the forest. There are many cabin stories to tell, and the Stevens are always happy to share a few with guests. Occasionally, the cabin is open to the public for overnight stays.

In addition to visiting the cabin and walking the forest, Kathy and Stan welcome the community and the public into their home to enjoy the Cedar Room, which features beautiful cedar walls and long tables for crafting with materials gathered from the forest floor. Kathy enjoys taking children of all ages on nature hikes, then bringing them into the Cedar Room to create forest treasures. A favorite activity is making forest potpourri from evergreen needles, cedar leaves, and pinecones, blended with spices and dried herbs from the Wildwood herb garden.

Kathy emphasizes the importance of the younger generation stepping away from their hectic lives to experience nature’s solitude and healing power. Last fall, they hosted a Twilight Event for about thirty foresters, who enjoyed walking the forest trails and learning from Kathy how to harvest the forest for medicines and teas. Kathy also hosts nature workshops for local groups in the Cedar Room and around town. Their graciousness and kindness in opening their home and forest for these educational opportunities are highly commendable.

Stan’s efforts at Wildwood are evident in his carpentry, sawing, and tractor operation, as well as in the restoration of the cabin. Establishing defensible space around their home, bringing “Douglas” to life to entertain countless generations of young children, and maintaining nearly a mile of walking trails free of hazards are to his credit. Equally talented, Kathy is passionate about teaching young children and adults about the forest, graciously hosting public events, and learning all she can about the natural healing powers of Wildwood. Her efforts are impressive. 

Kathy has been honing her talents and skills as a master herbalist for many years, and after returning to Wildwood, her passion for harvesting pieces of the forest for others to enjoy at home only deepens her appreciation for the vast importance and unlimited potential of their Willapa Hills paradise. She has distilled Douglas-fir and cedar greens into hydrosols using a state-of-the-art copper still, and visitors can take them home as mementos of Wildwood’s soothing embrace. 

Kathy has also learned to gather forest greens to make spritzers, oils, healing salves, bath salts, teas, syrups, and vinegars. Among the plants she harvests are dandelions, wood sorrel, plantain, wild mint, Miner’s lettuce, nettle, Douglas-fir needles, and comfrey. 

The Stevens’ dedication and passion for Wildwood and the local community have recently been showcased on a much larger stage. Columbia Coast TV recently filmed the life of Kathy and Stan at Wildwood for A&E as part of a package featuring special travel destinations throughout America! This documentary provides a more personal connection to their stewardship of Wildwood and their ties to the local community.

Kathy and Stan’s return to Wildwood from the hustle and bustle of California, the increasing stress of wildfires, and the unbearable smoke has been much more than they could have ever expected. Kathy and Stan feel so empowered, lucky, and privileged to be able to take care of all their rent-free tenants and to share their joy of Wildwood with both the younger and older generations.

One of their most valued goals is to keep Wildwood within the family and to manage the property as a working forest for their heirs and the local, coastal communities. Recently, Stan took to his workbench and began drafting plans for an entrance display for their forest. Proudly labeled ‘Wildwood,’ the dazzling kiosk showcases their accomplishments and dedication to the Washington Farm Forestry Association, as well as their role as managers of a Stewardship Forest, as evidenced by the completion of their forest stewardship plan. This kiosk will warmly welcome visitors for generations to come, and the work of art will also provide those gluttonous ravens with a more dignified perch as they circle in for their daily snack and to show appreciation for Kathy and Stan, who are among the best landlords in the Willapa River Valley.

Written by Dan Friesz, published in Northwest Woodlands, Spring 2026

 

To learn more about Wildwood visit their website.