Local shoreline habitat restoration actions support marine food webs It was an exciting week for local forage fish and out-migrating juvenile salmon as Friends of the San Juans and the Salmon Point Community have successfully restored priority shoreline habitat along their local beach. At the south end of Lopez Island, two areas of failed rock  Continue Reading

The Madrona Institute has awarded $22,500 in grants to local nonprofit organizations in its first year of grant making based on revenues received from sales of the San Juan Islands Special License Plate. This year’s grantees include: San Juan Islands Conservation District for their San Juan Islands Youth Conservation Corps ($6,000), Friends of the San  Continue Reading

The San Juan County Land Bank Commission will hold its monthly meeting on September 17, from 8:30am-11:15am via Zoom. The public is invited to attend. Click HERE to download the agenda (includes ZOOM link) and meeting materials. To learn more about your Conservation Land Bank, visit sjclandbank.org. If you’re interested in volunteering and/or joining our  Continue Reading

Olympia – Gov. Jay Inslee today announced the appointment of Kaleen Cottingham, a life-long Washington resident, to serve on the Salmon Recovery Funding Board. Cottingham, of Olympia, recently retired as the director of the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office, which provides support to the Governor-appointed Salmon Recovery Funding Board and the Governor’s Salmon Recovery  Continue Reading

SPOKANE, Wash. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), today, announced it will hold a meeting of the San Juan Islands National Monument Advisory Committee (MAC). The public is welcome to attend the meeting which will occur on Tuesday, Sept. 14, via Zoom from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Planned agenda items at the meeting  Continue Reading

It takes a village to clean an island! The Great Islands Clean-up is back! In honor of National Public Lands Day, join your fellow islanders for the 2021 Fall Great Islands Clean-up on September 25th. This one-day household or individual effort is an opportunity for our community to get outside, connect with our home, and  Continue Reading

The recently formed Camas Club launches a website https://camas.club created for and by islanders to connect with other backyard habitat enthusiasts. It is a place where native habitat aficionados can ask questions, share resources, organize seed swaps, and more. By exchanging information about aspects such as restoration techniques, lessons learned, trusted sources of native plant  Continue Reading

The following article is shared with you by R. Brent Lyles, Executive Director, Friends of the San Juans It’s time to spring into action! On the morning of Tuesday, September 14th, the County Council will hold a hearing on the 2021 docket. This year’s docket includes proposals for new tree-protection standards, stormwater-management standards, and doing  Continue Reading

The Islands’ Oil Spill Association (IOSA) is offering free oil spill response training for interested islanders in October. Sessions will be held on Lopez, Orcas, and San Juan Island. This half-day hands-on training is intended to give both new and existing volunteers an introduction to basic response strategies and provide a general overview of the  Continue Reading

The Salish Seeds Project’s popular, twice-annual wildflower sale is happening soon. Reserve plants online September 10 – 17, and pick them up on Saturday, October 2 at locations on Lopez, Orcas, and San Juan islands. All plants are produced locally by the Salish Seeds Project, a joint program of the San Juan County Land Bank  Continue Reading

FRIDAY HARBOR, WA. – Labor Day weekend is approaching, the last hurrah for many summer boaters before buckling down for the fall. As scores of vessels take to local waterways over the holiday, it’s an important time to stay vigilant and keep safe on the water. San Juan County’s Department of Environmental Stewardship calls on  Continue Reading

Friday Harbor Artist Shannon Borg – with guest artists Julia Wayne and Wendy Smith – presents an art installation of paintings, fiber art, jewelry and more, with an outdoor reception on Friday, August 27, 4:00 – 7:00pm  “Our island beaches are powerful, mysterious, and beautiful places, where we go to reflect, celebrate, and heal,” says  Shannon.   Continue Reading

Signs of wildlife were on high display during this month’s easement monitoring. Low tide provided a good look at some gooseneck barnacles that remained healthy despite the recent heat. The San Juan County Land Bank Commission will hold its monthly meeting on August 20, from 8:30am-11:15am via Zoom. The public is invited to attend. Click  Continue Reading

We really thought we were through with Covid-19 on San Juan Island, however it has spiked here worse than ever. Resiliency is all about staying healthy, and we want to help the community fight this so we are going to reschedule this event to when things improve. So, we hope this attempt has sparked ideas  Continue Reading

Trail Times is a continuing series of articles introducing the Old Military Road Trail (OMRT), a proposed 18-21 mile cross-island non-motorized multi-use trail linking English Camp and American Camp and honoring the original Old Military Road. As the summer’s heat wanes, here’s a fun easy hike to get you out there. This approximately mile-and-a-half long  Continue Reading

San Juan Island’s Community Foundation will support local non-profits with matching funds and bonus grants during this year’s Virtual Fair. Funds raised for the Mullis Center will go to help fund our Green and Clean Project as highlighted in detail in the recent article in the San Juan Update, Island Senior: Mullis Center Upgrade For  Continue Reading

This story is shared with you from the SJC Land Bank… Wednesday afternoon, August 11, 2021, San Juan Island Fire & Rescue responded to an isolated brush fire adjacent to the Land Bank’s Mount Grant Preserve. The fire charred approximately one quarter acre of grass and brush before being extinguished. After visiting the site, Land  Continue Reading

Q&A with Friends’ Staff at the Virtual County Fair We are all ready for some new connections and opportunities. Through the Virtual Fair, you have an opportunity to connect with Friends of the San Juans’ staff, ask questions, and hear the passion that drives their mission.  Join the virtual couch for Q&A sessions with Friends  Continue Reading

For nearly four years now the Mullis Center has been working hard to implement recommendations made by Sustainable Connection’s energy audit to improve our building’s efficiency, reduce energy costs, and create a healthier environment. In 2018 our project began by switching to LED lighting, installing low flow aerators throughout the building, installing Ultra-High Efficiency toilets, and  Continue Reading

On August 6, 2021, Eastsound Water Users Association (EWUA) and the Doe Bay Water Users Association (DBWUA) signed an agreement to work in partnership to manage the Doe Bay Water system. Eastsound Water will take over operations in Q2 of 2022 and perform all daily tasks including testing, monitoring and maintaining the Doe Bay Water  Continue Reading

Olympia – Are invasive species hiding in your trees? State officials ask you to check trees, lights, outdoor equipment and standing water in your yard for harmful bugs as part of National Tree Check Month in August. “August is the ideal time to look for invasive insects and report any species that seem out of  Continue Reading

From San Juan County Environmental Stewardship Department San Juan County’s Environmental Stewardship Department wants to hear and share your fishing stories. We are collaborating with an organization called Salmon Nation that recognizes the fight for wild salmon is about much more than fish — it’s about culture, livelihoods and the viability of our natural and  Continue Reading