The following article is a guest post written by Neil Stawski… From living a minimalist lifestyle in a tiny house to tidying up a family home, decluttering seems to be on everyone’s mind lately. Decluttering isn’t a new concept. After all, studies have shown that most Americans still prefer to do some spring cleaning each  Continue Reading

Meet Jenny Harris of Catkin Design. Jenny has recently started a new garden design and consulting business here in Friday Harbor. “Catkin is a new iteration of my horticultural life” she says. Originally called appropriate horticulture, what Jenny does is now called Ecological Design – a self sustaining kind of garden design that is supportive of  Continue Reading

In the SJ Update Mailbag this morning, we have this letter from Steve Ulvi… Glancing at caller ID on a recent snowy morning, I guessed that my old Alaska pal, Archie was riled up about something.   Most likely a retaliatory shot in response to the brow-beating I served up previously. I had been pretty steamed  Continue Reading

FRIDAY HARBOR, WA – San Juan Island National Historical Park today announced the availability of the Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the 2018 Replace American Camp Temporary Visitor Center Environmental Assessment (EA). The FONSI, which was signed by National Park Service Pacific West Regional Director Stan Austin, identifies the selected alternative and is  Continue Reading

In Eastsound on February 26th nearly 30 people from a range of backgrounds and skillsets gathered for the second monthly meeting of the 2019 Islands’ Oil Spill Association (IOSA) Action Team. This group of interested volunteers has been working tirelessly since the beginning of the year in an effort to revitalize IOSA’s ability to respond  Continue Reading

Friday Harbor Film Festival Winter Series – Best of the Fest – Tuesday, March 5th at the Grange at 7:00 pm A River’s Last Chance: A Story of Salmon, Timber, Weed and Wine along the Mighty Eel River – the award winning film about saving our Salmon and rivers. The Eel River in Northern California  Continue Reading

Garry Oak Prairie: A Unique Habitat (Lecture Series) What are Garry Oaks and how do Garry Oak habitats support the ecology of the San Juan Islands and the Pacific Northwest? Join experts from San Juan Island and beyond March 8,15, 22 and 29 at the San Juan Island Grange to learn about the history of  Continue Reading

Adam Summers – The Sea: Inspiration for Art and Science Dr. Adam Summers, who runs the Comparative Vertebrate Biomechanics Lab at the Friday Harbor Laboratories, will present a naturalist’s opinion on nature as a source of inspiration for art and science.   Monday, March 4 at 7 pm San Juan Island Library Free Refreshments will  Continue Reading

Dear Editor, This year Friends of the San Juans celebrates 40 years of protecting and restoring the San Juan Islands and the Salish Sea for people and nature. Over the next few months our members will be sharing their memories about the role Friends has played to protect what they love about the islands. These  Continue Reading

Don’t forget — it’s award season here in the San Juans! The Oscars have nothing on the Finnies. Know someone who deserves to walk the stewardship red carpet? Nominate them for a Good Steward Award! Since 2008, the Good Steward Awards, affectionately known as “Finnies,” have been sponsored by the Stewardship Network of the San  Continue Reading

John Miller shares this view of English Camp taken on Saturday morning just when the sun broke through the clouds. Thanks John!

This guest post was written by Neil Stawski… If you are looking to live a greener life, there’s no better place to start than your home. This is why it’s important for home buyers to be on the lookout for features that can help lessen their impact on the environment. Not sure what those features  Continue Reading

Thanks to Katie Fleming at the Friends of the San Juans for sending us this report…  On February 6, a federal judge rejected an effort by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (“Corps”) to dismiss a lawsuit challenging its refusal to adequately protect shoreline areas in Puget Sound. The Court’s decision means the lawsuit, which charges that  Continue Reading

Friends of the San Juans is pleased to announce the appointment of Jennifer Barcelos as incoming staff attorney and Director of Law and Policy. Following a nationwide search for a transformative leader, Jennifer Barcelos has joined our team as Director of Law and Policy. In her new role, Jennifer will be responsible for protecting the  Continue Reading

The San Juan Islands Agricultural Summit returns to San Juan Island February 2nd  and 3rd for the 7th year of education and celebration of the islands’ food and farming communities.  Offering a selection of twenty different workshops and sessions, this year’s Summit is sure to have something for everyone engaged with our local food system.  Continue Reading

  Interested in using native plants in your landscape? There are many wonderful reasons to use PNW natives: they are often long lived and don’t need maintenance, they provide year-round color and garden interest, they can be used to stabilize hillsides and prevent erosion, and some are drought and heat tolerant, helpful in a warming  Continue Reading

WA State determines San Juan County’s Shoreline Master Program is compliant with state law On January 8, 2019, the State Growth Management Hearings Board found that San Juan County’s Shoreline Master Program including its shoreline management regulations comply with the State’s Shoreline Management Act.  San Juan County adopted Ordinance 21 – 2018 that addressed areas  Continue Reading

WSF: Electrify the San Juan Islands Ferry Routes FIRST Don’t delay protection of the Salish Sea The current WS Ferries Long range plan for deploying electric ferries puts the San Juan routes last on the list. Why lose decades in our efforts to protect the Salish Sea – and all of the species who depend  Continue Reading

Did you know that our local sand and gravel beaches nurture incubating fish eggs? These eggs are virtually undetectable to the naked eye and come from two species of marine fish – surf smelt and Pacific sand lance. These species are among those referred to as “forage fish” for the vital role they play in  Continue Reading

State Investing in Youth Outdoor Education, Recreation OLYMPIA–Washington State is accepting applications for the No Child Left Inside grant program, which aims to give at-risk children opportunities to experience the outdoors. No Child Left Inside grants fund programs that provide youth in Washington with outdoor recreation and education programs, including summer camps, natural resource-based education  Continue Reading

Interested in using native plants in your landscape? There are many wonderful reasons to use PNW natives: they are often long-lived and don’t need maintenance, they provide year-round color and garden interest, they can be used to stabilize hillsides and prevent erosion, and some are drought and heat tolerant, helpful in a warming climate. And  Continue Reading

This article was contributed by Friends of the San Juans… As residents of a community of islands, we are no stranger to coastal storms like the one that hit northern Puget Sound just before Christmas. While winter storms themselves are not uncommon, the larger events that cause serious damage from erosion or flooding are actually  Continue Reading