Interested in using native plants in your landscape? There are many wonderful reasons to use PNW natives: they are often long lived and need little 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.  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

Mission Statement: Creating conditions for community resilience and regeneration in a rapidly changing world We have set the next meeting of Transition San Juan Island for Sunday, March 1, 2020 from 3-6 PM at the Mullis Center. The purpose is for each action group to complete their Vision Statement. So when you arrive at 3,  Continue Reading

Neil Stawski checks in again with another guest article… According to the American Time Use Survey, the average citizen in the United States spends about 70 hours a year on yard work. Considering that number takes into account all the renters, city dwellers, and non-yard owning people as well as homeowners, it is actually quite  Continue Reading

First, we extend our sincere appreciation for the attentive and engaged turnout at the Mullis Center on January 12!  A quiet Sunday afternoon among busy families, threats of snowy roads and of course the Seahawks playoff game notwithstanding, about 65 of you responded to our invitations.  We were enthused by our smiling friends from Lopez  Continue Reading

Here’s some good news – check out the video above and this accompanying story from Good News Network…

The Town will collect Christmas trees for residents inside Town limits on Thursday, January 9, 2020. Trees must be placed at the curb no later than 9:00 a.m. and must be separate from other unbundled trash and woody waste. To ensure the success of the tree recycling program, please remove the tree stand and all  Continue Reading

Deal prevents climate pollution, protects Southern Resident orcas Deal signed by Environmental Organizations, Skagit County, and Refinery will allow clean air projects to proceed and halts new petrochemical processing and export at Anacortes Oil Refinery SKAGIT COUNTY, WA — In an agreement announced today, the owners of the Anacortes Oil Refinery agreed to withdraw plans  Continue Reading

Friends of the San Juans Ensures Added Protections for Southern Resident Killer Whales in Regard to Phillips 66 Refinery Expansion On August 29, 2019, Friends of the San Juans appealed Whatcom County’s conditional approval of a 300,000-barrel external floating roof crude oil storage tank and an 80,000-barrel external floating roof fuel oil storage tank in  Continue Reading

In the SJ Update mailbag this morning we have this letter from Transition San Juan Island… You may have heard by way of friends and neighbors that Transition San Juan Island is launching at the Mullis Center, January 12, 2020 from 3 to 6 pm. Everyone of any age or political persuasion is invited to  Continue Reading

Guest author Neil Stawski checks in again with another article on working toward a greener lifestyle… Going green is a lifestyle choice that many people are making these days, but it can be a major change that comes with a lot of effort. It’s not always easy to make big changes and stick with them,  Continue Reading

Channel Preserve, Lopez Lopez Preserve Steward, Amanda Wedow, hosted a public scoping meeting in early October. The event was widely attended with break-out discussions covering a variety of topics, including signage, and dogs. Incorporating comments heard at the meeting, as well those submitted over the public comment period that followed, Land Bank staff are now  Continue Reading

The Land Bank is seeking input as they develop a Stewardship and Management Plan for Zylstra Lake Preserve. To start the process, there will be a public scoping meeting on Thursday, November 7th from 5:30pm-7:00pm at Brickworks. Land Bank staff will share the results of resource assessments, including ecological, habitat and agriculture, followed with the  Continue Reading

Thanks to all of our Orca Recovery Day Volunteers! We want to thank everyone who came out and celebrated Orca Recovery Day with us last Saturday. Our October 19th celebrations spanned two islands, with approximately 50 volunteers coming together to support natural areas and the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales that grace the Salish Sea.  Continue Reading

Join David Montgomery and Anne Bikle as they explore the connections between soil and human health. David Montgomery earned his Ph.D. in geomorphology and teaches at the University of Washington where he studies the evolution of topography and how geological processes shape landscapes and influence ecological systems. Montgomery writes about the relationship of people to  Continue Reading

Angela Anderson, Executive Director of the San Juan Preservation Trust, has been tapped to join the Land Trust Leadership Council, an elite group of nationally recognized leaders in the land trust field. “As an exceptional land trust executive director, you will bring valuable experience and perspectives to the group,” wrote Andrew Bowman, president and CEO  Continue Reading