The Paul Illg Distinguished Lectureship Public Lecture – Monday, July 11 The Paul Illg Distinguished Lectureship will present another outstanding speaker in 2016. I am pleased to announce the 18th annual Illg Distinguished Lecturer will be Dr. Todd Oakley who is an evolutionary biologist and professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology  Continue Reading

Sheila Harley, Public Information Officer for SJI Fire/Rescue sends this notice… The Firewise Communities program sponsored by San Juan Island Fire & Rescue has been awarded a grant by the Washington Department of Natural Resources (WA DNR) to assist with fuel reduction in organized communities. The new grant from WA DNR will pay the Firewise  Continue Reading

SJ County Parks share this notice about the recent fire on Lopez… Luck was on our side the morning of June 20th, the start of the Summer Solstice 2016, as an illegal campfire at Shark Reef Sanctuary spread beyond its loose rock ring. Luck in that a citizen across San Juan Channel spotted the smoke  Continue Reading

What? The hazardous waste roundup collection event is our once-yearly opportunity to legally and responsibly dispose of poisonous, flammable, corrosive or other hazardous chemicals. Why? Proper disposal protects your health and the health of the workers that handle your waste. Proper disposal also keeps chemicals out of our drinking water and out of the environment.  Continue Reading

A multimedia presentation by documentary and adventure photographer Alasdair Turner Join photographer Alasdair Turner for an exploration of Antarctica’s McMurdo Sound Region at BRICKWORKS, June 30, at 7:30 P.M. Tickets are available online, at the museum or at the door. TICKETS: Members $12, Non-members $15, Students $8. From vast ice to the historic huts left  Continue Reading

Discover Deadman Bay on Dad’s Day: An Intertidal Walk Dr. Erika Iyengar, of Muhlenberg College and long-time researcher at the Friday Harbor Laboratories, returns to help kick-off summer break on the Westside exploring the intertidal zone. Spend the morning among an amazing diversity of spineless animals (invertebrates) and learn how they feed, reproduce, and interact  Continue Reading

Ocean Annie comes to Friday Harbor on World Oceans Day! Friday Harbor Elementary School would like to invite you to dive in with empowering environmental speaker Annie Crawley and her team on June 8th, World Oceans Day, as they connect with the students for Ocean Annie’s 100 schools 100 days: Our Ocean & You campaign.  Continue Reading

No Sharp-tailed snakes were spotted at the last Oak Team work party, but we did see some new faces, and a great and informative day was had by all thanks to volunteer leader Thom Pence. Sunshine is predicted for Sunday – imagine the photo opportunities! When? Sunday, June 5 10:00am to 2:00pm RSVP required (e-mail tanjaw [@]  Continue Reading

Invertebrates, or animals without a spine, are the masters of regeneration. Many animals are able to regrow missing or damaged body parts and some can even regrow an entirely new animal from just a small segment of tissue. If you cut sponges, planarian worms, and hydra into pieces, they will regrow complete and normal animals  Continue Reading

Upcoming Event: Christianity & Climate Change – Pope Francis and the Call for Climate Action Islands Climate Resilience is pleased to host Jessie Dye of Earth Ministry and Washington Interfaith Power & Light to speak on the topic of creation care and climate change, Tuesday, June 7, 7 p.m., San Juan Island Grange, Friday Harbor.  Continue Reading

Here’s the latest news from the Whale Museum… The Whale Museum is open daily 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. even though there is a lot of construction & painting going on outside! Thanks to Stegman Painting and Select Structural LLC, work has begun on our historic building. First used as an Odd Fellows Hall, the  Continue Reading

June 4th is National Trails Day, a Saturday to celebrate being outdoors on a trail. The American Hiking Society started this annual celebration to honor the many ways trails connect Americans to the land and to each other. Whether one is on foot, on a bicycle, on horseback, or in a kayak or canoe, June  Continue Reading

San Juan County has adopted an Unmanned Aircraft System (“drone”) policy for County parks and the fairgrounds. Beginning on February 2, 2016, the launching, landing, or operating of unmanned aircraft systems from or on all San Juan County Parks & Fairgrounds property is prohibited, unless authorized by special permit issued by the Parks & Fair  Continue Reading

Sheila Harley, Public Information Officer for SJI Fire/Rescue shares this announcment… At approximately 1:43 PM the afternoon of May 27, 2016 the first wildland fire of the year on San Juan Island was reported burning near #2 School House Road. Responding units included a Type 3 brush truck, three command units, two water tenders, a  Continue Reading

Summer is just around the corner and our prickly foes are gearing up for a big convention on the mountain! Be sure to bring your leather gloves this Sunday to avoid their wrath when yanking them out of bed. When? Sunday, May 22 10:00am to 2:00pm Where? Base of Cady Mountain Preserve – turn on  Continue Reading

A dedicated group of volunteers has been maintaining the Roche Harbor trails for 11 years, with strong support from Roche Harbor Resort. The old logging roads and more recently built single-track paths through the woods are faithfully tended by more than a dozen neighbors. In 2015, as an example, the group logged 407 hours of  Continue Reading