From Friday Harbor Labs Friday Harbor Labs is excited to welcome Dr. Gretchen Hofmann from the University of California, Santa Barbara, our 2021 Illg Distinguished Lecturer at Brickworks at 7 p.m. Aug. 4. The title of the lecture is “Marine heatwaves: what are we learning, what we can expect, and some talk about Hot Moms  Continue Reading

By Doug McCutchen, Preserve Steward, San Juan County Land Bank This is the first in a series of articles describing the background of Zylstra Lake Preserve and the work that is going on to develop a long-term stewardship and management plan for the property. This article focuses on recreational access to the reservoir. Zylstra Lake  Continue Reading

From the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office is recruiting 45 volunteers to fill positions on advisory committees that help determine how the state invests in the outdoors. The 18 committees evaluate grant proposals for parks, trails, boating amenities, firearm and archery ranges and other outdoor recreation facilities.  Continue Reading

From the San Juan County Land Bank The San Juan County Land Bank Commission will hold its monthly meeting from 8:30-11:15 a.m., July 16 via Zoom. The public is invited to attend. Click here to download the agenda, Zoom link and meeting materials. To learn more about the San Juan County Land Bank, visit sjclandbank.org.  Continue Reading

From San Juan Preservation Trust The San Juan Preservation Trust recently acquired the 42-acre Keel Preserve on Orcas Island. Public benefits include the high-quality forest (including many old-growth trees), wetlands, seasonal creek and waterfall, connected habitat, scenic views. Acquisition of the Keel property builds on the success of a neighborhood-conservation effort that began in 1998.  Continue Reading

Microplastics and Mussel Poops By Lyda Harris Lyda Harris completed her PhD with Emily Carrington in 2020 in the Department of Biology at UW. For her dissertation — much of it done at FHL — she studied 1) the impacts of microplastic vs silt on marine mussel filtration rates, 2) how microplastics affect the benthic-pelagic  Continue Reading

False Bay on New Year’s at sunset. Steve Martin, Contributed.  Keep Dogs on Leashes By Dr. Megan Dethier, Director, Friday Harbor Labs About a year ago, we wrote about increased use of University of Washington properties during the governor’s stay-at-home orders. This heavy use has continued, and now with summer upon us and relaxed covid  Continue Reading

Take the Survey Today From San Juan County Lank Bank Kaj Litch, a Spring Street International School junior, recently approached the Land Bank to collaborate with him on an internship project — a new and innovative way to gauge public opinion by using the digital tool Pol.is. The San Juan County Land Bank is a  Continue Reading

From San Juan County The San Juan County Council approved a proclamation June 29 designating “Plastic Free July” in San Juan County. The proclamation recognizes the pressing issues around plastic waste, including the fact that plastics are the most prevalent type of marine debris found in our oceans, as well as being found daily on  Continue Reading

From San Juan County’s Environmental Department Across the region, homes and businesses will soon be displaying the stars and stripes to herald the Fourth of July. Meanwhile, on the waters of the Salish Sea, another flag can be spotted — the whale warning flag. The Fourth of July weekend marks one of the busiest times  Continue Reading

From Skagit Valley College Skagit Valley College is enrolling now for a unique Sea Kayak Exploration class in the Salish Sea and the San Juan Islands. If you love the salt air and exploring the beautiful Salish Sea and the San Juan Islands, you’ll want to enroll now in this unique Skagit Valley College summer  Continue Reading

From Transition San Juan Island  Join Transition San Juan Island, Plastic Free Salish Sea and millions of other people worldwide in reducing your plastic waste in July. Plastic Free July is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution – so we can have cleaner streets, oceans  Continue Reading

By R. Brent Lyles, Executive Director, Friends of the San Juans Judging by construction activity and real estate transactions, the pressures and speed of development in San Juan County have never been greater. Fortunately, the County’s Comprehensive Plan, or Comp Plan, can be a key tool for managing growth and protecting our county’s rural character.  Continue Reading

From San Juan County Land Bank If you frequent Roche Harbor Road, passing by the Land Bank’s Beaverton Marsh Preserve, you’ve probably noticed some different agricultural activities happening in the roadside fields lately. That’s because these pastures are transitioning from annual hay harvest to a seasonal grazing operation. San Juan Island rancher Mike Sundstrom has  Continue Reading

From San Juan County Land Bank The San Juan County Land Bank is entering into another phase in planning the future of Coffelt Farm Preserve’s agricultural use. According to the San Juan Island Preservation Trust, the Preservation Trust and San Juan County Land Bank  acquired a 189-acre conservation easement on this historic working farm in  Continue Reading

Seeding the Salish Sea: First Steps of an Eelgrass Restoration Project By Elizabeth Nilles, Michael Ramsey and Sandy Wyllie-Echeverria The disappearance of eelgrass might seem like a trivial topic to some, but it is actually quite a concerning phenomenon. Marine organisms and humans alike rely on the multitude of ecosystem services provided by eelgrass, such  Continue Reading