Topic: Wildlife

State Board Awards $21 Million in Grants to Aid Salmon Recovery

Written on September 24, 2021 at 5:45 am, by

OLYMPIA–The Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board today announced the award of $21 million in grants across the state to aid in salmon recovery. The grants, given annually, went to 105 projects in 29 of the state’s 39 counties. The grants will pay for work to restore salmon habitat, including repairing degraded habitat in rivers,  Continue Reading

Forage Fish Habitat Restoration

Written on September 20, 2021 at 5:50 am, by

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

Governor Appoints Former State Agency Director to Salmon Recovery Funding Board

Written on September 14, 2021 at 10:01 am, by

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

What the Gull? News from Wolf Hollow

Written on August 31, 2021 at 8:31 am, by

You can see thousands of gulls on the shore or in the water around the San Juans right now. It would be easy to dismiss them as “just a bunch of seagulls”, but next time you see a flock of gulls, take a closer look. Are there different sizes of gulls? Do they have different  Continue Reading

Research Vessel visiting in Friday Harbor Labs in September

Written on August 28, 2021 at 9:19 am, by

In late August, the SRV SAM, a 48’ aluminum ketch, set sail from the Haida Gwaii Islands in British Columbia to the University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Labs (FHL) – the latest leg of its 8,000 nm voyage across the North Pacific for the Ocean Genome Atlas Project (OGAP). The vessel will be moored at  Continue Reading

Killer Whale “Peanut Head”

Written on August 26, 2021 at 5:50 am, by

The Center for Whale Research shares this story… What is it, when does it happen, and what are the causes? Several weeks ago, K21, the oldest male killer whale (orca) in the Southern Resident community, was photographed and videoed in a state of severe emaciation, showing an extreme version of what killer whale researchers sometimes  Continue Reading

Boaters Play Critical Role in Protecting Endangered Whales

Written on August 24, 2021 at 4:01 pm, by

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

San Juan County Land Bank August 2021 Meeting & Agenda

Written on August 19, 2021 at 5:38 am, by

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

Trail Times: Summer, 2021 – Zylstra Lake Trail

Written on August 18, 2021 at 5:42 am, by

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

Birdwatching at the Sculpture Park

Written on August 16, 2021 at 9:44 am, by

This Wednesday, August 18th, you’re invited to join Phil Green at the San Juan Island’s Sculpture Park for a morning of birdwatching, from 8:00 to 10:00 am. Dress appropriately and don’t forget your binoculars!

SJICF to Repeat Virtual County Fair Matching Grant Program

Written on August 12, 2021 at 5:53 am, by

In 2020, the San Juan Island Community Foundation quickly adapted to a “virtual” San Juan County Fair by taking their popular annual matching grant event online. Nearly $140k was donated by hundreds of generous community members during the 4 days of the fair. After matching grants by SJICF were added, more than $170k was granted  Continue Reading

Will an insightful outreach and education approach help bring back the Southern Resident orcas?

Written on August 7, 2021 at 8:04 am, by

Lots of people have lots of great ideas. But only a few turn their perceptive concepts into reality. The visionary-to-reality folks are the ones to follow. The Center for Whale Research’s Founder and Senior Scientist, Ken Balcomb, is one of these. Opening the ORCA SURVEY Outreach & Education Center in Friday Harbor in 2018 is  Continue Reading

UW Friday Harbor Labs Tide Bite #96

Written on August 7, 2021 at 7:46 am, by

Kairos & the Ghost of FHL: Writing in the Moment, by Holly Shelton Dr. Holly Shelton holds a PhD from the University of Washington in language and rhetoric along with MA degrees in Applied Linguistics and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. She has taught in Chile, Turkey, Canada, Kazakhstan, and the US; received  Continue Reading

Wolf Hollow Online Auction

Written on August 4, 2021 at 5:45 am, by

Our first online auction is now open! So many items donated by the staff, board, and community supporters of wildlife. Please take some time to check out these wonderful items. You can use your phone and scan the QR code in the flyer at right or click on or copy this link  to check it  Continue Reading

Seal Pups in Full Swim

Written on August 2, 2021 at 5:48 am, by

The first Harbor Seal pup of the year was brought to Wolf Hollow on June 24. She had been seen hanging around anchored boats near Sucia Island for 2 days, trying to suckle on boats and climb onto swim steps. San Juan County Marine Mammal Stranding Network brought her to Wolf Hollow. Usually, the peak  Continue Reading

State Officials Ask You to Check Your Trees for Invasive Insects

Written on August 2, 2021 at 5:42 am, by

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