Here’s a thought…
“Don’t ask me who’s influenced me. A lion is made up of the lambs he’s digested, and I’ve been reading all my life.”
GIORGOS SEFERIS
Trump takes a major step toward seabed mining in international waters
A new executive order pits the United States against the rest of the world over the question of who can exploit mineral resources in shared waters. ||| FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES ||| President Trump
Orcas Garden Club presents Margaret Payne, joyful gardener
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| Please join us on Wednesday, May 21, at the Orcas Center when Orcas Island Garden Club welcomes Margaret Payne to describe helpful principles and practices to find joy
Underwater volcano reveals thousands of giant living eggs in breathtaking discovery that terrifies marine scientists
Beneath the ocean's surface, an astonishing discovery off the coast of Vancouver Island reveals thousands of giant, vibrant eggs nestled within an active underwater volcano, shedding light on the mysterious life cycles of deep-sea creatures
Plastic Free Salish Sea sets sail with San Juan Island Yacht Club, Washington State Parks
A fleet of volunteer boaters will cruise to Stuart, Sucia, and Jones Islands to remove marine debris and microplastics from state park shorelines that are otherwise difficult to access without private watercraft. ||| FROM SAN
Learn how state and federal government is impacting the arts and humanities
||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER ||| Inspire Washington is the state-wide advocacy organization for the cultural sector, promoting the value of science, heritage, and arts programming within every city, town, and hamlet. The
2025 Comp Plan Update | Second draft available for review
Public comments regarding the second draft of amendments to the Comprehensive Plan can be submitted by May 15 for review at the Planning Commission meeting on May 16. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS |||
Collapsing bird numbers in North America prompt fears of ecological crisis – research
Study using citizen data finds three-quarters of nearly 500 species in decline, with steepest trend in areas where they once thrived ||| FROM THE GUARDIAN ||| Bird populations across North America are falling most quickly
A ferry sunny May Day protest in Friday Harbor
||| FROM STEVE BERNHEIM ||| Last Thursday, May Day May 1, five Orcas Island neighbors boarded the 12:50 pm interisland ferry bound for Friday Harbor, intending to test two hypotheses: 1) whether islanders protesting acts
‘Worlds of Color” art show at Orcas Senior Center
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Visit Orcas Senior Center, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday, May 5 through the end of June, to experience Worlds of Color—a
Sheriff’s Report | April 23 – 29, 2025
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ||| WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23 25-002277 Vagrancy 13:22:35 04/23/25 Orcas Island Deputies responded to a report of illegal camping. Deputies found two vehicles that appeared to be setting up
Hawaiʻi Legislature takes historic step toward a visitor ‘green fee’
If passed, the first-of-its-kind fee would raise millions of dollars annually to protect the state’s natural resources and make it more resilient to climate change. ||| FROM HONOLULU CIVIL BEAT ||| In a major win
Midnight Mutterings | Pink smoke
||| MIDNIGHT MUTTERINGS by JACKIE BATES ||| Almost two weeks ago, on April 21, 2025, Pope Francis died. I have been touched by his life since he was elected by the Papal Conclave in 2015,
An evening exploring environmental stewardship
||| FROM ELISE COPE for FRIENDS OF THE SAN JUANS ||| Friends of the San Juans and Salish Current are proud to co-host a special evening with journalist and author Lynda V. Mapes to celebrate
San Juan Islanders gather at each ferry terminal for May Day, International Workers’ Day
||| FROM INDIVISIBLE SAN JUAN ISLAND TEAM ||| On May 1st, Indivisible San Juan Islands, organized an event where islanders from each of the islands organized at their ferry terminals. The local group organized in
The Artworks featured artist for May
BJ Arnold presents her newest series 'Spring Abstraction' ||| FROM BJ ARNOLD for THE ARTWORKS ||| I love the energy and promise of spring. Every spring I am inspired to attempt to capture the emerging
Farewell, But Not Goodbye | Open house celebration for Dimitri Stankevich
||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER ||| Dimitri Stankevich The Orcas Center Board of Trustees is hosting a special farewell Open House to honor Executive Director, Dimitri Stankevich, who is stepping down
