"The Finnie" Award for Stewardship will be presented at the Sustainable San Juans Summit Meeting on April 18
“Sustainable San Juans,” from April 17-19 promises to be a weekend of activities highlighting the environmental sustainability of our county islands.
This year the event will take place on San Juan Island, bringing together the members of the Stewardship Network of the San Juans.
Jeff Hanson, Outreach Coordinator for the county’s Marine Resource Committee, a member organization of the network, says the San Juan Stewardship Network is a loose organization “of various groups with some stewardship interest. ” The members of the stewardship network range from individuals involved in a personal research project to the San Juan Nature Institute’s educational efforts, to Friends of the San Juans, whose involvement extends to the political agenda.
“This year [the Sustainable San Juans weekend] shows the wide diversity of the network — there is no one way to define the people who work on stewardship from their homes or their farms, often without recognition.”
Hanson, owner of Pawki’s pet store in Eastsound and a prime mover in the Off-Leash Dog Park, has taken on the role of the county’s Marine Resource Committee Outreach coordinator.
The “Sustainable San Juans” weekend begins with a celebration of the 30th anniversaries of the Whale Museum, the Friends of the San Juans and the San Juan Preservation Trust. The celebration will be from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Whale Museum in Friday Harbor on Friday afternoon, April 17.
On Saturday, April 18, displays from various stewardship organizations can be seen at the at the Friday Harbor Middle School from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Workshops in the afternoon will provide further information along three “tracks”: Greening Your Food; Greening Your Home and Greening Your Business.
Representatives from each organization will be on-hand to share their stories and help visitors explore their on-site materials. There will be demonstrations and activities for kids of all ages. Light refreshments will be provided.
“This year the presentations have evolved into real practical tips for day-to-day practices, targeted for the general public,” says Hanson.
On Sunday, the following field/service trips are planned:
— A narrated farm tour from 9 a.m. to noon for free will visit four San Juan Island farms.
— The San Juan Island Food Co-op will hold an open house from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at their Surina Business Park location.
— Land-based wildlife watching from noon to 3 p.m. will visit American Camp and Lime Kiln State Park with a trained naturalist to provide tips. $30.
— South Beach Clean Up, sponored by teh San Juan Island National Historical Park and the Friends of the San Juans.
— Friday Harbor Wastewater Treatment Plant Tour (limited to 20) at 1 p.m. for free. A tour of the process used to treat the waster from 900 sewer accounts, including the recent conversion utilizing reclaimed water.
— A sampler of new trails at Roche Harbor from 2:30 to 4 p.m.
And, on Lopez Island a tour of the Flowers and Ancient Gardens on Lopez Island will take place at Agate Beach County Park from 2 to 5 p.m. with the San Juan Island Trails Committee.
For more information on the field trips, go to www.stewardshipsjc.org , email info@stewardshipsjc.org, or call 360-378-2319.
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