Here’s a thought…
“The competition between Nature and the economy is deep and broad.
In the short term, the economy usually wins. In the long term …?”
BILL APPEL
Letter to Editor | Decatur (who paid?) It’s not outright DECEPTION, but…..
||| FROM RIKKI SWIN |||
Salish Current | Contagious cancer poses possible threat to Salish Sea clams
Researchers monitor rare transmissible cancers spreading through two local species. ||| FROM THE SALISH CURRENT ||| What if cancer, already one of the deadliest diseases known to the animal kingdom, suddenly became contagious? The
Red foxes on San Juan Island test positive for avian influenza
Please do not handle wildlife, especially if it looks sick. There are no reported human cases of avian influenza in San Juan County. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Two red foxes on San
Guest Opinion | Root cause of struggles at EWUA
||| FROM FRED KLEIN ||| Perhaps a bit of history from the point of view of a long time member and former board member of EWUA would be helpful for the membership to understand, confront
Beaverton Marsh Trail open house March 4
Stop by for an in-person update on the grant-funded project to develop a boardwalk across the marsh ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Join Conservation Land Bank staff and commissioners at the Mullis Community
Land Bank Commission to meet Friday
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY LAND BANK ||| The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank Commission will hold its monthly meeting Friday, February 20. The meeting is scheduled from 8:45am – 11:10am via Zoom. The
New calf reported in L Pod | Welcome L129
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| We’re happy to report that Center for Whale Research biologists documented a brand new calf with L pod on February 16, 2026 near Race Rocks, in the Strait
News Brief | High severity blazes influence bee species
||| FROM THE WILDLIFE NEWS ||| To the degree that wildfires are seen as somehow non-destructive, it is usually couched in phrases like the fire was low intensity and most trees “survived” the blaze, as
Orcas Island Garden Club newsletter
||| FROM ROBIN SULLIVAN for ORCAS GARDEN CLUB ||| From my rainy-day window, the garden looks calm and peacefully at rest. As daylight slowly lengthens and rain settles into the soil, this quieter season invites
Letter to Editor | Solar power just doesn’t work here; doesn’t make sense
||| FROM RIKKI SWIN ||| Solar power works well in many places — but NOT HERE The San Juan Islands have some of the lowest solar potential in the continental U.S. due to latitude, persistent clouds, fog, and
News Brief | Marine authorities consider stunning wild orcas to stop yacht attacks
||| FROM SECOM.ES ||| Since 2020, over 500 sailing vessels have reported aggressive encounters with orcas along the Iberian Peninsula. These aren’t random collisions or playful interactions. The attacks show disturbing patterns of coordination and
CWR enjoys afternoon with the T69s
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| Full Encounter Report ObservBegin: 04:15 PM ObservEnd: 04:55 PM Vessel: Mike 1 Staff: Mark Malleson, Joe Zelwietro Pods: Bigg's killer whales IDsEncountered: T069, T069C, T069E, T069F LocationDescr: Sooke
Larsen condemns Trump administration demolishing key climate regulations
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF. U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement: “Protecting Washington state's environment is a top priority of mine. The Trump administration’s
The Exchange Update | February 2026
||| FROM ORCAS RECYCLING (THE EXCHANGE) Change to Lightbulb Recycling Program Because of recent changes to a state-funded program, as of March 1, 2026 we will begin charging the public to recycle light bulbs. Tubes
Now Available for Comment | First draft of Critical Areas Ordinance regulations update
The County's goal is to adopt an updated CAO by May of 2026 ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County is updating its critical areas protections, also referred to as the Critical
