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
Time to Batten Down the Hatches | Preparing your vessel for fall and winter
Have you prepared your boat for fall? ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| “We all want hold onto the last boating days of summer, but in doing so we get caught off guard when
Orcas Center commissions microgrid, securing community resilience
||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS for ORCAS CENTER ||| Orcas Center has completed commissioning of a landmark solar and battery storage microgrid, establishing the island’s performing arts and community hub as a long-term resilience center
No Place Like Loam | Growing figs in the Pacific Northwest
||| NO PLACE LIKE LOAM by ALEX TAMAYO WOLF ||| Why Figs Work Here Figs (Ficus carica) are among the most drought-tolerant fruit crops. In their native Mediterranean range they’re often dry-farmed—and while most cultivars
Center for Whale Research update on J42 and J64
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| On September 23, CWR researchers were finally able catch up with J pod in Georgia Strait for a photo-ID encounter. During that encounter, we were thrilled to get
Whale Museum announces new Salish Sea Explorer Kit Program
||| FROM CONOR AGNEW for THE WHALE MUSEUM ||| The Whale Museum and The Salish Sea School are partnering to launch new, exciting take-home kits for educators, parents, and community organizers! These new Salish Sea
Grand re-opening of two Orcas Island preserves
Thank you for your patience during our temporary closures! ||| FROM CONSERVATION LAND BANK ||| The Conservation Land Bank is glad to announce the re-opening of Crescent Beach and Turtleback Mountain preserves this week, and
Latest from Lekanoff | Strengthening schools, infrastructure, indigenous voices
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. DEBRA LEKANOFF ||| As we welcome the turning of the seasons, I’m reminded how resilience lives in the everyday work of our communities. From harvest fields to salmon streams,
Southern residents return to the Salish Sea
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| Full Encounter Report ObservBegin: 09:40 AM ObservEnd: 03:14 PM Vessel: KCB III Staff: Dave Ellifrit, Michael Weiss, Darren Croft Other Observers: Taylor Redmond, Rachel John Pods: L Pod
Keynote speaker Thor Hansen leads 2025 Annual Garden Workshop Series
||| PRESENTED BY SAN JUAN COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS ||| Celebrated local author Thor Hanson invites us to step outside into our ordinary and often overlooked back yards to discover extraordinary hidden wonders, contribute to science
No Place Like Loam | Growing olives in the Pacific Northwest
History, Survival, Struggle, and the Long Bet ||| NO PLACE LIKE LOAM by ALEX TAMAYO-WOLF ||| What it means to wager on olives in the cold edge of the Pacific. On the Greek island of
Free noxious weed disposal program ends Sept. 30
||| FROM ORCAS RECYCLING / THE EXCHANGE ||| La Eliminación Gratuita de Malezas Nocivas Termina el 30 de septiembre El condado de San Juan anunció recientemente que elúltimo día del Programa de Eliminación de Malezas
Have a garden question? Ask an Orcas Master Gardener
Now at the Market Garden Nursery ||| FROM JULIA TURNEY for ORCAS MASTER GARDENERS ||| Do you have a question about your soil, have a problem with your fruit tree, or are thinking about starting
News Brief | Scientists reveal why orca have been attacking boats, and they are not targeting humans
||| FROM INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES ||| "Researchers monitoring Iberian pods say younger whales appear to mimic older individuals, turning rudders into interactive objects/ " ORIGINALLY FROM INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES "Some scientists have suggested that food availability,
News Brief | ‘Lights Out’ they say, as 12.3M birds to migrate over Washington state
||| FROM KING TV NEWS||| "During the spring and fall months, billions of birds migrate across the United States, mainly at night. In Washington state, the fall migration season typically peaks around late September to
Madrona Institute releases COMPASS final report
500+ hours of islander participation to generate 960 ideas to shape San Juan County’s future ||| FROM CHOM GRAECEN and FAITH VAN DE PUTTE for MADRONA INSTITUTE September 18, 2025 — The Madrona Institute has
