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
Land Bank October 2026 meeting and agenda
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY CONSERVATION LAND BANK COMMISSION ||| The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank Commission will hold its monthly meeting October 16. The meeting is scheduled from 8:45am – 11:10am via Zoom. The meeting will
NEWS BRIEF | Hostile Waters: Orcas in peril
||| FROM THE SEATTLE TIMES ||| The Seattle Times will continue to explore and expose the plight of the southern resident killer whales, among the most-enduring symbols of our region. We’ll examine the role we
There’s always something happening at the Exchange
||| FROM ORCAS RECYCLING/THE EXCHANGE ||| Let’s Shred! The Exchange has partnered with Bellingham-based A-1 Shredding to offer secure document destruction. Customers can drop off documents in secure, locked bins located at The Exchange. A-1
Community comes together for fall ‘Great Islands Cleanup’
Islanders carry on the legacy of caring by clearing over 2,000 pounds of waste from our beaches ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Across the San Juan Islands this fall, community members came together
CWR encounter • Bigg’s Killer Whales
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| Full Encounter Report ObservBegin: 09:08 AM ObservEnd: 09:46 AM Vessel: Mike 1 Staff: Mark Malleson Pods: Bigg's killer whales IDsEncountered: T069E LocationDescr: Sooke Bluffs EncSummary: As Mark was departing
Native pollinator presentation by Russel Barsh coming to Orcas Library
||| FROM JENNIFER DEGROOT for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| More than 200 wild bees and flies are native to the San Juan Islands, but many are threatened by pesticides, loss of nesting habitat, competition with
Encounter #81 • Bigg’s Killer Whales T19s • September 6, 2026
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| Full Encounter Report ObservBegin: 08:24 AM ObservEnd: 08:50 AM Vessel: Mike 1 Staff: Mark Malleson Pods: Bigg's killer whales IDsEncountered: T019, T019B, T019C LocationDescr: East Sooke EncSummary: Mark and Fin left
Register now for Annual Garden Workshop Series
||| FROM CAITIE BLETHEN,for WSU EXTENSION SAN JUAN COUNTY ||| Garden enthusiasts throughout the region are encouraged to register now for the 2026 Garden Workshop Series presented by the San Juan County WSU Extension Master
CWR locates J Pod in Strait of Juan de Fuca
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| Full Encounter Report ObservBegin: 04:27 PM ObservEnd: 06:38 PM Vessel: KCB III Staff: Dave Ellifrit, Michael Weiss Other Observers: Taylor Redmond, Astrid van Ginneken, Navi Zwart Pods: J IDsEncountered:
Interactive food system plan now live on San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild website
||| FROM CAITLIN LECK for FOOD SYSTEM TEAM OF SAN JUAN COUNTY ||| The Food System Team of San Juan County, in partnership with the San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild and local data scientist, Adam
Letter to Editor | Environmental stewardship is essential to our islands
||| FROM CHARLES GREENE for SJC CLIMATE AND SUSTAINABILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE ||| I have been a homeowner on San Juan Island since 1985 and have chosen to reside here because of its incredible natural environment.
Easements keep the OPALCO co-op running
||| FROM KRISTA BOUCHEY for ORCAS POWER & LIGHT COOPERATIVE ||| OPALCO does not comment on active legal matters, but some misinformation in a recent King 5 article needs to be addressed. The pole site
Washington residents urged to oppose Pacific Link pipeline and supertankers in Salish Sea
Petition calls on Governor Ferguson and state agencies to fight the Canadian pipeline and supertanker project and secure enforceable, fully funded protections for Washington state ||| FROM LOVEL PRATT for FRIENDS OF THE SAN JUANS
Library event | A better world is possible
||| FROM SAM GAILEY for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| What does it take to imagine a better future—and what can the next generation teach us about making it happen? Join award-winning journalist Meera Subramanian and
Larsen | New B.C. oil pipeline is ‘not ready for prime time’
||| FROM THE OFFICE OR U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| Last Friday, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) commented on the news that Canada is fast-tracking a new oil pipeline project that would increase oil tanker
