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
Deaths, fines, and legal drama | End of Florida theme parks with captive animals may be nigh
|||FROM DISNEY DINING ||| In a state known for its theme parks, a very different kind of attraction is now making headlines—and not for the right reasons. The glitz of roller coasters and character parades
What we’ll lose if bird banding ends
Scientists have tagged birds for more than 100 years. That preservation program might be defunded. ||| FROM THE WASHINGTON POST ||| I did not know much about bird banding until I signed up to take
Friends welcomes new legal director, Magali Cota
||| FROM ELISE COPE for FRIENDS OF THE SAN JUANS ||| Friends of the San Juans is excited to welcome and introduce Magali Cota as our new Legal Director and Staff Attorney. Magali is an
New subspecies of killer whales in the Pacific Northwest
||| FROM NOAA ||| In summer 2024, the Taxonomy Committee of the Society of Marine Mammalogy—charged with creating a standard classification and naming of marine mammals—reviewed the recently published research. The committee narrowly fell short of the 2/3
Orcas Island Garden Club | Garlic scape salt anyone?
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| I got a call from Helen Huber the other day. "Did you know it is garlic scape season?" Unaware and curious, I urged her to share more. The
Cultivate your passion with WSU Extension Master Gardener Program
||| FROM CAITIE BLETHEN for WSU EXTENSION SAN JUAN COUNTY ||| Do you have a passion for plants and insects, a thirst for knowledge, and a commitment to serving your community? If so, becoming a San
Orcas Library Presentation | Snake studies and sharp-tails on San Juan Islands
||| FROM JENNY DeGROOT for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| Please join the Orcas Island Public Library on Saturday, June 28 at 1 pm for Snake Studies and Sharp-tails on the San Juan Islands, a presentation
Trump’s federal land sell-off proposal includes 5M acres in Washington
||| FROM KING-TV SEATTLE ||| A sweeping federal budget bill making its way through Congress is sparking outrage among some in Washington state. The proposal, part of what former President Donald Trump is calling his
Orcas Island Garden Tour 2025 is just around the corner
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| Gardeners are natural teachers and learners who love to share what they know about growing plants. This year’s garden tour theme highlights Orcas properties that offer Beauty, Bounty
Killer whales ‘massage’ each other using kelp
||| FROM THE BBC ||| Orcas in the North Pacific have been seen "massaging" each other - rubbing pieces of kelp between their bodies. Using drones, researchers filmed the animals selecting and biting off the
Empty The Tanks! | Heartbreaking news as young orca Kamea dies at SeaWorld San Antonio
||| FROM WORLD ANIMAL NEWS ||| We are deeply saddened to report that Kamea, an 11-year-old orca at SeaWorld San Antonio, has died. As the youngest orca in SeaWorld’s care, Kamea’s life was marked not
Earth’s Secret Hydrogen Jackpot | Enough clean power for 170,000 years
||| FROM SCI-TECH DAILY ||| Scientists from the University of Oxford, Durham University, and the University of Toronto have identified the key geological ingredients needed to find natural clean hydrogen beneath the Earth’s surface. This
Crescent Beach Preserve forest work on Orcas Island to begin in July
||| FROM PETER GUILLOZET for SAN JUAN COUNTY CONSERVATION LAND BANK ||| The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank is advancing plans for a forest thinning and fuels reduction project on Crescent Beach Preserve. The effort
Whale Museum announces new junior marine scientist camp for kids
||| FROM CONOR AGNEW for THE WHALE MUSEUM ||| The Whale Museum is launching a new Junior Marine Scientist Camp for kids! This multi-day camp will take place on August 7, 8, 9 and 10, and
Land Bank June 2025 meeting & agenda
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY CONSERVATION LAND BANK COMMISSION ||| The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank Commission will hold a regular monthly meeting on June 20 , 2025 from 8:45am – 11:10am via Zoom.
