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
Dire warning for two orcas ‘left for dead’ in abandoned marine park
||| FROM LADBIBLE ||| At the now-defunct Marineland of Antibes mother and son orca remain trapped The tourist attraction closed its doors in January this year. Wikie, 23, and her 11-year-old son Keijo remain confined
Checking in with J Pod | Where is J64?
||| FROM THE CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| Full Encounter Report ObservBegin: 12:22 PM ObservEnd: 12:40 PM Vessel: KCB III Staff: Dave Ellifrit Other Observers: Rachel John Pods: J IDsEncountered: J16, J19, J22, J26, J27,
Wind advisory in effect until 10PM
||| FROM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ||| URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Seattle WA 934 AM PDT Fri Oct 31 2025 San Juan County-Lowlands of Western Whatcom County-Port Townsend Area-Island County- Including Friday Harbor,
Join the Land Bank Commission, guide conservation in the islands
Looking to Get Involved? ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The Land Bank is looking for two engaged community members to fill at-large positions on the Land Bank Commission. The Commission holds regular, monthly
Join new DCD director and councilmember Paulsen at Orcas land-use meeting
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Throughout the fall, County staff and officials, including the County’s new Director of Community Development, have attended land-use committee meetings. The Lopez meeting occurred on October 28, and
How do YOU want to plan for sea level rise in San Juan County?
Join Community Workshops this Dec. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| What happens to roads, homes, and the shoreline when the sea rises? San Juan County is kicking off the second round of community
New calf in the Bigg’s population
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| Full Encounter Report ObservBegin: 12:40 PM ObservEnd: 01:40 AM Vessel: KCB III Staff: Dave Ellifrit, Michael Weiss Other Observers: Rachel John Pods: Bigg's killer whales IDsEncountered: T36A, T36A1,
Watch ‘The Snake and the Whale’ free through Sunday – and take action
A Must Watch ||| FROM FRIDAY HARBOR FILM FESTIVAL ||| We’re pleased to share a special opportunity from Executive Producer Scott Levy, who has requested that The Snake and the Whale be made available free to view online now
Stockpiling Hope | From scarcity to solidarity – Updated
||| FROM ELISABETH GODBOIS for SAN JUAN PREPARE ||| Join San Juan Islands PREPARE and special guests for a community conversation about transforming our approach to disaster preparedness—from guarding limited supplies to creating abundance through
Successful prescribed burn completed at Odlin County Park
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County Parks and Fair completed a successful prescribed burn at Odlin County Park on October 23, 2025, providing training opportunities for WA State Department of Natural
Fire-smart landscaping for Western Washington with Marlene Finley
LEARN FROM HOME GARDENER AND FOREST EXPERT! Wednesday, November 12th, 10 am (at the Orcas Center or by Zoom) ||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| The Orcas Island Garden Club presents Fire-Smart Landscaping for Western
2025 vacation rental (VR) certification cycle Is now open
||| FROMM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| If you operate a vacation rental, it’s time to certify your compliance with County code to maintain your permit through the end of 2026. The 2025 vacation rental
Island Stewards | As the veil thins, before the snow flies
||| If our previous dispatch was about noticing what’s straining, this one’s about celebrating what’s sustaining! The tides keep shifting, the plans keep unfolding, yet the spirit of these islands endures—resilient, adapting, and alive. Fall
Commercial burn permits open Oct. 27 in San Juan County
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Effective today, October 27, 2025, Commercial Burn Permits are open in San Juan County. Commercial burns include yard debris and vegetation in piles greater than 10 feet in
No Place Like Loam | Less sugar, more soul: Making maple syrup at home in the Pacific Northwest
How to tap a bigleaf maple, boil down rain into sugar, and taste what the Northwest keeps to itself. ||| NO PLACE LIKE LOAM by ALEX TAMAYA-WOLF ||| My daughter was getting bored with our
