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
Community meeting on Shaw to discuss future of public works road maintenance
There will be an opportunity for questions, answers, and a discussion. All are welcome to join online ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| To kick off the new year, San Juan County officials will
Center for Whale Research logs first encounter of the new year
Encounter #1 • Bigg's Killer Whales ||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| Full Encounter Report ObservBegin: 10:43 AM ObservEnd: 01:31 PM Vessel: Mike 1 Staff: Mark Malleson Other Observers: George Hamilton Pods: Bigg's killer
Beached bird training sessions coming up
||| FROM COASTAL OBSERVATION AND SEABIRD SURVEY TEAM (COASST) |||
San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild announces $32,000 available for FARM fund grants
||| FROM JULIE BOTTJEN for SAN JUAN ISLANDS AGRICULTURAL GUILD ||| The San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild Announces $32,000 Available for FARM Fund Grants. The application opens January 4, 2026! The San Juan Islands Agricultural
County now accepting Salmon Recovery project proposals
A one-page letter of intent is due February 13, 2026. Private residents, non-profit organizations, local, state, and tribal governments, and special districts are invited to apply. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan
Early bird registration now open for 2026 San Juans Agricultural Summit
||| FROM REBECCA MOORE for SAN JUAN COUNTY EXTENSION ||| Early Bird Registration is now open for the 14th Annual San Juan Islands Agricultural Summit, taking place on Friday, February 27 and Saturday, February 28,
Planning for success in your home vegetable garden
||| FROM PERRI GIBBONS for ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| Please join the Orcas Island Garden Club on Wednesday, January 21st, 2026, as we welcome Professor, Carol Miles. We are excited and grateful to have
OPAL purchases Crosswind Apartments
Another eight rentals affordable for households of moderate and middle incomes ||| FROM QASIM ALI DINO for OPAL COMMUNITY LAND TRUST ||| Eight more apartments on Orcas Island will become permanently affordable rentals with OPAL
Keeping what holds us | An Island Stewards reflection from the week of Solstice
||| FROM ISLAND STEWARDS ||| The week of the solstice arrives without settling. Weather moves back and forth. Forecast models disagree. Neighborhoods and infrastructure on the mainland are already damaged by flooding, while the possibility
Announcement of 2026 Orcas Island Garden Club grant opportunity
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| The Orcas Island Garden Club annually funds projects within the community that represent the core values of the club including inspiring beauty in nature, educating our community and
New impact report on Salish Sea & the San Juan Islands
||| FROM AYN GAILEY for FRIENDS OF THE SAN JUANS ||| “It’s so important to celebrate natural beauty and to rise to the occasion to protect it,” says National Geographic photographer and Friends member Robert Dash. His
Gusts up to 55mph until 11pm tonight
||| FROM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ||| URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Seattle WA 351 PM PST Thu Dec 18 2025 San Juan County-Lowlands of Western Whatcom County-Lowlands of Western Skagit and Northwestern Snohomish
Checking in with J Pod and J45
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| Full Encounter Report ObservBegin: 10:44 AM ObservEnd: 02:16 PM Vessel: Mike 1 Staff: Mark Malleson Other Observers: George Hamilton Pods: J IDsEncountered: J16, J19, J22, J26, J27, J31,
County Float at MacKaye Harbor on Lopez Island closed due to storm damage
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Due to recent storm damage, the float at MacKaye Harbor Marine Facility on Lopez Island is closed until further notice. The County’s Public Works Department has been monitoring
Could Mount Baker be tapped for geothermal energy? Salish Current reports
State officials and clean energy developers investigate the potential of tapping into the nearby volcano. ||| FROM THE SALISH CURRENT ||| Seen from afar, Mount Baker appears to be a sleeping giant, a glacier-armored peak
