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
Hands Across the Water travels to Salt Spring Island
||| FROM NATALIE ZOHAR for HANDS ACROSS THE WATER ||| Organizers from Hands Across the Water attended the December Board Meeting for the Orcas Community Resource Center. Hands Across the Water celebrated the bonds of
Larsen joins entire WA delegation in supporting governor’s request for major disaster declaration to unlock individual assistance for WA flooding victims
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) joined Washington state’s entire Congressional delegation in a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to approve Governor Bob Ferguson’s request for a
Conor Anderson announces OPALCO candidacy
||| FROM CONOR ANDERSON ||| Conor Anderson Conor Anderson (see candidate bio below) is running for OPALCO’s open District 2 Board seat, and he has scheduled time to hear Coop Members’ concerns and
Two male killer whales encountered in the fog
Encounter #4 • Bigg's Killer Whales ||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| Full Encounter Report ObservBegin: 12:20 PM ObservEnd: 01:21 PM Vessel: Mike 1 Staff: Mark Malleson Other Observers: Rachelle Hayden Pods: Bigg's killer
Support Bill HB 2395 — shared moorage
||| FROM THE ONBUOY CREW ||| An integral part of OnBuoy’s mission is to reduce anchor damage through shared moorage. We just received an update on a legislative proposal we have been spearheading, which aims
OPALCO survey results are In
||| FROM KRISTA BOUCHEY for ORCAS POWER & LIGHT COOPERATIVE ||| OPALCO has been engaging the co-op membership in the realities facing the energy world. Things are changing due to climate impacts, carbon reduction legislation,
Guest Opinion | EWUA Board to consider road maintenance contribution without policy framework
||| FROM ELISABETH BRITT ||| The Eastsound Water Users Association (EWUA) board is preparing to vote on a proposal that would commit the association to a $30,000 initial payment and $10,000 annually toward the maintenance
Letter to Editor | OPALCO General Manager makes how much per year?
||| FROM ALEX MACLEOD ||| I saw OPALCO’s notice the other day inviting candidates on San Juan and Orcas Islands to consider running for open seats on its board. To any mulling the possibility, and
The Whale Museum, Alchemy Art Center partner to launch new workshop series
||| FROM CONOR AGNEW for THE WHALE MUSEUM ||| The Whale Museum is partnering with Alchemy Art Center to launch a new artistic workshop series, “Digging into Bones!” This series brings art and science together
Guest Opinion | When a Water Board stops listening, a community loses its voice
||| FROM ELISABETH BRITT ||| Water is a public trust, and on an island it is a lifeline. That is why the recent direction of the Eastsound Water Users Association should concern every member it
Action alert for San Juan Islands, Salish Sea
||| FROM AYN GAILEY ||| This action takes less than a minute to complete and is a simple way to show support for efforts to protect Southern Resident killer whales, salmon, and human health. If
Site work to begin at Pea Patch Community Campus
Ground Turning Event on January 24th ||| FROM SUZANNE OLSON for PEA PATCH COMMUNITY ||| The Pea Patch Community Campus is coming alive! San Juan County has issued preliminary plat approval with conditions. This means
The Pebble Ritual | Inside the secret cultural world of British Columbia’s killer whales
||| FROM A-Z ANIMALS ||| Southern killer whales must complete a 1,000-mile transport requirement to maintain specific pod social structures. The A5 pod designation complicates the tracking of regionally specific vocalization patterns within British Columbia.
The Exchange Update | January 2026
||| FROM ORCAS RECYCLING (THE EXCHANGE) ||| Composting: The Drive Continues At the end of 2025 we asked for your support for our efforts to get Community Scale Composting happening at the Exchange. We are
CWR Encounter #3 • Bigg’s Killer Whales
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| Full Encounter Report ObservBegin: 03:03 PM ObservEnd: 03:25 PM Vessel: Mike 1 Staff: Mark Malleson Other Observers: George Hamilton Pods: Bigg's killer whales IDsEncountered: T030A, T030B, T030B1, T030B2,
