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
News Brief | What goes into whale watching and what could put it at risk
||| FROM KOMO NEWS ||| Every time a tour boat, ferry or any of the other Pacific Whale Watch Association (PWWA) members see a whale, they log it. Boats will put up a special flag,
CWR | First encounter of the 2026 outer coast research trip
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| Full Encounter Report ObservBegin: 10:38 AM ObservEnd: 01:01 PM Vessel: KCB III Staff: Dave Ellifrit, Michael Weiss Other Observers: Taylor Redmond Pods: J IDsEncountered: J16, J22, J26, J27,
August 6 is Pollinator Day at Orcas Island Library
||| FROM SAM GAILEY for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| The Orcas Island Library will host Pollinator Day on Thursday, August 6, featuring Russel Barsh and biologists from Kwiáht. The free, all-ages program will include outdoor pollinator observations on
Larsen demands answers on oil spill preparedness
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02), top Democrat on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, sent a letter to Admiral Kevin E. Lunday, Commandant
Construction on the Pea Patch Community Campus has begun
Summer update on site work and fundraising success ||| FROM SUZANNE OLSON for PEA PATCH COMMUNITY ||| Summer is in full swing and so is the site work to prepare the Pea Patch Community Campus
San Juan Island coffee shop ditches plastic cups
Third House Coffee owner Caleb Aldstadt made the switch on his own - and says it's saving him money ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| As communities around the world mark Plastic Free July,
News Brief | Who speaks for the trees? A tiny Quebec town
||| FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES ||| The Universal Declaration on the Rights of Trees was drafted in France in 2018 and 2019 by lawyers, ecologists and lawmakers. It mandates that humanity “act with the
Larsen insists Coast Guard act to protect Salish Sea
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02), top Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, released the following statement: “People I represent need answers on how the
CWR encounters multiple families of Bigg’s
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| Full Encounter Report ObservBegin: 01:20 PM ObservEnd: 04:45 PM Vessel: KCB III Staff: Dave Ellifrit, Michael Weiss Other Observers: Rachel John, Lily, Aspen Pods: Bigg's killer whales IDsEncountered:
News Brief | Pacific gray whales facing ‘catastrophic’ die-off as climate crisis hits food supply
||| FROM THE GUARDIAN ||| The whales are in “very, very serious trouble; the stranding numbers last year and this year are enormous compared to their annual average.” The estimates are most dire for 2025
Have a garden question? Ask an Orcas Master Gardener
Wednesday July 22nd at the Market Garden Nursery ||| FROM JULIA TURNEY and JAY LUCAS for ORCAS MASTER GARDENERS ||| Do you have a question about your soil, have a problem with your fruit tree,
Stranded orca freed following coordinated response in Strait of Juan de Fuca
||| FROM KGW.COM ||| FRIDAY HARBOR, Wash. A young killer whale that stranded on a beach in the Strait of Juan de Fuca freed itself Thursday after a coordinated response from Washington leaders. A team
Larsen’s water resources bill clears committee hurdle
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02)’s Water Resources Development Act of 2026 (WRDA 2026) passed out of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
Exchange Update | Styrofoam, swap meet, beach cleanup, more
||| FROM ORCAS RECYCLING SERVICE ||| Styrofoam Recycling Update In last month’s newsletter, we shared our mission to keep Styrofoam out of the landfill by using a Styrofoam densifier. This month, a team from The
News Brief | Gray whale deaths near record levels in WA
||| FROM KREM 2 NEWS via YOUTUBE |||
