Free Community Beach Walks | Learn about our unique shorelines

||| FROM KATHERINE DIETZMAN for FRIENDS OF THE SAN JUANS |||

Get outside and explore the incredible shorelines of San Juan County! Join Friends of the San Juans, coastal geologists, and local experts for a fun and informative afternoon at the beach on Orcas or Lopez Island. You’ll learn how to spot key habitat features, understand shoreline processes, and gain tools to help protect these vital ecosystems. Perfect for families, nature lovers, and curious minds—binoculars encouraged!

Shaped by tides, currents, and a dynamic geological history, the coastal landscapes of the San Juans are part of a vibrant, interwoven marine ecosystem where salmon and orca glide through kelp forests, seabirds nest in safe haven, and people live in relationship with the sea. During these free community beach walks, you’ll discover what makes up the more than 400 miles of shoreline in San Juan County, from geology, vegetation, and marine habitat to the creatures that call these places home.

Join Friends’ shoreline experts, regional coastal geologists, and San Juan County staff for an afternoon of exploration. We’ll visit the completed Mackaye Harbor habitat restoration project on Lopez Island and the upcoming Eastsound Waterfront Park Beach restoration on Orcas Island, and share practical tips on how you can help protect shorelines for future generations.

Bring a friend, a loved one, your children, or even a date! Everyone is welcome. Visit sanjuans.org/events to sign up.

Beach Walk Dates:

• Friday, July 11 – Eastsound Waterfront Park, Orcas Island | 4 to 6 p.m. PT
• Friday, July 25 – Mackaye Harbor Boat Launch, Lopez Island | 4 to 6 p.m. PT

Can’t make it? Here are some more ways to get engaged:

• Take Action: Be the first to hear about shoreline policy updates, restoration opportunities, and ways to get involved in protecting the San Juan Islands. Sign up for Action Alerts 
• For Shoreline Homeowners: Resilient coastal communities start with empowered shoreline residents. Through our Shore Friendly program, Friends of the San Juans offers free site visits and technical assistance to waterfront property owners in San Juan
  County. Learn how to protect your property while supporting habitat for forage fish, salmon, and other marine life.
• Support Restoration Efforts: Get inspired by the shoreline restoration projects we’ve completed—and see what’s next. From reconnecting coastal wetlands to replanting native vegetation, Friends’ science-driven restoration work helps bring marine
  ecosystems back to life. Explore our restoration work.
• Practice Green Boating: Your actions on the water matter. Learn how small changes—like reducing speed near shorelines, managing waste responsibly, anchoring out of eelgrass, and avoiding fuel spills—can help protect eelgrass beds and reduce underwater noise pollution. Be a green boater.

This beach walk offering is funded wholly or in part by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Estuary & Salmon Restoration Program. A coastal scientist guides beach walk participants through an exploration of shoreline ecosystems.

This beach walk offering is funded wholly or in part by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Estuary & Salmon Restoration Program.