Here’s a thought…
“The belief in the possibility of a short decisive war appears to be one of the most ancient and dangerous of human illusions.”
ROBERT LYND
Spring GiveOrcas campaign launches today
||| FROM LINDSAY JENNINGS for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| The spirit of giving is alive and well on Orcas Island! The 2025 Spring GiveOrcas Campaign kicks off today, May 6, and runs through Thursday, May 15. At GiveOrcas.org the entire community is invited to come together to support the
State budget includes $5M for Pea Patch community campus
Site work can begin after permits are issued ||| FROM SUZANNE OLSON for PEA PATCH COMMUNITY CAMPUS ||| The Washington State Legislature adopted a capital budget on Sunday, April 27 that includes $3M of Local Community Project funds for site work at the Pea Patch Community Campus and $2M from
Sex education at The Lower?
||| FROM JULIA SOES ||| How to educate folks about sex begins with talking about sex, but how do you get a table full of friends, family, strangers, to sit down and talk about sex in a way that’s comfortable, maybe even fun? You make it a game. In a
Orcas Center summer concert series announced
||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER ||| What started out as a means to gather safely during COVID has now turned into an annual Orcas tradition. Join us this summer as Orcas Center presents 17 great bands on the Village Green – FREE to the community! The eclectic lineup
Invasive crab with furry, mitten-like claws detected in Pacific Northwest
||| FROM SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE ||| A Chinese mitten crab has been caught in the Pacific Northwest for the first time, raising concerns about the spread of the highly invasive species. According to an alert from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, a commercial fisherman caught the crustacean on April
Spring GiveOrcas Campaign launches
May 6 - 15, 2025 ||| FROM LYNN SHARPLESS WHITE for ORCAS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| The spirit of giving is alive and well on Orcas Island! The 2025 Spring GiveOrcas Campaign kicks off Tuesday, May 6, and runs through Thursday, May 15. At GiveOrcas.org the entire community is invited to
Middle school student Solomon Ross is Indian Island Youth Steward for 2025
||| FROM RUSSEL BARSH for KWIAHT ||| Orcas Middle School student Solomon Ross has been selected as this year’s Indian Island Youth Steward! Solomon is enthusiastic about marine biology, but he says that his real reason for seeking this particular position is his interest in people. With more than
Dolphin strandings are taking a toll on LA County’s lifeguards
Experts say there's no end in sight ||| FROM PHYS.ORG ||| Spencer Parker has never seen so many dolphin strandings in his more than 20 years as an L.A. County lifeguard. Since he started in 2002, only twice had he seen them come ashore before this year. But in just
The Metals Company applied to the U.S. for a deep-sea mining license
||| FROM MONGABAY ||| Mere days after the Trump administration rolled out a controversial executive order directing the U.S. government to expedite the launch of deep-sea mining, The Metals Company (TMC) announced that it had applied for a license to mine the deep seabed. If approved, the Canadian firm, which
Trump takes a major step toward seabed mining in international waters
A new executive order pits the United States against the rest of the world over the question of who can exploit mineral resources in shared waters. ||| FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES ||| President Trump has ordered the U.S. government to take a major step toward mining vast tracts of
Orcas Garden Club presents Margaret Payne, joyful gardener
||| FROM ORCAS ISLAND GARDEN CLUB ||| Please join us on Wednesday, May 21, at the Orcas Center when Orcas Island Garden Club welcomes Margaret Payne to describe helpful principles and practices to find joy in the garden and show us slides depicting deeply personal and joyful gardens in Mexico,
Underwater volcano reveals thousands of giant living eggs in breathtaking discovery that terrifies marine scientists
Beneath the ocean's surface, an astonishing discovery off the coast of Vancouver Island reveals thousands of giant, vibrant eggs nestled within an active underwater volcano, shedding light on the mysterious life cycles of deep-sea creatures and the extraordinary ecosystems that thrive in such extreme environments. ||| FROM SUSTAINABILITY TIMES |||
Plastic Free Salish Sea sets sail with San Juan Island Yacht Club, Washington State Parks
A fleet of volunteer boaters will cruise to Stuart, Sucia, and Jones Islands to remove marine debris and microplastics from state park shorelines that are otherwise difficult to access without private watercraft. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Plastic Free Salish Sea is thrilled to announce a new partnership
Learn how state and federal government is impacting the arts and humanities
||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER ||| Inspire Washington is the state-wide advocacy organization for the cultural sector, promoting the value of science, heritage, and arts programming within every city, town, and hamlet. The team at Inspire Washington will be at Orcas Center on Thursday, May 8 from 4
2025 Comp Plan Update | Second draft available for review
Public comments regarding the second draft of amendments to the Comprehensive Plan can be submitted by May 15 for review at the Planning Commission meeting on May 16. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County is in the process of updating its Comprehensive Plan (Comp Plan) as
Collapsing bird numbers in North America prompt fears of ecological crisis – research
Study using citizen data finds three-quarters of nearly 500 species in decline, with steepest trend in areas where they once thrived ||| FROM THE GUARDIAN ||| Bird populations across North America are falling most quickly in areas where they are most abundant, according to new research, prompting fears of ecological
