Island News
Local headlines from around the San Juans
There’s always something happening at the Exchange
Let’s Shred! The Exchange has partnered with Bellingham-based A-1 Shredding to offer secure document destruction. Customers can drop off documents in secure, locked bins located at The Exchange. A-1 Shredding will periodically bring its mobile shredding truck to Orcas Island to destroy the collected materials. The shredded paper will be transported to the mainland to be turned into new paper products. Learn More The GICU is About More Than Garbage This y
Community comes together for fall ‘Great Islands Cleanup’
Islanders carry on the legacy of caring by clearing over 2,000 pounds of waste from our beaches Across the San Juan Islands this fall, community members came together to clean beaches, shorelines, roadsides, and favorite island places as part of the bi-annual Great Islands Cleanup. The fall cleanup brought volunteers together around a simple idea: caring for these islands is a legacy worth continuing. This year’s theme of ‘Caring for Our Island Home’ [
Great Islands Cleanup: 152 volunteers gathered up 2,382 pounds of trash
Across the San Juan Islands this fall, community members came together to clean beaches, shorelines, roadsides, and favorite island places as part of the bi-annual Great Islands Cleanup. The fall cleanup brought volunteers together around a simple idea: caring for these islands is a legacy worth continuing. This year’s theme of ‘Caring for Our Island […]
SeaDoc Society’s Salish Sea Wild: Young Beachcomber Finds Giant Mystery Predator Egg
A mythical object long tied to mermaids turns out to be real. Its discovery on a local beach is the once-in-a-lifetime find for a young girl and leads SeaDoc scientists on a race for answers. Will Dr. Michelle Lino make it off the mountain in time? Will Dr. Joe Gaydos starve before he gets there? […]
Sharon Abreu: Endorses Katherine Bryant Ingman for County Council
Support for Katherine Bryant Ingman for County Council Although I acknowledge that we here in San Juan County are fortunate to have two strong candidates running for County Council District 3, I have decided to endorse Katherine Bryant Ingman for the position. I appreciate Katherine’s energy, and I see her as an independent thinker, which […]
Native pollinator presentation by Russel Barsh coming to Orcas Library
More than 200 wild bees and flies are native to the San Juan Islands, but many are threatened by pesticides, loss of nesting habitat, competition with introduced non-native bee species, and the spread of parasitic flies, mites, and viruses. Learn to identify, protect, and provide appropriate habitat for the most important native pollinators of island gardens and wildlands, including bumblebees, wild solitary bees, and hover flies, from Kwiah
Grieving whale carries dead newborn
Another Southern Resident mother has been spotted carrying her deceased orca calf. Mark Malleson of The Center for Whale Research reported an encounter with J31 on Oct. 3, swimming near Sombrio Point in the Straight of San Juan de Fuca, with a baby on her nose.
Register now for Annual Garden Workshop Series
Garden enthusiasts throughout the region are encouraged to register now for the 2026 Garden Workshop Series presented by the San Juan County WSU Extension Master Gardeners and San Juan County Master Gardener Foundation. Registration closes Thursday, October 15. Held over two weeks in October, this popular annual series will be offered as live Zoom webinars, allowing participants to enjoy presentations from the comfort of home. The ser
Community Meeting | Agate Beach county park updates & road relocation on Lopez Island
Join the conversation on Tuesday, October 20 at Agate Beach County Park MacKaye Harbor Rd and the Agate Beach County Park on Lopez Island are scheduled for infrastructure updates in 2027. Reconstruction of MacKaye Harbor Road and the Agate Beach County Park parking area will help protect access to public, private, and tribal lands, while navigating the impacts of coastal erosion. Nearby property owners and Lopez Islanders are invited to a community mee
Interactive food system plan now live on San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild website
The Food System Team of San Juan County, in partnership with the San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild and local data scientist, Adam Martin, is excited to announce the launch of an interactive online version of the Food System Plan for San Juan County. For residents and food system workers, this new tool will make it easier to explore and navigate the shared goals of the plan, and […]
Letter to Editor | Environmental stewardship is essential to our islands
I have been a homeowner on San Juan Island since 1985 and have chosen to reside here because of its incredible natural environment. I am an environmental scientist by profession and therefore am painfully aware of the environmental challenges we face locally and globally. While most of my professional work addresses problems nationally and internationally, I volunteer my time to serve on San Juan County’s Climate a
J31 is carrying her dead calf
Center for Whale Research posted October 7, 2026 on Facebook: Our team is saddened to report that Southern Resident killer whale J31 has been observed with a deceased newborn calf. CWR researcher Mark Malleson encountered J31 and her immediate family on October 3rd near Sombrio Point in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It’s unclear […]
Burn Permits Now Local on Orcas Island
Orcas Island, WA – Orcas Island Fire and Rescue (OIFR) will begin issuing burn permits for Orcas Island. Permits will be available starting October 12, 2026, if weather and conditions allow. The process is online. Apply and pay at orcasfire.org. The site also has burn safety rules and requirements. You may also come to Station 21 at […]
Interactive Food System Plan is live on San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild website
Submitted by: Caitlin Leck, on behalf of the Food System Team of San Juan County: The Food System Team of San Juan County, in partnership with the San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild and local data scientist, Adam Martin, is excited to announce the launch of an interactive online version of the Food System Plan for […]
October 20: Community Meeting: Agate Beach County Park Updates & Road Relocation on Lopez Island
MacKaye Harbor Rd and the Agate Beach County Park on Lopez Island are scheduled for infrastructure updates in 2027. Reconstruction of MacKaye Harbor Road and the Agate Beach County Park parking area will help protect access to public, private, and tribal lands, while navigating the impacts of coastal erosion. Nearby property owners and Lopez Islanders […]
Washington residents urged to oppose Pacific Link pipeline and supertankers in Salish Sea
Petition calls on Governor Ferguson and state agencies to fight the Canadian pipeline and supertanker project and secure enforceable, fully funded protections for Washington state A new petition being circulated by Friends of the San Juans is calling on Washington state to oppose Canada’s proposed Pacific Link pipeline (formerly called the West Coast Oil Pipeline) and the supertanker traffic it would bring to the Salish Sea. The pipeline woul
Library event | A better world is possible
What does it take to imagine a better future—and what can the next generation teach us about making it happen? Join award-winning journalist Meera Subramanian and beloved poet and author Maleea Acker for an inspiring conversation about our changing planet, the power of young voices, and the places we call home. Meera’s new graphic nonfiction book, A Better World Is Possible: Global Youth Confront the Climate Crisis, illustrated by Danica Novgorodo
Larsen | New B.C. oil pipeline is ‘not ready for prime time’
Last Friday, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) commented on the news that Canada is fast-tracking a new oil pipeline project that would increase oil tanker traffic in Larsen’s district: “This project is not ready for prime time, and speeding up the review process will only make that worse,” said Rep. Larsen in the Washington State Standard. “Canada’s plan to fast track this new oil pipeline project puts sensitive marine habitats […]
Guest Opinion | Covenant-smuvadent – the deforestation of Decatur Island
It’s a funny thing about islands. They tend to stay put. The trees stay put, too—quiet, hardworking citizens who ask for nothing except a little rain and the chance to stand upright for a century or two. On Decatur Island, where I grew up and now live, those trees have been doing their job faithfully, keeping the hillside from wandering off, shading the deer, and sheltering the owls. Did I mention they’re holding the soil […]
Washington residents urged to oppose Pacific Link Pipeline and supertankers in the Salish Sea
Petition calls on Governor Ferguson and state agencies to fight the Canadian pipeline and supertanker project and secure enforceable, fully funded protections for Washington state. Friday Harbor, WA—October 7, 2026—A new petition being circulated by Friends of the San Juans is calling on Washington state to oppose Canada’s proposed Pacific Link pipeline (formerly called the […]
Larsen: New B.C. Oil Pipeline is “Not Ready for Prime Time”
SAN JUAN COUNTY, WA – Last Friday, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) commented on the news that Canada is fast-tracking a new oil pipeline project that would increase oil tanker traffic in Larsen’s district: “This project is not ready for prime time, and speeding up the review process will only make that worse,” said Rep. Larsen in […]
Larsen | I will not let them stick you with the bill for data centers
Data centers are expanding across the country, including here in the Pacific Northwest. This growth carries real consequences for our communities. Data centers require enormous amounts of electricity and water to operate. Without strong guardrails, the costs of building and running these facilities can be passed on to ordinary ratepayers through higher electricity bills and increased strain on local water systems. At the same time, the public infr
CWR provides update on J31 with deceased calf
Our team is saddened to report that Southern Resident killer whale J31 has been observed with a deceased newborn calf. CWR researcher Mark Malleson encountered J31 and her immediate family on October 3rd near Sombrio Point in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It’s unclear whether the newborn was a male or female, if it had been carried to full term prior to birth, and if it died after birth or […]
San Juan Island School District: Cost of full-size electric bus too high
LWVSJ Observer Corps*: San Juan Island School Board September 30, 2026. Public Comment: Parent Eliza Habegger is concerned about the use of AI in the classroom. She made three recommendations: 1. Remove Google Gemini in all Chrome books. 2. Consider Los Angeles Unified School District AI use policy. 3. Gather community input on using AI […]