Loving this place is not enough.
We must protect it, too.
Our Mission
Friends’ mission is to bring people and nature together to protect the San Juan Islands and the Salish Sea through education, science, policy, and law.
Advocacy & Policy
Science, Mapping & Restoration
Community Mobilization & Legal Action
Immersive Community Education & Science
Our Vision
We envision a future where the San Juan Islands and the Salish Sea thrive as a sanctuary of biodiversity and sustainability. This future is shaped by a community deeply connected to—and actively protecting—this special place.
Reverence for Interconnectedness
Our actions are guided by a reverence for the stewardship of sovereign Tribal Nations and a shared responsibility for wildlife, plants, people, and the environment now and for generations to come. Learn more about our work with Tribal Nations of the San Juan Islands.
Double Your Impact
Every dollar you give to Friends of the San Juans by midnight on December 21st will be doubled by an anonymous donor. With state and federal funding shrinking, your gift keeps our waters, shorelines, and wildlife protected. Give today to Protect this Place — and double your impact.
Together, We Protect What Matters
Friends’ multifaceted approach to environmental protection ensures the San Juan Islands and the Salish Sea remain a sanctuary for biodiversity and sustainability for generations to come.
Hundreds
of transboundary collaborators from nonprofits, research institutions, Sovereign Nations, and regional agencies, each strengthening networks that advance the shared protection of the Salish Sea bioregion.
1 in 3
San Juan County residents engaged and invested in Friends’ work—fueling community-led advocacy and restoration across the islands.
Thousands
of people activated each year through action alerts—driving stronger local and regional protections, and shared accountability for the health of people and place.
$10 Million
in restoration funding leveraged for island communities—creating jobs, advancing science, and strengthening long-term ecological health.
Discover How We’re Protecting Nature
Join Friends for Community-Centered Action
Whether you live in the San Juan Islands, visit often, or help care for the Salish Sea from afar, your actions make a difference. Together, we can protect what makes this place extraordinary—shorelines, wildlife, and community.
We Can’t Do It Alone
What began in 1979 as a local effort to protect the San Juan Islands now strengthens the health and vitality of the entire Salish Sea bioregion, defending the waters, wildlife, and communities that connect us all.
To see the depth of our work at Friends, please play the video below.
Stay Connected
Updates on our projects, events, and ways you can help protect the Salish Sea.
