Elise Cope

We have a number of opportunities and events that you can get involved with this summer! Contact Elise Cope, Communications and Outreach Director, for more information: [email protected] Event Volunteers, August 6thShaw Island, 12 pm to 4 pm Help us greet, shuttle, and assist guests at our Meet + Mingle event on Shaw Island — a ... read more

According to the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau, about one million people visit our archipelago each year to immerse themselves in our Pacific Northwest wonderland. That’s a huge impact on people and nature alike. Whether you are a resident looking for tools to share with your guests or are planning a visit yourself, there are ... read more

What does Pride month have to do with environmental justice? Here at Friends, we are taking time during Pride month to examine our internal culture and how LGBTQ+ liberation intersects with environmentalism. If you would like to learn along with us, here are some resources: Recommended Readings: Pride Month, LGBTQ+ And The Environmental Movement Why ... read more

Ron’s expertise is vast, including work on climate resiliency, advocacy, cross-cultural environmental projects, and agricultural issues. He’s incredibly thoughtful and smart, and I look forward to learning from him. — R. Brent Lyles, Executive Director, Friends of the San Juans Ron Zee, President & CEO of The Madrona Institute, has worked in the public and ... read more

On April 28th, Tina Whitman, Science Director at Friends of the San Juans, was awarded the prestigious Salish Sea Science Prize, given biennially by the SeaDoc Society to prominent scientists whose work significantly contributes to the conservation of marine wildlife and the health of Salish Sea ecosystems. “The Salish Sea Science Prize is designed to ... read more

Friends is honored to sponsor a special inter-island tribal canoe journey, “Esqaplh etse Kwelengsen (Gathering of Eagles) Canoe Encampment.” All are welcome at this grassroots journey following the ancestral highways of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) people, beginning May 22 and running through May 27 in the Lhaq’temish homelands of Lopez, San Juan, Orcas and Waldron Islands. ... read more