Elise Cope

In a remarkable effort to return a beach to its natural state, a comprehensive restoration project was successfully completed in November of 2023 on Shaw Island. Situated on the western edge of Broken Point, this revitalized beach is re-joining a vast network of healthy shorelines that support forage fish, salmon, and, ultimately, the Southern Resident ... read more

Enjoy complimentary refreshments and delight in the good company of fellow stewards of the islands with our staff and board. Meet our new Executive Director, Eva Schulte, and learn about ongoing research, education, restoration, and advocacy efforts to protect the San Juan Islands and the Salish Sea. Try swimming with salmon and eelgrass without getting wet with ... read more

Sign up for our action alerts! Be sure to select "Regional Action Alerts" from the list of emails you want to receive! Email us at [email protected] and let us know you are especially interested in taking action against Roberts Bank Terminal 2, and we'll make sure to update you as opportunities arise. For Immediate Release ... read more

Lynn Bahrych Strategic AdvisorFormer Board Presidentshe/her/hers

The following message is shared by Jay Julius, W’tot lhem. Jay is the former Chairman of the Lummi Nation, a full-time fisherman and father, and the Founder and President of Se’Si’Le.   The organization Se’Si’Le offers workshops, symposiums, forums, and direct-action campaigns that “bring people and organizations into a deeper and truer understanding of Indigenous ... read more

San Olson

Erin Licata, Fidalgo Island — Erin is a tribal community member of the Samish Indian Nation and serves as the Madrona Institute’s Co-Director of the Coast Salish Youth Stewardship Corps. Erin also brings a background in science research to the board. Jan Knudson, Blaine — Jan decided she wanted to join the Friends board after touring ... read more

We soaked up some fall sunshine during a follow-up visit to our restoration site on Brown Island near Friday Harbor. Huge thanks to participating private landowners, the Islands Conservation Corps (ICC) and Northwest Straits Foundation for their support of this work! Friends and the ICC removed unnatural rock that had surfaced since our initial 2015 armor removal and beach ... read more

It’s Native American Heritage Month, and here at Friends, we’re reflecting amongst ourselves and with our partners, exploring what it means to be good allies to Tribal Nations. Our work takes place on the homelands of the Lummi, Saanich, Klallam and Samish who have a deep history rooted here in their traditional fishing grounds—though many ... read more

The shorelines of the San Juan Islands are dynamic places where land and sea meet in a collision of geology, water, and natural forces. When left unchanged by humans, shorelines and the wide range of life they support are amazingly resilient. But what happens when we modify our shorelines to accommodate our desires to build ... read more