Friends of the San Juans

We were thrilled to host a successful Green Boating event at the historic Kirkland Cannery on January 23rd! It was an honor to have former Governor Jay Inslee and his wife Trudi join us for an inspiring afternoon focused on protecting our underwater ecosystems. We are grateful to our host, Carl Bradley and friends, plus ... read more

Southern Resident killer whales are teetering on the brink of extinction. As of July 1, 2024, the Southern Resident killer whale population was recorded at 73 individuals. These iconic whales depend on the waters of the Salish Sea to forage, rest, and raise their young. However, vessel noise and close approaches disrupt these vital activities, ... read more

Commercial finfish net pens banned from Washington State aquatic lands This January marked a monumental victory for Southern Resident killer whales and wild salmon: the Washington State Board of Natural Resources voted to permanently ban commercial finfish net-pen aquaculture on state-owned aquatic lands! Hear directly from our Science Director, Tina Whitman, as she shares the ... read more

Tom Reynolds Board of Directorshe/him/his Tom and his wife Mariluz have resided full-time on Brown Island since 2011, and participated with Friends of the San Juans and adjacent neighbors on a beach restoration project in 2015, removing armoring and planting native beach grasses to encourage spawning of feeder fish on their collector beach. The project ... read more

As we reflect on this year, I feel a deep sense of gratitude for what we’ve accomplished together. 2024 marked a defining chapter in the story of Friends of the San Juans—a time shaped by intentional reflection, bold action, and powerful community engagement. With your support, we celebrate 45 years as the leading advocacy organization ... read more

On December 2nd, twelve members of the Mullis Community Senior Center donned virtual reality headsets and embarked on an incredible underwater journey through the Salish Sea. They swam among swaying bull kelp forests, vast schools of herring, spawning salmon, and more! This unique event was part of Friends of the San Juans’ Immersive Salish Sea ... read more

As the school year ends and summer begins, Friends of the San Juans’ research on eelgrass health will be gathering its second year of data from below the surface. The health of eelgrass meadows is San Juan County has had very concerning trends, prompting Friends and our partners to better understand where it is disappearing ... read more

Janet Alderton Strategic AdvisorFormer Board Presidentshe/her/hers Learn more about Janet.

Ken Carrasco PresidentBoard of Directorshe/him/his Ken is a retired biologist and resides on Orcas Island where he lives with his wife Mariann, a retired wildlife biologist. He holds a bachelor’s degree in zoology with an emphasis on marine invertebrates and also has a master’s degree in Dungeness crab ecology from the University of Washington, although ... read more

Bob McPherson SecretaryBoard of Directorshe/him/his With a BS in Nuclear Engineering and an ME in Environmental Engineering, Bob began his career in the areas of radiation protection, nuclear criticality safety, and the fate and transport of radionuclides. For several years, he worked as a research scientist in the field of Health Physics. He later received ... read more