shoreline protection

This January, 38 contractors—excavators, general contractors, arborists, landscapers, and gardeners—from five different islands came together at the Mullis Center on San Juan Island for a Shore Friendly workshop hosted by Friends of the San Juans in partnership with the Northwest Straits Foundation and the Washington State Shore Friendly Program. The free workshop focused on the ... read more

Ensure Accountability from the Oil Industry The specter of a large oil spill looms over our region, casting a shadow of potential devastation. The stakes are high. At risk are our environment, economy, and cultural resources; the vulnerable Southern Resident killer whales and their dwindling food source, chinook salmon; the forage fish that nurture the ... 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

Friends of the San Juans recently completed a multi-year research project for a particular species of forage fish: the Pacific sand lance. Forage fish are an essential player in the Salish Sea marine food web as prey for salmon, rockfish, seabirds, and other marine mammals. Sand lance are especially important in the diet of juvenile ... read more

On Saturday, August 13th the fishing vessel ALEUTIAN ISLE sank off the west side of San Juan Island. Our hearts go out to the people on board who were directly affected by the accident, and our sincere thanks go out to everyone who has been involved in the rescue of the crew and the response ... 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

By Madeline Feaster and Tina Whitman As you know, Friends of the San Juans protects and restores natural shorelines to support forage fish, salmon, and the Southern Resident orca. In addition, Friends also conducts research on these shoreline habitats. We recently completed a Shoreline Armor Mapping, Change Analysis, and Regulatory Review project that provides an ... read more

In early November, Friends staff and members of the Islands Conservation Corps planted native dune grass and conducted beach surveys at the Salmon Point Community Beach on Lopez. This was the last phase in a shoreline habitat restoration project that also included planting native trees and shrubs and removing unnecessary rock armoring and creosote wood ... read more

Science classes from Lopez and Orcas High Schools just completed Friends’ Immersive Salish Sea Science Education program. Students experienced the marine food web through virtual reality technology, and they learned about science careers and how they can act to protect and restore the Salish Sea. Each class also took a trip to the beach to ... read more