species protection

The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is seeking public input on the rules for vessels operating near Southern Resident killer whales; this input will be used for a report to the legislature. Take this opportunity to speak up on behalf of the Southern Residents! Here are our recommendations for your public input on ... 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

Check out the November issue of our e-newsletter – Highwater Marks! You’ll see the latest update to the Salish Sea Vessel Traffic Projections, learn how to register for the new Youth for Change environmental leadership club, hear from Katie as she transitions out of her role at Friends to a new position in our community ... read more

Twenty years ago the Samish Nation gave J37, a newborn Southern Resident Orca calf, the name Hy’Shqa. From the Coast Salish language, the name translates to “blessing” or “thank-you” in English. Hy’Shqa was born in January 2001 to Samish (J14), and in 2012, she gave birth to a calf of her own, T’ilem I’nges (J49). ... read more

At Friends of the San Juans (FSJ) we advocate for orca, healthy seas, and natural beaches. Our policy and education efforts rest on a foundation of science, research, and community engagement. The problems our community faces are wickedly complex and your support is fundamental to building organizational capacity to implement solutions. You have the capacity ... read more

To those of you who joined us for our 2021 Annual Meeting – thank you! To those of you who missed last week’s event — if only you could have been there! But don’t worry, here’s a link to the recording! We witnessed compelling testimonials, gained insight during our engaging conversation with Lynda Mapes, and ... read more

The Friends Annual Meeting, featuring the incomparable author and journalist Lynda Mapes, will be held on October 9th, from 1:30-3:00 p.m. Lynda Mapes, award-winning Seattle Times environmental writer and author, recently published her fifth book, Orca: Shared Waters, Shared Home. Our enthusiasm is running high! Friends’ Director of Philanthropy, Michel Vekved, is eager to bring our Friends community together around ... read more

Check out the August issue of our e-newsletter – Highwater Marks! You’ll learn about joining Friends staff for Q& A’s at the San Juan County Virtual Fair, see the results from our 3 year-long forage fish surveys, plus more actions, news, and updates! Read it here.

This Tuesday, July 27, the Whatcom County Council will hold a public hearing and vote on whether to adopt a landmark ordinance to protect Cherry Point and the Salish Sea. Voices from around the region are needed to let the Whatcom County Council know that you support them in adopting this important ordinance that will ... read more

Join Friends, Transition San Juan Island, Plastic Free Salish Sea, San Juan County (who officially proclaimed July to be plastic-free in the San Juans), and other communities world-wide in reducing your plastic waste in July! Plastic Free July® is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution – ... read more