news

announcements and news from Friends

Molt Search—Defend Marine Waters Against a Sneaky Invader!

August 18, 2023

Calling all nature enthusiasts, community scientists, volunteers, and beachgoers!  Help combat the growing concern and spread of a destructive menace to the islands and Salish Sea: the European green crab. Labeled one of the world’s worst invasive species by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, this crab is staging an assault on our marine ... read more

Meet + Mingle this Summer!

August 1, 2023

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

Current Volunteer Opportunities

July 26, 2023

Are you yearning to get more involved? Do you love the islands and Salish Sea, and want to connect with like-minded folx? Are you interested in serving on a Board or committee such as fundraising or finance? There are many ways to get involved, and we would love your support! Volunteer Openings: Ready to Get Started?! ... read more

Collaborative Eelgrass Research Underway! 

July 26, 2023

This June, Friends of the San Juans began a new multi-year research project that is examining the health of eelgrass across the county. Eelgrass, a flowering plant that grows in shallow marine waters, supports marine food webs, including Dungeness crabs, spawning habitat for Pacific herring, and is a critical place for out-migrating juvenile salmon to ... read more

United Front Against Roberts Bank Terminal 2

June 20, 2023

For Immediate Release – June 14, 2023 Roberts Bank Terminal 2 opposition demands answers from governments on expansion: Environmentalists, communities, and unions stand together. VANCOUVER / UNCEDED xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh AND səlilwətaɬ TERRITORIES — Labour, community, and environmental groups have come together in a united front against the controversial Roberts Bank Terminal 2 (RBT2) expansion project, ... read more

Reject Roberts Bank Terminal 2!

June 5, 2023

Help protect Southern Resident killer whales and Chinook salmon!  Your quick action by June 8th is needed to help reduce the impacts of a new off-shore/over-water shipping terminal the size of 202 football fields! This new terminal would decimate critical habitat and increase vessel traffic impacts and oil spill risks in the transboundary Salish Sea. ... read more

Legislative Recap 

May 18, 2023

With the help of supporters like you, we made some progress in protecting and restoring the San Juan Islands and the Salish Sea for people and nature! Here’s a recap of bills our Staff was tracking and working on this legislative session.   Successes  More work needed. 

Join us for Orca Action!

May 15, 2023

Orca Action Month Kick-Off Event and Parade1 pm to 5 pm, Sunday, June 4thFriday Harbor, San Juan IslandRSVP via Facebook! Join Friends of the San Juans, Wild Orca, and Orca Network as we kick off Orca Action Month, honoring the Lasting Legacies of the Southern Residents and celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species ... read more

Gathering of the Eagles Canoe Journey

May 4, 2023

Friends is honored to collect donations for this extraordinary inter-island tribal canoe journey, “Esqaplh etse Kwelengsen, Gathering of Eagles.” All are welcome at this grassroots journey following the ancestral highways of the Lhaq’temish, Lummi, people, beginning May 21 and running through May 26 in the Lhaq’temish homelands of Lopez, San Juan, Orcas and Lummi Islands. ... read more

The Friends of the San Juans do such a wonderful job of keeping on top of things like the transit of freighters through the Straits and their impact on whales as well as protecting our environment. Jim and I fell in love with the islands, the wildlife, and fishing. We hope to preserve it, not only for our family but for other families, well into the future.

Glen and Deb Bruels

members, San Juan Island