If you’ve walked a beach in the San Juan Islands recently, you may have seen small, round plastic pellets mixed into the sand. These are nurdles—the raw material used to manufacture nearly all plastic products. About the size of a lentil, nurdles are easy to overlook, but they represent one of the most widespread and
Lovel Pratt, Marine Protection and Policy Director at Friends, won the first Conservation Partnership Award given by our partner organization, Evergreen Islands! This award recognizes an individual currently working in environmental advocacy, who embodies the importance of partnerships and our collective voice. Evergreen Islands and Friends recognize that together, we expand our effectiveness. This achievement
Reflections from media Ambassador Julia Yarbough There are no accidents. Everyone comes into your life for a reason. Everything happens for a reason. Quite often we do not recognize the significance of events or chance meetings until years later. On a cool but sunny afternoon in July 2009, I walked a trail through a beautiful outdoor space
A coalition of six environmental organizations has taken the next step to ensure those voices are heard. The coalition filed a formal legal appeal of Whatcom County’s decision to permit 33 major terminal expansion projects, 31 of which were completed several years ago without permits and without a thorough environmental review.
San Juan County is in the process of updating its Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO), a set of regulations designed to protect sensitive environmental areas such as wetlands, aquifer recharge zones, geologic hazard areas, and fish and wildlife habitats. The update aims to incorporate the latest science and meet state Growth Management Act requirements, with opportunities…
On a crisp February morning, a group of students from the San Juan Islands stepped into the halls of the Washington State Capitol with a clear purpose: speak up for the environment they call home. On February 24, fifteen students from the Friday Harbor High School Eco Club and one student from Orcas Island High
The Northwest Power and Conservation Council is updating its five‑year Fish & Wildlife Program, which guides how hydropower operations on the Columbia and Snake rivers affect salmon and steelhead. With the Trump administration’s abrupt cancellation of a major salmon recovery agreement, public comments are needed by March 2 to ensure the final plan adopts strong, science‑based…
A coalition of six environmental organizations has taken the next step to ensure those voices are heard. The coalition filed a formal legal appeal of Whatcom County’s decision to permit 33 major terminal expansion projects, 31 of which were completed several years ago without permits and without a thorough environmental review.
Washington’s recycling system isn’t keeping up with waste, and billions of bottles and cans end up polluting shorelines, waterways, and the Salish Sea each year. The state legislature is considering Washington’s Bottle Bill (HB 1607/SB 5502), a refundable container deposit program designed to boost recycling, cut litter and climate pollution, and shift recycling costs from taxpayers to…
At the Youth Earth Summit, Friends of the San Juans helped twelve Friday Harbor High School Eco Club students showcase leadership, share environmental solutions, and guide a student-led session on getting involved in local policy—highlighting how youth voices are shaping the future of conservation.
