climate change

Overcoming Shifting Baselines

March 12, 2021

A few years ago, I was combing the beach of Barlow Bay on Lopez Island when I found a whelk shell that had washed out of a midden. This shell was easily ten times larger than the others I had often found dotting the beach, and I have never seen another whelk shell like it. ... read more

It wasn’t until 1979 that San Juan County got a comprehensive growth plan and that was largely due to the Friends of the San Juan’s being there to advocate for the shoreline and the ecosystem. Since then, there have been constant waves of pressure by developers. Friends have risen each time, fighting to protect this fragile and precious place.

Liza Michaelson

member, San Juan Island