HIGHWATER MARKS
news & updates
December 2021| Issue 10
The guardian. Learning and respecting the past and keeping a keen eye on the future. Photo by Peter Cavanagh (see what we’re reading now.)
Trust, Truth, and Gratitude
At this time of year, we reflect on our community’s trust in Friends of the San Juans, a trust that has continued to grow and evolve over our 42 years of service. While we connect the dots between Friends’ decades of work and the still-awe-inspiring beauty of our islands, we acknowledge the truth that there are many pressing challenges upon us such as climate change. So it is with deep gratitude that we celebrate all the members, donors, and partners who are continuing to step up, year after year, to support and make our mission-driven work possible: Friends of the San Juans protects and restores the San Juan Islands and the Salish Sea for people and nature -- and we always will.
Let’s Celebrate our Accomplishments! Highlights from 2021
As we reach the end of 2021, there is a lot to celebrate, and we could not have achieved so much without you. Please enjoy this look back at the highlights of what your support has helped us accomplish in 2021. 
Immersive Education with Lopez and Orcas Students
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 look for forage fish eggs. 
Conservation Corps Planting at Salmon Point 

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 our habitat-restoration project; previous work included planting native trees and shrubs and removing unnecessary rock armoring and creosote wood debris.
We Can’t Do This Without You!

If you have yet to make your monthly or annual contribution to Friends, consider the following:
  1. Friends’ mission-driven work, protecting the San Juans, will never cease.
  2. To protect what you love, your financial support is critical.
  3. There is power in numbers when we unite behind shared values for the environment.
What we raise now will determine the depth of our programs and capacity building in 2022 and beyond.

Ways to Give:
Thank you. Your donation will directly support our environmental achievements in 2022.
Voices of the Next Generation - Community Climate Resilience
by Kaia Olson
In less than thirty years, my grandparents’ property on Lopez will be an island, the house only accessible by boat. And with some of the local roads already facing erosion and washout during the winter storms and extreme rain events, the routes are wisely being redrawn and plans are being made for the relocation of roads to further inland.
We’re Hiring a Communications and Outreach Director!
Friends is looking for a skilled, organized, creative, and enthusiastic communications professional to join our team. The Communications and Outreach Director will set and guide the strategy for all communications, including online presence, media interactions, and public messaging, to consistently articulate Friends of the San Juans’ mission and programming. Visit our website for the full job description.
Friends of Friends - All of Us!

This month we acknowledge that what it will take to protect and restore the San Juan Islands and the Salish Sea is all of us -- a community, a family. In this photo, friends and members are learning about environmental stewardship and are engaging in Friends’ mission. We’ve missed these opportunities, and we’re crossing our fingers that we’ll see more of you in person in 2022! Thank you to all of our members who have sustained this work for 42 years, and thank you to our newest members who are eager to see it continue in greater force.
Friends' Staff are Stepping Up!
This fall, two of Friends’ staff were promoted. Shannon Davis, who has been with Friends since 2003, is now our Deputy Director. Shannon has been fulfilling this role for a while, and now her title represents all that she does for Friends. Jess Newley has stepped up and into a new job as our Community Science and Education Manager. Jess leads our school education programs, community science efforts, and assists with shoreline restoration and research.
Intern Highlight: Katherine Dietzman
Katherine Dietzman joined our team this Fall as our Islands Conservation Corps intern. She jumped right into action, providing support in our Youth Mentorship and Immersive Education programs, forage fish spawn habitat surveys, and restoration projects. Thank you, Katherine! 
Origin Stories: September 1984 Newsletter
In September 1984, Friends interviewed 13 County Commissioner candidates. The questions posed focused on development, comprehensive land use planning, and sea water intrusion into groundwater. Take a step back in time and read about what has changed and what has not. 
Take Action! Join a Board or Commission
It is almost 2022 -- a New Year! Consider making a New Year’s Resolution for public service, as San Juan County has a lot of committee vacancies. Click here to find out how you can make a difference here at home.
What We're Reading

Using stunning photography and evocative thoughts, Peter Cavanagh, a dedicated member and volunteer for Friends, provides a vivid and varied glimpse into the world of birds. Readers will marvel at the splendor of birds in flight while learning the techniques to capture these gravity-defying moments from a world-class nature photographer.

Judge Creatura leveled a scathing rebuke at the Navy in agreeing with the State of Washington and co-plaintiff Citizens of the Ebey’s Reserve (COER) that the Navy’s expansion decision had been arbitrary and capricious in four areas.
Friends of the San Juans respectfully honors the fact that this beautiful place we strive to protect and restore with our mission-centered work is comprised of the ancestral lands, waters, and natural resources of the Coast Salish peoples. These Tribes have cared for and stewarded the San Juan Islands and the Salish Sea since time immemorial — and continue to do so — and we honor their inherent, aboriginal, and treaty rights that have been passed down from generation to generation.
Or text the word "Friends" to 360-317-2610 to donate.