San Juan’s Fall Great Islands Cleanup!

San Juan MRC celebrated a successful Fall Great Islands Cleanup, with 137 volunteers across Lopez, Shaw, Orcas, and San Juan islands, collecting more than 1,300 pounds of litter. About 50 pounds of recyclables were separated and properly disposed of.

Volunteers removed everything from nurdles (a tiny plastic pellet used to make plastic products, often a source of ocean pollution) and small plastics to large Styrofoam pieces from public beaches. The MRC thanked partners including Orcas Recycling Services/The Exchange, Lopez Solid Waste Disposal District, San Juan Sanitation, Friends of the San Juans, the Stewardship Network of the San Juans, and many local volunteers. This year marked the 14th Great Islands Cleanup. Find out about future events at www.plasticfreesalishsea.org.

Fall 2025 Great Islands Clean-Up Collects over 1,300 pounds of Litter Across San Juan County | San Juan County WA, October 8, 2025

Endangered pinto abalone

Clallam MRC recently wrapped up its final pinto abalone survey dives for 2025, conducted in late September and October in the Port Angeles subregion of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Divers were excited to find multiple abalone during the surveys.

The pinto (northern) abalone (Haliotis kamtschatkana) is the only abalone species native to Washington waters. It plays a key role in supporting healthy kelp forests and marine ecosystems but is considered functionally extinct in the wild due to depleted populations.

In partnership with the Puget Sound Restoration Fund, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Lower Elwha Klallam and Jamestown S’Klallam Tribes, the MRC evaluates habitat quality to help identify potential restoration sites. Areas with existing abalone may serve as index sites, while other areas with suitable habitat may become outplanting sites for future restoration.

By collecting population and habitat data, the  MRC supports ongoing efforts to restore pinto abalone populations in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Learn more about Clallam MRC’s pinto abalone monitoring

Orca Recovery Day Event at Keystone Farm & Forest Preserve

Island MRC partnered with Whidbey Island Conservation District and other Island County organizations for an Orca Recovery Day event, held at the restored Keystone Farm and Forest Preserve. The team conducts year-round forage fish egg monitoring with monthly surveys on Whidbey and Camano islands. During Orca Recovery Day, forage fish project lead Kirk Larsen led a walk along the bluffs, highlighting the site’s restoration and the important role forage fish play in salmon recovery.

Island MRC also co-hosted an event with the Northwest Straits Foundation at Cornet Bay and Hoypus Point to plant native vegetation at both restoration sites to support shoreline health and Salish Sea orca recovery. It was an Orca Recovery-filled month for Island MRC! Learn more about shoreline education and forage fish surveys in Island County.