San Juan Islands host Salish Sea protection walk and youth conservation programs

Indigenous elders, advocates, and community members gathered on San Juan Island from September 3–7 for the ‘Walk to Protect and Restore the Salish Sea.’ Hosted by Protectors of the Salish Sea, PKOLS, and White Swan Environmental, the four-day event combined spiritual ceremony with activism. Participants aimed to promote spiritual renewal, address colonial history, and campaign against oil tanker traffic in the region.

Separately, the San Juan Islands Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) marked its 10th year as a program of the San Juan Islands Conservation District. During its 19th year of operation, the YCC completed an eight-week summer season involving 39 crew members. The youth participants engaged in various environmental projects, including gorse removal in Olga, riparian restoration at Zylstra Lake, trail construction at Moran State Park, and beach cleanups at Otis Perkins.