San Juan County Conservation Land Bank

San Juan County Conservation Land Bank Conserving special places and the rural character of the San Juan Islands. Contact us to learn more and how to get involved - tanjaw at sjclandbank dot org

The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank is a local land conservation program, created by voters in 1990, and funded by a 1% real estate excise tax paid by purchasers of property in San Juan County. Through conservation easements or outright purchases, the Land Bank protects special places in the Islands including coastlines, farmland, forests and wetlands.

Curious what’s been happening with the Land Bank’s recent acquisition along Orcas Island’s Dolphin Bay Road? Learn the l...
06/06/2026

Curious what’s been happening with the Land Bank’s recent acquisition along Orcas Island’s Dolphin Bay Road?

Learn the latest project news this summer during one of our Third Thursday monthly tours. Reserve your spot - visit our events page for details.

https://sjclandbank.org/events-calendar/

05/20/2026

Mullis Community Senior Center members toured Island Marble Butterfly (Euchloe ausonides insulanus) plots at Middlewood and Frazer Homestead Preserves with Land Bank Land Steward, Eliza Habegger. The plots are part of a larger recovery plan, created to enhance and protect IMB habitat by growing their favored nectar plants, such as the field mustard (Brassica rapa) and tall tumble mustard (Sisymbrium altissimum).

Eliza shared the history around the federally endangered butterfly and the tremendous recovery efforts put forth by the , , , , as well as local conservation partners , , and . Private landowners and volunteers have played a crucial role by creating and tending habitat areas for the butterfly.

It’s estimated that only 200-500 individuals remain. The NPS captive rearing program is now headed by the , however anyone interested in creating suitable habitat locally in your field or backyard can contact IMB Project Manager Walt Andrews at the SJICD.

Opportunistic tenants discovered at Weeks Wetland Preserve recently! While completing trail mowing and maintenance, Lope...
05/19/2026

Opportunistic tenants discovered at Weeks Wetland Preserve recently! While completing trail mowing and maintenance, Lopez Island staff observed these nesting Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus), a type of plover, in a downed log.

Though it’s considered a shorebird, Killdeer are often found far from the beach, favoring a wide range of open areas like agricultural fields, tidal flats, and grass lawns. Typically, Killdeer nest on the open ground, in a small depression with no nest structure. This clutch takes full advantage of the extra protection the decaying snag provides, safely nestling four eggs inside. A great reminder of the importance of being a mindful mower, especially during breeding season.

The upcoming negative tides are a great segue to highlight a fascinating find during the annual spring Great Island’s Cl...
05/15/2026

The upcoming negative tides are a great segue to highlight a fascinating find during the annual spring Great Island’s Clean up. While combing the beach for and trash at Deadman Bay Preserve, a volunteer discovered this rare and ominous looking hyperiid amphipod known as Phronima.

Phronima are parasitoids that attack female salps, a barrel-shaped, gelatinous zooplankton which drift throughout our oceans. Phronima use their mouths and claws to eat the salp, hollow out it’s shell, enter it’s barrel and then lay their eggs inside. FUN FACT: Rumor has it that Phronima are the inspiration behind the terrorizing space xenomorph in the film Alien.

What fascinating finds have you discovered along the shorelines?

REMINDER :: The Agricultural Resources Committee (ARC) is hosting a forum on meat processing TOMORROW, 5/13!
05/12/2026

REMINDER :: The Agricultural Resources Committee (ARC) is hosting a forum on meat processing TOMORROW, 5/13!

05/08/2026

Circling violet-green swallows feed on insects over wetlands at the Land Bank’s North Shore Preserve on Orcas Island, two years after habitat enhancement efforts.

One of seven species of swallows in Washington, these birds have returned to nest after overwintering in Mexico and Central America. Like many resident and migratory species in the San Juan Islands, swallows are increasingly dependent on protected natural areas.

No matter how small, wetlands deliver. Interested in learning more about water resource management on Land Bank preserves? Click the link below.

https://sjclandbank.org/water-resources/

Address

328 Caines Street
Friday Harbor, WA
98250

Telephone

+13603784402

Website

https://sjclandbank.org/events-calendar/

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