Ready to get your hands in the dirt? Volunteer with Land Bank staff at the Westside Preserve and help repopulate burn scars with native wildflowers.

Visit our events calendar for details. Link in bio.

#sjclandbank #nativewildflowers #habitat restoration #volunteer ...

🌱POP UP Planting Party December 18! 🌱

Grab a buddy and work off some eggnog planting native wildflowers and grasses with Land Bank staff above the Goldenback Trail!

Event details can be found in our events calendar. Link in bio.

#sjclandbank #habitatrestoration #nativewildflowers ...

Trick or Tweet!

There’s more to Coho Preserve than salmon! If you’ve ever hiked through the Preserve and overheard a loud, high-pitched bird call, that’s our local resident Cinclus mexicanu, aka the American dipper. These stout, dark, short-winged birds have a characteristic bobbing motion when perched—hence the common name “dipper.”

Dippers rely almost solely on rushing, unpolluted rivers and streams where they forage on aquatic insects and larva, worms, small fish, fish eggs, and flying insects. They have unique physical adaptations that allow them to feed underwater, including solid bones, dense plumage, and nasal flaps. Their nests are built near or over moving water in a confined space where they use moss, grass and rootlets to cradle a clutch of three eggs.

While Dippers are not endangered, they may be threatened by water pollution, acidification and turbidity caused by erosion, as well as human disturbance of nesting and foraging sites. The Land Bank is thrilled to be hosting these special birds at Coho Preserve.

#sjclandbank #orcasisland #songbirds #fieldnotes ...

Trick or Tweet!

These spectacular swimmers can be found gliding along the shore of Lopez Island’s Channel Preserve, a favorite spot for watching winter waterfowl. Harlequin ducks, ("Histrionicus histrionicus") are known to seek out rough conditions and exposed settings, such as our rocky shores, where they bob in the waves. The males are easy to spot, decked in a colorful plumage palate of blue, chestnut and white; it`s also where they got their name! Next time you`re walking the beach, be sure to look for them fairly close to shore or resting on rocks in the sun.

#sjclandbank #winterwaterfowl #lopezisland #fieldnotes ...

Reminder :: Wednesday, 9.24, is the last Wednesday for driving access to the summit until 2026. Fall is officially here. 🍂

#sjclandbank #publiclands ...

The Land Bank’s forestry efforts at Orcas Island’s Crescent Beach Preserve are designed to improve habitat for pollinators, birds and other wildlife, as this Pileated woodpecker can attest to! Selective thinning can allow more sunlight to reach the forest floor and promote understory diversity, creating a mosaic of habitats. Thank you to all the trail users for your patience and be sure stay tuned for future birding and touring opportunities post project completion!

#sjclandbank #healthyforests #pollinators #keystonespecies #rainshadowconsulting #fieldnotes ...

Unusual visitors to San Juan Island`s Westside Preserve last week. They sure were chatty!

#sjclandbank #californiasealions #shorelinepreservation ...

Saturday’s guided wildflower hike at Diamond Hill Preserve was a huge success! Hikers encountered close to 20 native species in bloom, including Bicolor lupine, Spotted coralroot, Death camas, and the last of the Chocolate lily.

We’re more than half way through the wildflower’s bloom season-have you seen your favorite yet?

#sjclandbank #nativewildflowers #conservation ...

Earth Day turns 55 this year!

Did you know the EPA was formed because of Earth Day? Concerned about the damaging effects of pollution Wisconsin senator, Gaylord Nelson, founded Earth Day in 1990 to raise awareness of environmental issues. By the end of that year, it resulted in the creation of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as well as the passing of significant environmental laws like the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act, and establishing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Join us in celebrating Earth Day THIS SATURDAY, April 26, by volunteering with the Great Islands Clean Up! Details on our events calendar.

#sjclandbank #GICU2025 #conservation #reducereuserecycle ...

Last fall’s plantings in Driggs Park are starting to emerge! Enjoy a stroll through the green space on the corner of Caines and Argyle Streets in Friday Harbor and be sure to check out the newly installed interpretive sign to learn more about the demo garden. ...