Spring wildflowers on Vendovi Island | Kurt Thorson
UPDATED MARCH 24, 2020
Those of us who love the San Juan Islands prize them for the sense of sanctuary and respite they provide. And yet the islands are connected to the rest of the world by many strands, by sea and air, and islanders are just as vulnerable to the COVID-19 outbreak as anyone else.
For the protection of all members of our community, we are canceling all public events and in-person meetings until further notice.
We are also postponing our Annual Meeting (scheduled for May 9) until a date to be announced (probably in late July). We will still hold our Board of Trustees election on schedule by mail, as we do each year. Ballots will be mailed to all active members on April 10, enclosed in your copy of our Spring Island Dispatch newsletter.
Our office in Friday Harbor is closed to the public until Governor Jay Inslee’s statewide “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order is lifted. Staff members are working remotely, and we will be continuing our work to the fullest extent possible. Our stewardship staff will not be carrying out their scheduled monitoring visits during this period.
We want to remain available to you by phone or email for conversations and to answer questions, so we are providing staff contact information below. Don’t hesitate to call or write, as we do want to maintain and build connections with you in spite of current limitations on physical proximity.
For up-to-date information on upcoming events, check our online calendar.
Times like this are what community is for, as we all look to each other for comfort and support amid great uncertainty.
May we all remember to enjoy spring’s beauty as it unfolds around us. Treasuring, protecting, and enjoying the solace and beauty of nature has never been more important.
We look forward to the time when, once again, we can enjoy each others’ company in person. Until then, we will continue to advance our conservation work and stay in touch—but at a distance, in keeping with the latest official health directives.
We are monitoring the following sources at the federal, state, and county levels for the latest news and advisories, which are informing our decisions regarding organizational policy, closures, and events:
- Washington State Coronavirus Response (COVID-19): https://coronavirus.wa.gov
- San Juan County local updates: https://www.sanjuanco.com/1668/2019-Novel-Coronavirus
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
Angela Anderson, Executive Director
angela@sjpt.org 360-842-6418
Craig Canine, Dir. of Communications & Outreach
craig@sjpt.org 650-224-5117
Barbara Courtney, Dir. of Philanthropy
barbara@sjpt.org 360-202-7200
Dean Dougherty, Dir. of Stewardship
deand@sjpt.org 360-317-4916
Kathleen Foley Lewis, Stewardship Manager
kathleenf@sjpt.org. 360-298-1856
Rob Roy McGregor, Land Steward
robroy@sjpt.org 360-391-0881
Laurie Naylor, Dir. of Administration
laurien@sjpt.org 360-622-5455
Sierra O’Connell, Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator
sierra@sjpt.org 206-602-9185
Jill Staton, Development Associate
jill@sjpt.org 360-378-2461