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Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · 14d

Join us for our 7th annual Camas Festival! A potluck featuring camas (Camassia leichtlinii) based dishes and presentations and discussion of camas cultivation. Saturday October 25th 12-3pm at the Stevens Center of the Padilla Bay National
Estuarine Research Reserve. www.kwiaht.org/calendar.htm

A great camas (Camasssia leichtlinii) inflorescence. The flowers are deep purple.

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Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · 16d

"To recover the islands’ Julia Orangetips, could we simply plant more of their preferred host plant? Tower Mustard is native to the San Juan Islands, easy to grow and a part of meadow restoration projects being carried out elsewhere."

Have we lost the Orangetip butterfly? | The Journal of the San Juan Islands

By Sophie Citro

www.sanjuanjournal.com

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Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · 21d

Our Camas Festival is moving to Padilla Bay this year! Save the date: Saturday October 25th for a camas focused potluck including a presentation by Sam Barr of the Coast Salish Youth Coalition on the revitalization of camas culture by Coast Salish youth.

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Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · 21d

More heritage apple events coming up in October! Our third annual apple tasting with the Orcas Museum is Saturday October 4th (12:30-2:30), and on October 11th we're joining the San Juan County Land Bank, apple ID expert Lori Brakken, and master orchardist Marguerite Greening for Apple-Palooza

Poster for Apple Tasting. It reads: "Annual Apple Tasting hosted by Kwiaht and the Orcas Island Historical Museums. Saturday, October 4th 12:30-2:30pm. Orcas Island Historical Museum 181 North Beach Rd. Free Event! Enjoy fresh-pressed cider! Community is welcome to come and sip, or bring their own apples to press! *Press until 3:30pm. Dozens of local varieties of apples to sample! Supported by Girl Meets Dirt and Orcas Isle Cider." There is a photo of an apple tasting display, a striped apple on a tree, and at the bottom the logos for Kwiaht, Girl Meets Dirt, Orcas Isle Cider, and the Orcas Island Historical Museums.

Poster for Apple-Palooza. There are the shapes of two red apples with green leaves in the middle of the poster. It reads: "Apple-Palooza. Saturday, Oct 11, 10am-2pm. North Shore Preserve Orcas Island. Identification, tasting, pruning." At the bottom are the logos for the San Juan County Conservation Land Bank and San Juan County.

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Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · 21d

The tasting scores for this year are in: Twenty Ounce was the favorite, followed by Esopus Spitzenburg and Glowing Coal. Our next tasting is Saturday October 4th at the Orcas Museum (12:30-2:30).

Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · 25d

Some of the apples that will be at tomorrow's tasting with the Lopez Island History Museum:
Belmont
Esopus Spitzenburg
Fameuse
Gloria Mundi
Glowing Coal
Golden Ball
Gravenstein (including Olga Red Gravenstein)
King (of Tompkins County)
Greensweet
Northern Spy
Twenty Ounce
Wolf River

Third Annual Heritage Apple Day & Community Press – Lopez Island History Museum

Saturday, September 27, 1:00-3:00PM, Lopez Museum, 28 Washburn Pl Once known as the Fruit Basket of Washington, the San Juan Islands and Lopez have a long histo

lopezmuseum.org

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Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · 25d

Some of the apples that will be at tomorrow's tasting with the Lopez Island History Museum:
Belmont
Esopus Spitzenburg
Fameuse
Gloria Mundi
Glowing Coal
Golden Ball
Gravenstein (including Olga Red Gravenstein)
King (of Tompkins County)
Greensweet
Northern Spy
Twenty Ounce
Wolf River

Third Annual Heritage Apple Day & Community Press – Lopez Island History Museum

Saturday, September 27, 1:00-3:00PM, Lopez Museum, 28 Washburn Pl Once known as the Fruit Basket of Washington, the San Juan Islands and Lopez have a long histo

lopezmuseum.org

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Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · Sep 4

Can rediscovering heritage apples and sharing unique local seedlings help change apple culture in a way that values island orchards?

Lost varieties, new opportunities | Orcas Island’s path back to apple glory | Islands' Sounder

by Darrell Kirk

www.islandssounder.com

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Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · Aug 19

And so to meet the needs of native pollinators, like this bee, we are also propagating native wildflower seeds to replant where weeds are removed.

Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · Aug 19

In disturbed landscapes, such as Cattle Point, during late summer weeds such as thistles and Jacobaea vulgaris (tansy ragwort) may be some of the only pollen and nectar sources available to bees, flies, and wasps.

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Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · Aug 19

We have been working with the San Juan Islands Youth Conservation Corps to address noxious weeds in the National Monument.

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Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · Aug 19

Western leafcutter bee (Megachile perihirta) taking off from a Cirsium vulgare (bull thistle) inflorescence near Cattle Point (San Juan Islands National Monument).

A fuzzy bee with a black head, pale hairs, and a bright yellow patch showing on the underside of her abdomen taking flight from a pale purple thistle flower. The background is green thistle leaves and beige grass stalks.

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Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · Aug 17

Do you need more ways to enjoy this years abundant crop of t’áqa7? We have added recipes to the Food Security section of our website.

A gallon ziplock bag full of ripe salal berries still on their racemes (the stems are pale green, the bracts are red, and the berries are black).

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Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · Aug 17

We're raising funds through the San Juan Island Community Foundation to fund more apple genetic fingerprinting. To see some of the apples that grow in the islands take a look at this thread by our botanist @arbutocrat.bsky.social

To donate to the project: sjicf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/c...

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Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · Aug 12

Look for our apple table in the Ag Tent at the San Juan County Fair, and in the catalog of projects in the San Juan Island Community Foundation’s SJI Cares County Fair Program.

Lost and found! The hidden wealth of island orchards | The Journal of the San Juan Islands

Submitted by Russel Barsh, Director of Kwiaht.

www.sanjuanjournal.com

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Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · Jul 8

Kwiaht botanist @arbutocrat.bsky.social presents on local apples and community resilience for the San Juan Grange on July 17th theorcasonian.com/heritage-app...

Heritage Apples and Wild Hybrids | A deep look at resilience through local food - theOrcasonian.com

What do forgotten orchards and wild-growing trees reveal about our island’s future? ||| FROM STEPHANIE PRIMA for SAN JUAN GRANGE ||| Botanist Madrona

theorcasonian.com

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Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · Jun 26

Our 2nd annual Hummel Lake fishing derby starts at 8am on Saturday June 28th. Weigh-in ends at 4:30 and prizes are awarded at 5pm. Register at the WDFW boat launch on the day of the event. Contact [email protected] with questions.

Hummel Lake fishing derby poster. It says: "2nd annual Hummel Lake Fishing Derby June 28. Register at Hummel Lake Boat Launch on the Day of the Derby. Entry fee adult $30 youth $15. Your entry fee goes into the prize pot! The more Anglers participate, the bigger the pot! Prizes will be awarded for the biggest fish caught of each species (Rainbow Trout, Bluegill, Largemouth Bass)--Focus on one or try for the Grand Slam! Cash prizes awarded for first place, tackle kits awarded to the runners-up. Separate prizes for youth. Official derby start @ 8am, weigh-in ends @ 4:30pm. Prizes awarded @ 5pm. Hosted by Kwiaht. Thanks to our sponsor Islands Marine Center! Contact brett@kwiaht.orh with questions."

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Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · Jun 26

Join Kwiaht herpetologist Christian Oldham at the Orcas Island Public Library at 1pm on Saturday June 28th to learn about ongoing snake research and the sharp-tailed snakes on Orcas and San Juan Islands theorcasonian.com/orcas-librar...

Orcas Library Presentation | Snake studies and sharp-tails on San Juan Islands - theOrcasonian.com

||| FROM JENNY DeGROOT for ORCAS ISLAND LIBRARY ||| Please join the Orcas Island Public Library on Saturday, June 28 at 1 pm for Snake Studies and

theorcasonian.com

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Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · Jun 23

Kwiaht's hard working lab technician Matilda Twigg gets some well deserved recognition as she heads off to college www.facebook.com/100064773128...

San Juan Preservation Trust

We are thrilled to announce the recipients of our 2025 Climate Leadership Award: Nonie Prout and Matilda Twigg, both incredible young leaders from Lopez Island! 🏆⁠ ⁠ These inspiring individuals will.....

www.facebook.com

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Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · Jun 7

Dasysyrphus intrudens, a common and widespread North American hoverfly, enjoying a meal of Fragaria vesca (woodland strawberry) nectar. Syrphid hoverflies like this one should be welcomed in Northwest gardens; their larvae eat aphids voraciously.

A hover fly with black and yellow patterned abdomen on a white strawberry flower.

Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · May 29

It's too windy! We're rescheduling the seine for Sunday June 1st.

Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · May 29

We're seining at Watmough Bight this evening (4pm). Everyone welcome to help pull the net and sort fish.

Aerial drone photo of a beach seine. A net is gathered on the beach with people on the inside and outside of it, the middle of the net is still in the water. A floating net pen is just outside the net. In the upper left you can see the drone operator.

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Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · May 29

We're seining at Watmough Bight this evening (4pm). Everyone welcome to help pull the net and sort fish.

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Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · May 18

Community science volunteer Anita Holladay documented an extensive Noctiluca scintillans bloom around Indian Island. Noctiluca is a native, non-toxic dinoflagellate; blooms are triggered by warm weather and nutrients in runoff.

Patches of vibrant orange in the water along the shoreline at low tide.

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Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · May 14

Today is our first beach seine of the 2025 season with our Lopez Community Salmon Team. We'll be at Watmough Bight (Bay) around 4pm and everyone is welcome to help. Yesterday our community team at Cowlitz Bay counted over 2,000 juvenile Chum and Pink salmon and lavaged 5 juvenile Chinook.

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Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · May 11

Our juvenile salmon research season starts this coming week. The Lopez Community Salmon Team will be beach seining at Watmough Bight on Wednesday (May 14th) starting around 4pm. Everyone is welcome to help pull the net and see what the fish are up to

LopezRocks - Item

LopezRocks - a community website by Lopez Island

lopezrocks.org

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Reposted by Kwiaht

Evan Frost @wildwoods.bsky.social · May 7

"Wildfire seasons are lengthening and intensifying, particularly in the western U.S. Parts of the eastern U.S. have seen smaller but impactful increases in fire weather days." 🌏

Climate, Ecology, War & More by Dr. Glen Barry, BigEarthData.ai @bigearthdata.bsky.social · May 7

More Frequent Fire Weather
->Climate Central | More info from EcoSearch

More Frequent Fire Weather

Climate Central examined historical trends in fire weather — a combination of hot, dry, windy conditions — across the U.S. This analysis uses data from 476 weather stations to assess fire weather trends in 245 climate divisions spanning the contiguous...

www.climatecentral.org

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