Eco Club champion conservation and the environment
Published 1:30 am Friday, March 13, 2026
Submitted by Friends of the San Juans
Advocating for protecting the unique environment of the San Juan Islands, 15 students from the Friday Harbor High School Eco Club and one student from Orcas Island High School traveled to the State Capitol in Olympia, on February 24, 2026. The students, ranging from freshman to seniors, took part in a series of one-on-one meetings with members of the Governor’s staff and state legislators, exercising their civic rights to voice opinions and strive for change.
“I have always had a great appreciation of nature and a painful awareness of the existential reality of climate change,” said high school senior Flora Vaught, and President of the Friday Harbor High School Eco Club. “I wanted to make a difference. Traveling to Olympia has taught me more about politics, leadership, and organizing than any school class or textbook. Meeting with our district legislators and Senator has helped me become a more civically educated citizen and given me more hope in our ability as ordinary citizens to help incite change in policy.”
Mentorship support of the Eco Club is led by Friends of the San Juans and the San Juan County Department of Environmental Stewardship. Financial support for student’s day of legislative action was provided by Friends members, the Madrona Institute Stewardship Fund, and the San Juan Island Community Foundation.
The advocacy day began with a roundtable discussion with staff from the Governor’s office of Natural Resources, followed by individual meetings with District 40’s Senator Liz Lovelett, Representative Debra Lekanoff, and Representative Alex Ramel. Students delivered talking points and asked questions on select bills of the 2026 legislative session pertaining to conservation, renewable energy, plastics and recycling, and home energy usage.
At the forefront of action items was Washington’s Bottle Deposit Bill, HB 1607 / SB 5502, which would have Washington consumers pay an extra 10-cents on bottles or beverage containers, with the goal of reducing litter and plastic waste. Students also advocated for HB 1015 , designed to make energy efficiency information about a home more transparent for buyers and renters.
Speaking directly to the Governor’s staff, Eco Club sophomore August D’ambruoso outlined why he supports HB 1015, explaining, “It incentivizes green solutions in homes and can save people who are looking to buy a house thousands of dollars in hidden fees from insulation and heat pumps, which I think is pretty important.”
“I was amazed to watch our students explain, promote, and defend their priorities for legislation to veteran legislators,” explains Sam Garson, Friday Harbor High School teacher, and advisor of the Eco Club. “It was a great reminder of the skills we are instilling in our students to support personal connections away from screens and devices that allow them to be present in the moment and in their own community futures. This is the sixth year Eco Club students have traveled to Olympia to gain first-hand experience of how bills are made, meeting their lawmakers, and being exposed to possible career opportunities. “Our club is unique. We get the freedom to pursue and advocate for projects and legislation we are passionate about and I know we will continue to work hard to protect our unique environment in this crucial time.” said Vaught.
