Friends and Joyce L. Sobel Family Resource Center partner for family-friendly “Great Nurdle Hunt” at the Great Islands Clean-Up

Published 1:30 am Sunday, April 5, 2026

Submitted by the Friends of the San Juans.

Friends of the San Juans and the Joyce L. Sobel Family Resource Center are teaming up to combine Screen-Free Saturday with hands-on, family-friendly community science at this year’s Great Islands Clean Up event on Saturday, April 18, 10:30 a.m. at Jackson Beach. Free and open to all ages.

As part of the event, families, youth and community members are invited to participate in the Great Nurdle Hunt, a global citizen science effort to document and remove tiny plastic pellets — known as nurdles — from local shorelines. These lentil-sized plastics are a significant source of marine pollution, often entering waterways during manufacturing and transport, and can persist in the environment while harming wildlife and ecosystems.

Participants will have the opportunity to make a tangible impact by helping remove nurdles and microplastics from Jackson Beach, while also contributing valuable data to ongoing efforts to understand and address plastic pollution. No prior experience is necessary — just curiosity, a willingness to explore and a desire to protect the Salish Sea.

This partnership brings together Friends’ expertise in community science and environmental stewardship with the Family Resource Center’s commitment to strengthening families and creating meaningful, screen-free opportunities for connection. The result is an engaging, educational experience that empowers participants of all ages to take action for the place they call home.

“This is about making environmental action accessible, fun, and meaningful for families,” said Jess Newley, community science and education director at Friends. “Even the smallest pieces of plastic can have a big impact, and so can small actions when we take them together.”

The Great Nurdle Hunt is part of Friends of the San Juans’ broader efforts to mobilize community members in protecting the Salish Sea through education, science and hands-on stewardship opportunities.

After the cleanup, participants are invited to celebrate their impact at a community after-party at San Juan Brewery from 2 to 4 p.m. The event will feature raffle prizes, Good Steward awards, T-shirt print-making with Alchemy Arts, music by DJ Michael Duncan, $1 beers, yard games and more! The Friday Harbor High School Eco Club will be there with a clothing swap; give old clothes a chance for a new life and drop them off at the Brewery!

For more information and to register, visit sanjuans.org/events.