You’re never too old to volunteer – recognizing the 2026 Good Steward award winners
Published 1:30 am Monday, April 27, 2026
Submitted by the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau
The envelope, please! Yes, the time has come to hand out the much-anticipated Finnies, and what better time than Earth Day to award those who have been Good Stewards to our Islands’ communities? There were so many good nominations it was hard to choose, but the 2026 Good Steward Awards go to Shann Weston (Lifetime Achievement), Thom Pence (Individual), Doe Bay Resort and Retreat (Business), Joe Behnke (Educator), and Nolan Wall (Youth).
Lifetime Achievement Winner Shann Weston was nominated by Kari Koski, San Juan County’s Derelict Vessel Coordinator and Erin Corra from Friends of Lime Kiln Society. In the 30 years that Shann and her family have lived on the island, she has worn many stewardship caps; working for WA Sea Grant, the MRC Bottomfish Recovery Program, Friends of the San Juans Forage Fish Coordinator, biology and environmental science teacher at Spring Street International School & Skagit Valley College, a marine wildlife naturalist on the Western Prince and WSF, co-founder of the Salish Sea Marine Naturalists Association, and Sense of Place instructor for The Whale Museum’s Marine Naturalists Training Program. Kost says, “Shann, always a champion of the Salish Sea (long before it was called the Salish Sea), has inspired countless curious minds to fall madly in love with this place and to turn that love into actions that both steward and celebrate the Islands’ unique habitats, character and ways of life.”
Individual Winner Thom Pence was nominated by San Juan County’s Solid Waste Coordinator Katie Fleming, who says, “Thom Pence is exactly who this award was made for – someone who just shows up, year after year, and makes our islands better. We are so grateful for him.”
His conservation contributions began on his own land, restoring Garry oak habitat on his personal property. That commitment grew into something larger: Thom secured a federal grant to expand the restoration effort to adjacent private properties, translating personal passion into regional impact. He’s been a dedicated volunteer at the annual Great Islands Cleanup and recently discovered a large deposit of fragmented Styrofoam on Jackson’s Beach. He has kept at it, chipping away at the cleanup with such characteristic persistence that it’s now nicknamed “Pence’s Pit.”
Business Winner Doe Bay Resort and Retreat was nominated by the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau. “We have long admired Doe Bay’s quiet commitment to closing the loop and walking the talk of sustainable tourism,” says Amy Nesler, Communications and Stewardship Manager. “Whether it’s the seed-to-table café, the on-site garden, adding guided ecology hikes for guests, or planting trees to help with climate change, they’re always on the lookout for ways to make a meaningful impact.”
Educator Joe Behnke is the science teacher at Lopez Island Middle School. He taught restoration ecology last fall in science class as part of a curriculum called Symbiotic Schoolyard. Working with local plant and restoration experts they planted several species on campus, such as serviceberry, bigleaf maple, mock orange, Garry oak, and wax myrtle in an effort to increase biodiversity and ecosystem resilience.
Youth Winner Nolan Wall was nominated by the San Juan Islands Conservation District’s Mike Rosekrans and Julie Curtis. For the past three years, Nolan has participated in the Youth Conservation Corps as part of the San Juan Island crew. During his time as a crew leader, Nolan has displayed a profound ability to grasp ecological concepts relating to the Salish Sea ecosystem and the San Juan Islands, shown extraordinary dedication to environmental restoration, and progressed into a leadership role within the YCC program.
Since 2008, the Good Steward Awards, affectionately known as “Finnies,” have been sponsored by the Stewardship Network of the San Juans in recognition of individuals, families, teachers, students and businesses who are not conservation professionals and who have shown long-term dedication to preserving the land and sea of the San Juan archipelago in their daily lives. Award recipients are presented with large ceramic “Finnies,” handcrafted by Eden Light and depicting a fertile salmon representing abundance and living in reciprocity with our natural world, which ensures the health and well-being of our future generations.
