Submitted by Friends of the San Juans

As Earth Day approaches, communities in the San Juans gear up to keep the islands vibrant by cleaning up beaches and roadways. Everyone is welcome and appreciated! The April 20 Great Island Clean-Up will begin at the San Juan Island Brewing Co. in Friday Harbor. Come at 10 a.m. to get supplies, beach and roadway assignments. In the spirit of sustainability, participants are encouraged to bring their own coffee cups to enjoy complimentary coffee and goodies.

Families can also join Friends of the San Juans at Jackson Beach for the Great Plastic Nurdle Hunt from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 pm on April 20th. You can learn about microplastics, and nurdles, and help remove these pesky bits of plastic from the ecosystem. “Nurdles are very small pellets of plastic which serve as raw material in the manufacture of plastic products,” says Jess Newley, Friends of the San Juans Community Science and Education Director. “Unfortunately, they can be found everywhere at Jackson Beach and we need everyone’s help removing them before they enter the marine food web and cause harm to fish, seabirds, and more. Fortunately, kids love a good Nurdle Hunt!”

Great Island Clean-Up participants are encouraged to return to the Brewery parking lot by 2 p.m. to drop off collected trash and join other Island Clean-Up volunteers at the after-party at the beer garden. The party starts at 1:30 and features music by Adrian Xavier & Ska Island. Enjoy Mediterranean fare by Green Beat Kitchen, $1 beers for clean-up participants, T-shirt printing with Alchemy Art Center (bring a shirt to reuse), a raffle, and the presentation of the Stewardship Network’s Good Steward Awards.

Get the full details, and learn more about future events to explore, connect, and protect the San Juans at sanjuans.org/events.