Submitted by San Juan Island Conservation District.

Two weeks ago, the Lopez Library buzzed with curiosity and determination as members of the Youth Conservation Corps dove deep into climate change — its science, impacts and the local solutions within our reach. This article marks the second installment of the “Nature Nugget” series, offering a peek into how our islands’ youth are engaging with the natural world and shaping their community’s future.

As noted in the first Nature Nugget, the YCC kicked off its season with “a sense of hope and promise,” eager to “tend to the land and learn by doing.” A recent Friday session at the library embodied this spirit with a collaborative climate education event led by Nikyta Palmisani and Chom Greacen.

The session introduced crew members to Climate Fresk, a globally recognized, interactive tool for climate science education that has reached over 1.7 million participants in more than 150 countries (climatefresk.org). The crew unraveled the causes, consequences and complexities of climate change through group discovery and discussion using Fresk.

Building on this, the group participated in COMPASS (madrona.org/compass), an interactive exercise crafted for San Juan County to foster community climate conversation, engagement and collective action. The YCC crew discussed local climate impacts and considered county-specific emissions, from ferries and vehicles to goods shipped in from the mainland. The conversation was lively, with YCC youth sharing powerful messages for community leaders.

After learning just how vital our county’s trees and forests are in offsetting greenhouse gas emissions, YCC members saw their ongoing work — removing ladder fuels, tending to forest health — as crucial pieces of the climate puzzle. They voiced support for solar energy, safe biking infrastructure, electrification of vehicles and ferries, and efforts to bolster local food production. The crew also focused on the challenge of income inequality and how balancing the scales could serve as a funding solution for climate initiatives, including the YCC itself, which currently faces budget gaps.

Their hopes for the island’s sustainable future were captured in sticky comments, letters to the County Council and a beautifully illustrated vision map of “future Lopez.”

As this series continues, it’s clear: Our islands’ youth are ready to lead, offering both grounded stewardship and bold ideas for the road ahead.