The San Juans take treating the environment seriously – and the line-up of Earth Day events proves it.

April 22 is the official day, but activities before and after that date are being held throughout the county.

“Sustainable San Juans: Greening Your Home, Business and Food” is a three-day event on April 17 to 19 on San Juan Island. Open to all the islands, it starts with a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the founding of The Whale Museum, the San Juan Preservation Trust and the Friends of the San Juans. The public is invited to a party from 3 to 5 p.m. at museum on First Street.

A stewardship fair and workshop is scheduled the next day, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Friday Harbor Middle School. The fair will feature displays from local stewardship groups and green businesses, a presentation of the 2009 Good Steward Awards, lunch prepared by the Experience Food Project and local chefs, and a series of workshops on how to live green at home, in the kitchen and at work. Registration is $5 before the event or $10 at the door.

On April 19, the public can enjoy farm tours, wildflower walks, shoreline wildlife viewing and water-based trips.

Sustainable San Juans is sponsored by the Stewardship Network of the San Juans and the San Juan Island Community Foundation. To register, call 378-2319 or visit www.stewardshipsjc.org.

The county is collecting old compact fluorescent light bulbs during this spring’s hazardous waste collection on April 25 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Orcas Island solid waste facility. CFLs use two-thirds less energy than standard light bulbs and they last 10 times longer. But they contain toxic mercury gas and are to be handled with care in storage, installation and disposal.

“Although CFLs have small amounts of mercury, the EPA advises that we be careful to avoid breakage — of fluorescent tubes, as well,” Helen Venada, San Juan County Waste Reduction and Hazardous Waste coordinator, said.

EPA’s guidelines for proper clean up to minimize health risks are: Wear rubber gloves and take care not to inhale dust and ask others to vacate room; sweep up carefully or use sticky tape – DO NOT VACUUM – to clean up all glass fragments and fine particles; place all materials in a sealable plastic bag; wipe area with a damp paper towel to pick up stray glass shards and fine particles; add to plastic bag and seal for garbage disposal or for hazardous waste collection; open windows to ventilate the room.

A “Welcome Back Bluebirds” nesting contest is being sponsored by the San Juan Islands Western Bluebird Reintroduction Project. The contest will acknowledge the first member of the island community to have a Western bluebird nest on their property (in a nest box or in a natural cavity).

“We hope this contest will encourage islanders to notice and report nesting activity of the reintroduced bluebirds and their offspring,” Kathleen Foley, director of education for the San Juan Preservation Trust, said.

The winner will receive a cedar bluebird nest box and a Western Bluebird Reintroduction Project hat. Look for these brightly colored birds near fields and meadows, and in Garry oak habitat throughout the islands. For a complete identification guide, visit www.sjpt.org. Report sightings to Foley, 378-2461; or Barb Jensen of San Juan Islands Audubon, 378-3068.

Storytellers Robert Kikuchi-Yngojo and his wife Nancy Wang, who share tales under the name Eth-Noh-Tec, will present “Green Stories!” at the Odd Fellows Hall on Tuesday, April 21 at 7 p.m. Through ancient Asian myths and folktales, the performance celebrates a love of the Earth. The couple spend their summers on Orcas.

The family-friendly show is best for children seven and older. More information and tickets are available at 376-4320. A sliding scale donation of $5 to $15 is requested but no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

“It made perfect sense to do this, as our life’s work is about making a difference in the environment,” Kikuchi-Yngojo said.