Submitted by San Juan County.

Small actions make a world of difference! This spring, join your fellow islanders in the 2025 Spring Great Islands Clean-Up and take action to keep our beaches and roadways clean. The event takes place on Saturday, April 12, on Lopez Island and Saturday, April 26, on Orcas, Shaw and San Juan islands. Every piece of litter removed helps protect our local wildlife, waterways and shorelines.

Katie Johnson, marine project coordinator for San Juan County, highlights the event’s theme, “Think Global, Act Local,” emphasizing that every cleanup effort helps protect our marine environment. “Plastic pollution doesn’t just impact our shorelines—it breaks down into microplastics that enter our waters and threaten marine life,” said Johnson. “By removing litter before it reaches waterways, we help protect the Salish Sea and all the creatures that call this place home.”

Participants can sign up to clean a designated beach or road and then bring their collected trash to a central meeting point to be counted. For details on cleanup locations and how to get involved, visit plasticfreesalishsea.org/events. Be sure to share your cleanup adventures on Facebook and Instagram using #GICU2025 or send them to katiej@sanjuancountywa.gov.

The Great Islands Clean-Up is a collaborative effort led by the San Juan County Department of Environmental Stewardship’s Solid Waste Program in partnership with Orcas Recycling Services, Lautenbach Recycling, Lopez Solid Waste Disposal District, San Juan Sanitation, Friends of the San Juans, the Stewardship Network of the San Juans and countless volunteers, businesses and service groups. This event is made possible through funding from the Washington State Department of Ecology’s Community Litter Cleanup Program.

Save the dates and join the effort to keep our marine waters clean — every piece of litter removed helps protect the Salish Sea!

Contact: Katie Johnson, marine project coordinator, at katiej@sanjuancountywa.gov or 360-375-5863.

San Juan County’s Department of Environmental Stewardship is responsible for solid waste, marine resources, clean water, cultural resources and climate and sustainability work. The department offices are located at 1609 Beaverton Valley Road, Friday Harbor, WA 98250. For more information about San Juan County’s Department of Environmental Stewardship, visit www.sanjuancountywa.gov/839/Environmental-Stewardship]www.sanjuancountywa.gov/839/Environmental-Stewardship.