Beam Reach

Beginning Science, Sustainability, and Adventures in Friday Harbor

I look out of the window to see the great pines of the west coast, lush green fauna, and the blue-green waters of the harbor drawing me out to explore as I write from the UW Friday Harbor Labs on San Juan Island. I still remember the first time my mom and I came to visit the San Juan Islands; I have been waiting to return ever since. There is something incredibly special about this place. Often whilst walking around I feel there is magic in this fresh, salty air that blows in from the sea.I am not sure what has been more captivating to me during this first week, the scenery or the academic atmosphere I have been immersed.

From the moment our class sat down on the ferry the educational immersion into the Pacific Northwest ecosystem began. Each of us had enthusiastic curiosities about the ecology of the San Juan Islands and of course the Southern Resident Orca Whales that live here. I knew I was with a great group of people from the start. Our first week has been filled with many adventures, both in and out of class time. No matter what we are doing I can guarantee that there will be sounds of laughter, singing with guitar playing, and lots of whale talk present.

Lime Kiln

The weather has been a perfect introduction to living in the Pacific Northwest. We had a few days with misty rain and strong winds, but have also been incredibly lucky to get decent amounts of sunshine with clear skies. As a class we have made two trips to Lime Kiln Point this week where we have started our introductions to bio-acoustics and observing the ecology of the ecosystem.Lime Kiln is one of the most refreshing places to be. Making your way through the madrones trees down to the rocky shore, the breeze blows in from Haro Strait and it seems that life can’t possibly get better than this.

Of course, not all of our time can be spent out and about adventuring; we have also had lots of interesting lectures and stimulating discussions. Basic whale biology and the natural history of orca whales have been a major topic this week, as well as discussions about sustainability science. Sustainability science is an up and coming form of science that focuses on, you guessed it, sustainability and science. You may be wondering how one actually defines and practices sustainability science…well we have been thinking on this question for a good part of our class time this week. My personal definition has already begun to shape itself into something different than its origin. I think that it is best to first think about what it means to be sustainable. I believe that sustainability is the balance between the environment and human civilization that promotes a level of social equity which we are able to maintain for future generations. Sustainability science studies subjects with the goal of contributing to the search for the “sustainable balance” while also practicing sustainable methods throughout the research process. Looking ahead to the weeks to come, I am sure that both of these definitions will evolve, but I am enjoying each and every second that keep my brain wheels turning. This spring our class is lucky enough to be involved in the controversial Cherry Point coal terminal debate by contributing base-line data to the scoping process. Katie Fleming from ReSources for Sustainable Communities met with us for an afternoon to share sustainable ideas from the region, as well as give us an introduction to the impacts from the proposed coal terminal.

I look forward to spending more time learning about this particular issue and doing some “science” in two weeks when we make our first cruise on the Gato up to Cherry Point!