The Orcas Landing marine interpretive area was opened in May 2021 with a moving ceremony that included San Juan County Council, Coast Salish tribes, 40th LD Representative Debra Lekanoff, the MRC, and the artists that created elements of the site.
Orcas Landing Experience
Developing Interpretive Panels for Orcas Landing
The Orcas Landing County marine facility, once a defunct fueling station, has been repurposed into an inviting public space and marine interpretive area. The San Juan MRC partnered with San Juan County to help create a marine interpretive area as a part of the newly developed Orcas Landing.
The MRC worked with PNW artist Larry Eifert to produce two beautiful interpretive signs. One takes viewers under the bay to learn about the local ecosystem and species that inhabit it. The other panel shares the traditional Coast Salish reef net fishing practices, once common in the Islands, as guided by Patti Gobin of the Tulalip Tribes. The Coast Salish mural “Preservation” ties the community together in its interpretation of the past, present, and future of life in the Islands.
A rich and vibrant home for all
A connection with nature
Three years in the making, the team creating this project included San Juan
County’s Environmental Resources Division, our contracted artists, including
Coast Salish muralists, and our Marine Resources Committee. The project features a beautiful overlook, a series of informational panels, native plantings, a steel kelp forest sculpture, and a significant Coast Salish-designed and inspired mural.
Mural artists unveiling their work.
Marine information booth created by MRC volunteers.
Lummi Tribe including Chief of Staff Anthony Hillaire, Councilwoman Lisa Wilson, and Chairman Solomon ending the opening with a Lummi ceremonial song.
MRC Lead Staff Frances Robertson presenting MRC Tribal representative Patti Gobin with a gift of thanks for her guidance on the project.