Madrona Institute

Youth Conservation Corps Support

Madrona Institute — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 00:29:24 +0000

The San Juan Island Conservation Corps will be conducting its second year of operation this spring, summer, and fall. The Madrona Institute is pleased to provide this youth stewardship program to middle school students on San Juan Island in cooperation with our federal partner, the National Park Service. Both our organizations feel strongly about the importance of engaging youth in field science, natural/cultural history, leadership skills development, and service leaning, at an early age.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Madrona Institute, we would like to acknowledge and thank local organizations who have provided financial support for this year’s program – San Juan Island Community Foundation, San Juan Masonic Lodge No. 175, and United Way of San Juan County. The Stewardship Network of the San Juans is a co-sponsor of the program. The San Juan Island Conservation Corps demonstrates the best of a public-private partnership nurturing deep connections between a younger generation and our public lands through recreational, educational, volunteer, and work experiences.

San Juan Islands Conservation District

Madrona Institute — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 23:30:22 +0000

The San Juan Islands Conservation District is a local governmental organization committed to protecting and enhancing the natural resources of the San Juan Islands ecosystem. The Conservation District provides natural resources education, information, and technical assistance free of charge to residents and organizations in San Juan County. Sustainable farm and forest planning, building and land use practices, and wildlife habitat preservation are some of the areas of services offered. The Madrona Institute supports the work of the Conservation District, and works closely with its Board and Staff. For more information about the San Juan Islands Conservation District, go to their website: www.sanjuanislandscd.org.

West Coast Sea Level Rise

Madrona Institute — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 17:17:06 +0000

On June 22, 2012, The National Academies released a new report entitled “Sea-Level Rise for the Coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington: Past, Present, and Future”. This report evaluates the major contributors to sea-level rise (SLR) along the west coast of the United States, and makes projections for SLR in the years 2030, 2050, and 2100. Key findings and projections include: melting of land ice is now the largest contributing factor (65%) to global SLR; a rise in global sea-level of between 50-140 cm (20-55 in) by 2100; and a rise in sea-level of between 10-143 cm (4-56 in) by 2100 along the WA, OR, and CA (north of Cape Mendocino) coasts. Dr. Philip Mote and Darrin Sharp, both of Oregon Climate Change Research Institute, contributed to the report.

Global Food Demand

Madrona Institute — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:34:57 +0000

[Click on title to read full item] The Journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences recently reported that global food demand could double by the year 2050 according to a new projection by scientists at the University of Minnesota. Global food demand is rising rapidly, as are the environmental impacts of agricultural expansion. The analysis indicates that the world faces major challenges unless agricultural practices change. With ever-increasing population, producing the amount of food needed could significantly increase levels of carbon dioxide and nitrogen and could cause extinction of numerous species.

Carbon Emissions Rising

Madrona Institute — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:14:30 +0000

[Click on title to read full item] The New York Times reported on Sunday, December 4, 2011, that global emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil-fuel burning jumped last year by the largest amount on record. Emissions rose by 5.9% in 2010, according to an analysis released Sunday by the Global Carbon Project, an international scientific collaboration tracking the numbers. The United States, the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China, saw a 4% rise in emissions with China’s increase being 10.4%. These new figures come at the time of climate talks among delegates of 191 counties in Durban, South Africa.

Percy Schmeiser Lecture

Madrona Institute — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 18:48:26 +0000

[Click on title to read full item] Percy Schmeiser is a Canadian farmer who fought Monsanto over the contamination of his canola fields by Monsanto’s Round-Up Ready Canola, a genetically modified organism (GMO), and won a landmark decision in the Supreme Court of Canada. Schmeiser came to Lopez Island and San Juan Island on October 22-23, 2011, to speak to the agricultural community here about his case. Hosted by the Lopez Community Land Trust and the San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild, Schmeiser’s lecture in Friday Harbor was filmed by Tom Munsey of San Juan Public Access Media. Copies of the Schmeiser Lecture DVD are available at the Lopez Library, Orcas Island Public Library, and the San Juan Island Library. For more information about Percy Schmeiser, visit his website at: http://www.percyschmeiser.com.

Recent Changes at Madrona

Madrona Institute — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 22:01:59 +0000

[Click on title to read full item] The Madrona Institute’s early program efforts were focused on international and national policy initiatives. Merle Lefkoff served as President of Madrona from 2009-2010, and was responsible for conducting a series of dialogues on Nuclear Disarmament and Nonproliferation Policy in Santa Fe, New Mexico. For more information about those dialogues and/or to contact Merle, you may reach her at: merle@arspublica.org. Roger Morris served as President of Madrona from 2010-2011, and was responsible for conducting the Holes in the World Symposium on the inner politics of the Gulf of Mexico oil calamity, held on San Juan Island. For more information about the symposium and/or to contact Roger, you may reach him at: RPMBook@aol.com. Ronald Zee became the current President of Madrona in the fall of 2011.

Islands Energy Coalition

Madrona Institute — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 23:33:05 +0000

The Islands Energy Coalition (IEC) is an alliance of energy enthusiasts and professionals with an interest in community discussions, solutions and empowerment towards a happy, resilient energy future for the San Juan Islands. The IEC mission is to envision and foster a local energy economy that is thriving and based on the principles of ecology, peace and social justice. The IEC’s major goal is to create a robust county-wide energy plan that is results-oriented and makes San Juan County a leader in conservation, education and development of appropriate renewable energy projects. IEC members come from Lopez, Orcas, and San Juan Islands, and the Madrona Institute is a member. To learn more about the IEC, visit their website at: http://islandsenergy.wordpress.com.

San Juan Islands Conservation District

Madrona Institute — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 23:31:18 +0000

The San Juan Islands Conservation District is a local governmental organization committed to protecting and enhancing the natural resources of the San Juan Islands ecosystem. The Conservation District provides natural resources education, information, and technical assistance free of charge to residents and organizations in San Juan County. Sustainable farm and forest planning, building and land use practices, and wildlife habitat are some of the areas of services offered. The Madrona Institute supports the work of the Conservation District, and works closely with its Board and Staff. For more information about the San Juan Islands Conservation District, go to their website: www.sanjuanislandscd.org.

Stewardship Network of the San Juans

Madrona Institute — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 23:28:32 +0000

The Stewardship Network of the San Juans is a coalition of private and public organizations whose vision is a healthy, thriving ecosystem in the San Juan Archipelago from land to sea. The Network’s mission is to promote a stewardship ethic in the San Juan Islands, recognizing that good stewards are caretakers of the natural world that sustains us. The Madrona Institute is the fiscal sponsor and a member of the Stewardship Network whose nearly two-dozen members meet monthly to share information and ideas, explore potential collaboration on sustainable living, and organize special events to foster public participation in stewardship efforts. For more information about the Stewardship Network, see the website: Stewardship Network.