Edge of the Salish Sea | Art, poetry, science walk and workshop

Published 1:30 am Monday, April 13, 2026

Submitted by event organizers.

Exploring Life on the Edge – Waterfront Beach Walk and Hands-on Learning

April 18, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Parish Hall on Orcas Island. All ages welcome.

Enjoy some of the year’s first daytime low tides on a guided beach walk with Tina Whitman, senior science director with Friends of the San Juans. Observe and identify local species and habitats that thrive at the intersection of land and sea, learn how our shorelines support the regional marine ecosystem and get inspired by this amazing place! Rain or shine. All ages welcome (young kids with an adult, please). Boots or shoes that can get muddy are best; 10 a.m. to noon.

After a bring-your-own picnic lunch, we dive into art and poetry learning experiences with Debra Lee Babcock and Abigail Morgan Prout and translate our morning discoveries into written and visual works from 1-3 p.m.

Register at https://earthdayorcas.org/edge-of-the-salish-sea.

Art Workshop: Picturing Place – Let’s Make a Mural Together! with Debra Lee Babcock

If it is true that we are shaped by where we live, come create a mural in honor of this place at the edge of the Salish Sea, where we live. Let’s consider who, and what else, lives here with us? How does living on this beautiful island together, surrounded by the sea, continue to teach, nurture and shape us, and how do we affect it? What memories do we hold, and what do we want to leave for the future? Each participant will create their own square to add to the mural, with templates available for inspiration. All materials will be provided, but you are welcome to bring favorites of your own as well. No previous art experience needed, everyone will be welcomed with love! Led by Debra Lee Babcock of Orcas, 1-3 p.m.

Poetry Workshop: “Shaped by the Shoreline” with Abigail Morgan Prout

We are shaped by place. During this poetry workshop, we will be exploring our relationship with the shoreline, specifically the shoreline of our beloved Salish Sea. We will be journeying into a specific memory at the edge that continues to teach, nurture and shape us. From this exploration, we will emerge to “write into” the ongoing relationship with this special place, honoring Earth with a personalized ode. No previous poetry experience needed! Led by Abigail Morgan Prout of Lopez, 1-3 p.m.

Sponsored by Earth Day Orcas, Friends of the San Juans and Eye of the Whale Arts.