Kwiaht, the Indian Island Marine Health Observatory, and Nancy Knapp’s Fifth Grade class will celebrate the installation of an Indian Island Gateway interpretive sign on Main Street in  Eastsound on Tuesday June 17 at 11:30 am.

Student art describing animals and plants that live on Indian Island has been printed on vinyl and mounted on a low, sweeping galvanized steel form designed by Russel Barsh of Kwiaht and built by Bos Welding of Lopez. Just a few steps away from the stairs to the beach, the sign aims to encourage visitors to enjoy Indian Island gently and responsibly.

Grade Five students studied the behavior and ecology of seven animals and plants for three months before preparing drawings and text for the sign. They will share some of their interests and what they learned at the June 17 ceremony.

Indian Island became part of the San Juan Islands National Monument in 2013. It is administered by the Bureau of Land Management, and local volunteers of the Indian Island Marine Health Observatory provide monitoring and outreach to more than 6,000 visitors each year.  Work on an informational sign began when volunteers discovered that most visitors were unaware of its ecological significance.