Journal staff report

The final event of the summer-long speaker series, “Climate Action Imperative: Understanding Impacts & Making Choices,” kicks off with a hosted reception at 5 p.m. followed by panel discussion, 7 p.m., today, at San Juan Community Theatre.

Both events are free and open to all community members.

The back-to-back events wrap up the series, which featured eight climate change experts—oceanographers to botanists, biologists to meteorologists.

The reception, co-hosted by the Northwest Straits Foundation and county Marine Resources Committee, is for community members who want to learn more about Northwest Straits Foundation’s role in protecting and restoring the health of the San Juans marine ecosystem and Northwest Straits region.

Following the reception, state Sen. Kevin Ranker (D-Orcas), who served on the Climate Legislative Executive Workgroup over the past year, and Puget Sound Partnership’s Stephanie Solien, vice president of Climate Solutions. will kick off the evening program with keynote addresses, followed by presentations and a panel discussion on climate action perspectives.

Panelists will include Dr. Jan Newton and Dr. Terrie Klinger, of the Washington Ocean Acidification Center; Dr. Joel Baker, Puget Sound Institute; Bill Dewey, Taylor Shellfish Farms; Dr. Billie Swalla, Friday Harbor Labs; Solien and Ranker. The panel discussion will be moderated by Lee Taylor of San Juan Island National Historical Park.

Series co-sponsors are: San Juan Island National Historical Park, Madrona Institute, San Juan Community Theatre, San Juan Islands Conservation District, The League of Women Voters of the San Juans, San Juan Island Library, San Juan Nature Institute, San Juan County Marine Resources Committee, Northwest Straits Foundation, Stewardship Network of the San Juans, Washington State University Extension Service, San Juan Island Grange #966 and the Agricultural Resources Committee of the San Juan Islands.