Hello KIRC/CAC fam!

In an effort to expand on the Keeping It REAL Caregiving concept of CARING for one another - as promised - an entry to for the Caring Across Communities, Inc. portfolio.

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Quite often, these nuggets will be focused on the intersection of the environment: the need for clean air, clean water, public lands that remain ‘public’ and free of development and/or degradation, and protecting and conserving eco-systems for fellow species.

How can we be great if we fail to CARE for the very items that sustain our world?

If you LOVE the great outdoors and LOVE our National Parks, then you might also LOVE this offering from the Sierra Club — brilliant!

I’m sharing this information direct from the source:

National Parks Pass Cover

Show your Sierra Club support as you explore our National Parks

These National Parks Pass covers let you show your support for the unique landscapes and irreplaceable wildlife you love.

Just download our set of three designs and follow our easy instructions to fold and slip on over your parks pass.

DOWNLOAD FOR FREE

Thanks Sierra Club for this great idea!
For more information on the work of the Sierra Club and how you can get involved:

The Sierra Club

Thanks for the continued support!

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Until next time~
Julia

There are no accidents.
Everyone comes into your life for a reason.
Everything happens for a reason.

Quite often we do not recognize the significance of events or chance meetings until years later.

On a cool but sunny afternoon in July 2009, I walked a trail through a beautiful outdoor space and chatted with a man named Billy Frank, Jr.

The excursion was part of a 10-day environmental sciences fellowship with the Institute for Journalism and Natural Resources, where I joined other journalists to explore the environmental challenges facing the Puget Sound region.

At the time, I lived and worked as a news anchor in Miami. Though on opposite coasts, both regions shared some of the same environmental struggles: protecting fragile ecosystems from unchecked development, preserving critical habitat, managing invasive species, and finding win-win solutions for wildlife and humans alike.

I spent a good deal of time that day with Billy Frank, Jr. — but did not appreciate the magnitude of the moment. And that’s because I did not know his history.

Billy Frank, Jr. was a Nisqually Indian Tribe leader who spent his life fighting for his people’s treaty right to fish the waters of their ancestors. During the Fish Wars of the 1960s and 1970s, that dedication led to more than 50 arrests. His activism drove the landmark 1974 Boldt Decision, securing tribal co-management of Pacific Northwest fisheries. He then turned to habitat restoration and conservation — protecting the very land and water he had always defended.

In 2015, six years after our meeting, President Obama renamed the wildlife refuge in his honor.

Photos courtesy of Julia Yarbough, 2009.

Photo courtesy of Julia Yarbough, 2026.

On a cool, overcast afternoon in February 2026, I pulled into the Billy Frank, Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, en route to Olympia to join Friday Harbor High School Eco-Club students for a day of legislative advocacy.

The moment I saw the entry sign, I knew I had been to this magical place before.

I had walked the boardwalk, strolled the shoreline, been awed by the beauty. Not only had I visited this place — I had spent the afternoon with a Nisqually Indian Tribe icon; a powerful advocate, environmentalist, and conservationist who dedicated his life to protecting the land of his ancestors, home to more than 300 species of birds, fish, and wildlife.

That land remains for all of us, because of Billy Frank, Jr.’s commitment to protecting it.

Seventeen years later, Washington is home. It is an honor to live in such a unique region and serve Friends of the San Juans as Volunteer Media Ambassador.

Without knowing how or why, fate brought me to the Pacific Northwest; to the San Juan Islands — perhaps, like the icon I met all those years ago so I could work alongside ‘Friends’ as we all Protect this Place.

*Caring Across Communities, Inc. is the non-profit arm to Keeping It REAL Caregiving.

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*The reality is, the concept of CARE extends beyond only looking out for a relative or friend. I believe it also means being aware of the ongoing need to CARE for the world around us and all the species which share this space.

*We are stewards of our lands, water, air, and other life forms. If we make decisions to destroy any or all of that for the short-term financial gains of a few, then the very world we all need to survive may be forever damaged or destroyed. Species may cease to exist. We are ALL responsible for what we leave to future generations. Please CARE for the world around us…

Until next time~
Julia

I’m super excited to share this post with you. It is a true merging of passion, ideals, and love of the outdoors. It is work that ‘connects the dots’ between caregiving and the importance of extending that same CARE to the world around us; our environment! My goal is to dedicate (hopefully) at least one day a week to link different aspects of CARE.

This segment goes one step further by showcasing the power of intergenerational awareness and advocacy that has the ability to impact our lives for years, and perhaps generations to come. Keep reading to find the overview of a recent event I had the honor of taking part in and capturing the day’s events. It helped renew my faith in the power of unity as Generation Z and Generation Alpha come of age and move into decision-making roles!

Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, WA, March, 2026

PRESS RELEASE

Advocating for protecting the unique environment of the San Juan Islands, 15 students from the Friday Harbor High School Eco Club and one student from Orcas Island High School traveled to the State Capitol in Olympia, on February 24, 2026. The students, ranging from freshman to seniors, took part in a series of one-on-one meetings with members of the Governor’s staff and state legislators, exercising their civic rights to voice opinions and strive for change.

“I have always had a great appreciation of nature and a painful awareness of the existential reality of climate change,” said high school senior Flora Vaught, and President of the Friday Harbor High School Eco Club. “I wanted to make a difference. Traveling to Olympia has taught me more about politics, leadership, and organizing than any school class or textbook. Meeting with our district legislators and Senator has helped me become a more civically educated citizen and given me more hope in our ability as ordinary citizens to help incite change in policy.”

Mentorship support of the Eco Club is led by Friends of the San Juans and the San Juan County Department of Environmental Stewardship. Financial support for student’s day of legislative action was provided by Friends members, the Madrona Institute Stewardship Fund, and the San Juan Island Community Foundation.

The advocacy day began with a roundtable discussion with staff from the Governor’s office of Natural Resources followed by individual meetings with District 40’s Senator Liz Lovelett, Representative Debra Lekanoff, and Representative Alex Ramel. Students delivered talking points and asked questions on select bills of the 2026 legislative session pertaining to conservation, renewable energy, plastics and recycling, and home energy usage.

At the forefront of action items was Washington’s Bottle Deposit Bill, HB 1607 / SB 5502, which would have Washington consumers pay an extra 10-cents on bottles or beverage containers, with the goal of reducing litter and plastic waste. Students also advocated for HB 1015, designed to make energy efficiency information about a home more transparent for buyers and renters.

Speaking directly to the Governor’s staff, Eco Club sophomore August D’ambruoso outlined why he supports HB 1015, explaining “It incentivizes green solutions in homes and can save people who are looking to buy a house thousands of dollars in hidden fees from insulation and heat pumps, which I think is pretty important.”

“I was amazed to watch our students explain, promote, and defend their priorities for legislation to veteran legislators,” explains Sam Garson, Friday Harbor High School teacher, and advisor of the Eco Club. “It was a great reminder of the skills we are instilling in our students to support personal connections away from screens and devices that allow them to be present in the moment and in their own community futures.”

This is the sixth year Eco Club students have traveled to Olympia to gain first-hand experience of how bills are made, meeting their lawmakers, and being exposed to possible career opportunities.

“Our club is unique. We get the freedom to pursue and advocate for projects and legislation we are passionate about and I know we will continue to work hard to protect our unique environment in this crucial time.” said Vaught.

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About Friends of the San Juans

Founded in 1979, Friends of the San Juans protects and restores the San Juan Islands through science, education, policy, and community engagement. Friends fosters wild and healthy shorelines, conserves forests, farms, freshwater, and prairie habitats, and works to ensure a thriving marine ecosystem. Through hands-on learning and youth leadership opportunities, Friends empowers the next generation to care for the land and sea while advancing policies that protect island communities for years to come. Learn more at www.sanjuans.org.

As a family caregiver who cares deeply for the health, well-being, and protection of our environment, it warms my heart to see the level of dedication and passion in these young people.

Thanks for indulging this expansion of CARE-related work. I hope it inspires even ONE additional person to learn, get involved, and take steps to protect the only planet we have.

Until next time~
Julia