08/28/2026
Welcome back to the final installment of our August series on Swan Lake for Fridays In Nature With WEAN.
Did you know that only 5% of coastal lagoons are left on the entire west coast of the United States, and Swan Lake is one of them? Or that it's estimated that 40% of all plants and wildlife—not to mention, 50% of the world's endangered species populations—rely on wetland habitat during their lifecycle? Wetlands like Swan Lake are vital to the health of our environments and support an interconnected web of plants and animals that rely on one another.
When Swan Lake was under threat of development, many came to the ecosystem’s defense. Steve Ellis of Whidbey Audubon Society captured its importance when he wrote for the Whidbey News-Times in 2012 that “Large numbers of waterfowl, shorebirds, and raptors make use of the Swan Lake watershed (species sighted there are one seventh of the total species found in the United States). For that reason, Island County has given it the designation of Habitat of Local Importance. Cutting down nearby forests and paving farmlands to build hundreds of houses would negatively impact this coastal estuary; increased sediment and pollution from excess development would change its character forever.” Permanent alteration and loss can never be undone—that’s why WEAN fights to protect Island County ecosystems with such determiniation, and why our founders and members worked so hard to advocate for Swan Lake.
What can you do to ensure wetlands thrive? Check out our latest StoryMap (see Swan Lake Part I), keep an eye out for when the Board of County Commissioners meet to talk about the Critical Areas Ordinance, and get in touch with us if you are aware of a wetland in danger. Thanks for all you do and stay tuned for next month when we’ll head to the prairie.
Photos by Nia Martin
