Researchers have found nearly 250 species of bees, with the most common family here in the San Juans being Bombus, but you can call them bumble bees. These little resilient bees are happy to fly longer distances over the water; making them key species on the smaller islands. This area is home to nineteen different species of bumblers. We also have many types of hoverflies - which disguise themselves as bees and wasps to avoid predators - as part of the ruse they have become effective pollen transporters.

Almost all of the pollinators on Orcas Island are solitary nesting bees and flies. Many of them prefer to dig their own homes in well-draining soil, near food sources like meadows. When trying to attract native bees to the area, it is important to be considerate of both their nesting habitat and food sources. Many of the bees that reside here are around until late in the summer, despite many native plants being finished flowering by July. You can help them survive by planting friendly garden flowers that bloom later in the year, providing them nectar all season long.

There are many fruiting and seed-bearing perrenials around the library; and in order for their continuation, they must be spread and saved by birds, the wind, and us. Seed harvesting and saving has been a practice since time immemorial. Our indigenous ancestors understood the importance of collecting seeds, as well as responsible foraging. We’ve learned from them that saving seeds from edible crops ensures a reliable food source for seasons to come. Additionally, by saving seeds and planting them with permaculture in mind, we can help bolster natural biodiversity and preserve native plant species that might be outcompeted otherwise. Exchanging saved seed and knowledge can further be crucial to cultural preservation. You can always research, “borrow,” or “return” saved seeds any time the library is open

The mountainous ecology of the San Juan islands is populated by tough plants that can withstand the challenges of stiff oceanic winds, exposed fractured bedrock, and an unchecked population of blacktailed deer. Clumping grasses such as you will find here fill an important niche in this ecosystem, benefitting pollinators, regulating soil moisture and microbiogy, providing nesting habitat, and softening the stalwart indigenous conifers, madrona, and ancient rock.

Birds are crucial to any ecosystem, including the library garden. They serve bigger roles than just enhancing the soundscape and being fun to observe. Some species, like hummingbirds, are helpful pollinators; others, like woodpeckers, serve as pest control for small invertebrates; but perhaps their biggest role is in spreading seeds around. You may see them nesting in the bristlecone pine, eating the berries of the flowering currant, or digging around in the ground for grubs.

Folks gather on the library grounds year-round, and we’ve worked with many volunteers and community partners to make the space welcome over the decades. The library opened in its current location in 1993 and doubled in size in 2018 to accommodate a growing island population. The library landscape is as much a draw for patrons as the collection, and we are honored to provide a place for quiet reflection and joyful play, depending on the season and time of day.

On December 22, 1997, Bob and Phyllis Henigson purchased and gifted to San Juan County two parcels on Prune Alley; this gift is Library Park. The Henigsons established a fund at the Orcas Island Community Foundation, stewarded by the Library, to improve and maintain the park in perpetuity.

Robin Kucklick designed the beautiful park, which features the declaration of rights from the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.