Listen To WEAN's Podcast

Welcome to “Action Hour” with the Whidbey Environmental Action Network.

On this podcast, we discuss environmental issues affecting Whidbey and Camano Islands in Washington State, dive into ecology and policy impact, and educate you, the public, on what you can do about it.

Available on Spotify, Apple Music, iHeart Radio, or here on our website.

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The time is now and change starts with us.

Episode 1: (Re)Introducing WEAN Founders Marianne Edain and Steve Erickson, Part 1

In the inaugural episode of Action Hour with the Whidbey Environmental Action Network, our host Amanda Bullis interviews founders Marianne Edain and Steve Erickson about their lives as environmental activists and the formation of WEAN. Marianne and Steve have been working tirelessly on ecological conservation efforts in Island County, WA for over forty years, and are responsible for saving critical lands on Whidbey and Camano Islands, including the prairie land at Pacific Rim Institute, Trillium Forest, Saratoga Woods, and many more.

PRI refers to the Pacific Rim Institute on Whidbey Island, WA and Marianne's mention of "Mount Tam" is a reference to Mount Tamalpais in Marin County, California.

Episode 2: (Re)Introducing WEAN Founders Marianne Edain and Steve Erickson, Part 2

In Episode 2 of Action Hour with the Whidbey Environmental Action Network, Amanda continues her initial conservation with WEAN founders Marianne Edain and Steve Erickson about the formation of WEAN, their reputation for holding the county accountable, and their hopes for future environmental activists.

Episode 3: An Overview of the State Environmental Policy Act

In this episode of Action Hour with the Whidbey Environmental Action Network, Marianne and Steve walk Amanda through the State Environmental Policy Act, known as SEPA. Warning: this episode is policy heavy, and therefore a little dry upfront, but we promise to make it up to you at some point!

If you dare, you can read SEPA yourself here.

Episode 4: The Shoreline Management Act And Sea Level Rise

How long can we hold back the sea? With sea level rise affecting shore communities around the world, local governments must ask and answer big questions. In this episode, Steve and Marianne walk Amanda through Washington State's Shoreline Management Act (SMA) and the Shoreline Master Programs that govern shoreline management on the county level.

If you dare, you can read the SMA yourself here.

Episode 5: The Limitless Growth Of The GMA

What does growth mean for our little islands? What are the limits? This episode of Action Hour goes through the Growth Management Act, the policy managing population and development growth in Washington State, and how it impacts our county. This episode is deep policy upfront, and community impact on the backend. Listen through for maximum learning experience.

Engage in the Comprehensive Planning process in Island County here.

Read the GMA here.

Episode 6: Free Speech, Vietnam, and Civil Disobedience

In the latest episode of Action Hour, Marianne and Steve walk Amanda through Marianne's arrest record, her involvement in the Free Speech movement, Steve dodging the Vietnam draft, and the Democratic Convention in Chicago in 1968.

Tune in and "get off the bus" with us.

Special thanks to Smithsonian Folkway Recordings and Schroder Music Company for permission to use a recording of "It Isn't Nice" by Malvina Reynolds.

Episode 7: What's Critical? Part 1

The Growth Management Act requires all counties in Washington State to adopt regulations protecting “critical areas.” What are they? Why are they important? How are they protected? During part one of this two-part series, Marianne and Steve walk Amanda through two of the five designated areas: wetlands and areas with a critical recharging effect on aquifers used for potable water. 

Episode 8: What's Critical? Part 2

In the second part of this two-part series, Marianne and Steve walk Amanda through three more critical areas designated in the Growth Management Act: fish and wildlife habitat conservation areas, geologically hazardous areas, and frequently flooded areas. Why are they important? Listen to find out.

Episode 9: What We Can Learn From The Hippie

In this episode of Action Hour, Marianne Edain and Steve Erickson chat with Amanda about balancing motherhood and activism, rescuing succulents under cover of darkness, and what we all can learn from the hippie movement.

Episode 10: The Zero Waste Movement With David Haskell

In this episode of Action Hour, Amanda interviews Whidbey Island resident, zero waste practitioner, and career environmentalist David Haskell about the systemic ways in which industry has designed toxic waste into the lifecycle of our products —and how we might design our way out of it. 

Episode 11: Low Hanging Fruit — Island County's Organic Waste Problem With David Haskell

On this episode of Action Hour, Amanda continues her conversation with environmentalist and zero waste practitioner David Haskell about how changing our organic waste management strategies on a local level could greatly reduce our carbon footprint as an island community.

Episode 12: Capitalism, Community Resilience, And The Environment With Marnie Jackson

Amanda chats with WEAN's Executive Director Marnie Jackson about how we can effect environmental change amid a rapidly shifting climate reality accelerated by capitalism, starting with choices at home and caring for our most vulnerable neighbors.

Episode 13: Reflecting On Wildfire With Marnie Jackson

Marnie and Amanda reflect on what they learned about wildfire resilience on Whidbey Island and beyond from attending a wildfire conference hosted by Whidbey Climate Action at WICA this month. The “Think The Unthinkable” conference program and additional resources are available on the Whidbey Climate Action website here: https://www.whidbeyclimate.org/wildfire

Episode 14: The Comprehensive Planning Process With Marianne Edain And Steve Erickson

We’re back with WEAN founders Marianne Edain and Steve Erickson. In this episode, Marianne and Steve walk Amanda through the origins of the county-level comprehensive planning process, WEAN’s history of appealing the Island County Comprehensive Plan, and how the planning process relates to the Growth Management Act of Washington State. 

Live in Island County? Check out the county's engagement portal for the current comprehensive planning process: https://www.islandcounty2045.com/compplan

Episode 15: The Comp Plan Continued With Marianne Edain And Steve Erickson

In this episode of Action Hour, Amanda continues discussing the considerations and impacts of the county's comprehensive planning process with WEAN founders Marianne Edain and Steve Erickson. If you missed the last episode, listen to that one first!

Episode 16: Building Tool Libraries And Economies Of Sharing With Josh Epstein

On this episode of Action Hour, Amanda chats with Seattle REconomy’s Executive Director Josh Epstein about their Northeast Seattle and Shoreline tool libraries, how to build a tool library of your own, and the societal and environmental benefits of creating circular economies of reuse and sharing.

Learn more about Seattle REconomy: https://seattlereconomy.org/

Learn more about how to build your own tool library: www.sharable.net

Episode 17: Vote NO On I-2117 With Mark Prentice

On this episode of Action Hour, Amanda speaks with Communications Director Mark Prentice from the NO On 2117 campaign about the harmful impacts Initiative 2117 poses to our environment, transportation systems, and public health in Washington State. A proud member of the historic NO On 2117 coalition of over 500 organizations across Washington state, WEAN urges you to vote NO on I-2117 this November.

Get involved with the NO On 2117 campaign at: https://no2117.com/

Episode 18: Thinking Small In The World Of Microbiology With Linda Rhodes

On this episode of Action Hour, Amanda chats with microbiologist Linda Rhodes about the fascinating world of microbiology, the bad wrap we give bacteria, monitoring kidney disease in salmon, and what we can learn from thinking about ecosystems on a micro-scale. 

Episode 19: Monitoring Bull Kelp In Island County With Linda Rhodes

On this episode of Action Hour, Amanda is back with microbiologist Linda Rhodes to discuss what she has learned as a citizen scientist monitoring bull kelp in the nearshore marine environment off the coast of Whidbey and Camano Islands with the Island County Marine Resources Committee.

Learn about the Northwest Straits Commission. Learn more about the Island County MRC and how to get involved.

Episode 20: A Brief History Of Logging In Washington With Marianne Edain And Steve Erickson

In this episode of Action Hour, WEAN founders Marianne Edain and Steve Erickson give a brief overview of the history of logging in Washington and the negative impact correlating forest practices have had on the forests of the state. 

Episode 21: A Loophole In Island County's Forest Practices

For decades, WEAN founder Marianne Edain has been reviewing Forest Practices Applications (FPAs), the sole citizen in Island County providing oversight to the process. Over time, she discovered a disturbing pattern in Island County allowing applicants to circumvent environmental assessment. In this episode, Marianne explains the different types of Forest Practices permits issued by the Department of Natural Resources and the loophole she's discovered. Then Steve follows up with some solutions to the problem. 

Episode 22: "Not In Our Parks" — WEAN vs WA State Parks

Since at least the early 2000s, the US Navy had been using Washington State Parks for clandestine Navy Seals training without the knowledge of the public but with the permission of Washington State Parks. In 2022, WEAN litigated against the WA Parks Commission for allowing this activity to happen in our public parks and won.

Episode 23: WEAN's Battle For Critical Areas Protections In Island County, Part 1

Before 1984, Island County did not have a permanent code for development. Between 1982 and 1984, Marianne and Steve helped the county develop a permanent code, which may have included the first critical areas protections in the state. Then, the Growth Management Act passed in 1990, and Island County refused to comply, so Marianne and Steve took the county to court in a battle that would last decades. 

This is part one of a two-part conversation. 

Episode 24: WEAN's Battle For Critical Areas Protections In Island County, Part 2

WEAN founders Marianne Edain and Steve Erickson continue to chronicle their decades-long battle to protect critical areas in Island County and delve into the concepts of “takings” and “no net loss” of ecological function. 

If you haven’t listened to the previous episode, start there. 

Unfamiliary with the laws and terminology? Consider listening to our episodes on critical areas and the Growth Management Act first. 

Episode 25: The Need For Public Benefit Rating Reform With Marianne And Steve

On this episode of Action Hour, WEAN founders Steve Erickson and Marianne Edain explain the Public Benefit Rating System (PBRS) tax program on the state level and discuss how Island County could reform its PBRS program to include ecological classifications for forestry and beyond.

See Island County's basis for assessment for PBRS⁠ here⁠.

Read the county code for PBRS, Chapter 3.40, ⁠here⁠.

Read the state statute, RCW 84.34.055, ⁠here⁠. 

Episode 26: Monitoring And Protecting The Western Toad With Steve Erickson

Amanda and Steve discuss the conservation efforts for the western toad on Whidbey Island, including the challenges faced by the species due to rapid development and habitat destruction. They also explore the potential of using remote sensing approaches, such as bioacoustic monitoring and environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling techniques, to detect and understand the behavior of the species.

WDFW Western Toad Calls here.

Report Toad Sighting to WDFW here.

Report Toad Sighting to WEAN here.

Episode 27: Talking Conservation Easements And Contiguous Habitat With WCLT's Ryan Elting

What exactly is a conservation easement? How do they work? Why would a landowner decide to put one on their property? Whidbey Camano Land Trust's Executive Director, Ryan Elting, joins Amanda on an episode of the Action Hour podcast to discuss the many benefits of conservation easements, bringing conservation values to affordable housing, and WCLT's vision for protected contiguous habitat on Whidbey and Camano Islands.

⁠See Conservation Easement Q&A⁠ here.

Learn more about Whidbey Camano Land Trust here. 

Episode 28: Making Positive Change, A Framework For Activism With Marianne Edain

Marianne and Amanda demystify the step-by-step process foundational to Marianne’s years of successful environmental activism. Societal problems are complex, government agencies are complex, and local communities engaging with this complexity over and over again is imperative to making lasting change in the world. 

Learn how to tackle an issue, share the workload, and keep showing up for each other and our planet. 

Framework guide here.