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There are quite a few seedling trees to visit as well. And two of the biggest native qáyexwilch (Malus fusca) we've ever seen (back behind the old Convalescent Center/soon to be new Library)

A very large, leafless tree, next to a gray building. The tree is twice as tall as the building.

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If you head out to Evergreen Park (a small square of lawn off of Spruce Street), you'll find a Baldwin growing from the neighbor's yard out over the park. Baldwin is a great keeper, ripening late and staying pretty (and tasty) all winter.

A cluster of unripe green and red Baldwin apples hanging in a tree. They are round and have subtle bumps at the blossom end.

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Back at Spring Street International School there are three big Glowing Coal trees right out front. A very unusual early ripening variety, the large fruit are very juicy, with a honey flavor.

A large round striped Glowing Coal apple viewed from above. It is yellow with red stripes overlain with darker red stripes. There is rough brown russet around the stem.

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Right along the road across Argyle Avenue from the Land Bank is a big beautiful Belmont tree. This variety is rare, perhaps because it is too delicate to ship or store, but is a delightful tart dessert apple.

A bunch of large green Belmont apples on a large leafy apple tree, viewed from below.

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Peeking over the fence at the Land Bank's parking lot is a Red Gravenstein, based on when it would have been planted it was very likely grafted from the blood red sport discovered in Olga on Orcas Island around 1905. And there's another of the same with the King behind the Museum of Art.

A round deep red Gravenstein apple viewed from above. You can see brown russet around the stem.

There are two yellow Gravensteins in the county annex across from the court house, and one in the front yard of the San Juan County Conservation Land Bank's office.

A large round yellow Gravenstein apple with small red stripes and green leaves.

You'll find King of Tompkins County, for example, behind the Masonic Hall, alongside the Key Bank parking lot, behind Spring Street International School, and behind the San Juan Islands Museum of Art

Two large striped King apples attached close together at the stems on a leafy branch. They are oblong and have distinct bumps on the blossom end.

Farm Tours | Orcas Island

We have a map of historic apple trees in Friday Harbor! You can download if from the Food Security page of our website or come to our apple tasting Sunday with the San Juan Island Grange and get yourself a hard copy. Funded by the Town of Friday Harbor Lodging Tax.

kwiaht.org

Food Security

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Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · 3h

Orcas Island Farm Tours are this weekend! The stop at Lum Farm includes historic orchards. The trees along the driveway are Baldwins, Rhode Island Greening, and one of the oldest quince trees in the islands. You may also see Gravenstein, Belmont, Westfield-Seek-no-Further, and Fallawater.

farmtourssanjuans.com

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Adam 🍎 @adapples.bsky.social · 16h

Scenes from an apple tasting (🧵)

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San Juan County News Flash @sji-countynews.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

All San Juan County Beaches Closed to Recreational Shellfish Harvesting www.sanjuancountywa.gov/CivicAlerts…

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Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · 01/10/2026

We have a lot of events this month! More info on our Calendar www.kwiaht.org/calendar.htm

A photo of a zine page. It reads: " What we're up to & you can join: Apple tastings: SJI Grange Oct 4 3-5. Fruit City Apple Fest Oct 10 1-4. Lopez Museum Oct 11 1-4. Orcas Museum Oct 17 12:30-2:30. Arsenic workshops: Lopez Library Oct 1 4-6. Orcas Library Oct 10 1-3 & Oct 29 4-6. Book launch Lopez Library Oct 22. Pollinators @ Orcas Library Oct 24 1-3."

Adam 🍎 @adapples.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Reposted by Kwiaht

September inflection point: Suddenly SO MANY kinds of apples you can buy at farmers market! SINCE YOU INSIST, they are Ambrosia Cortland Crimson Crisp Fuji Gala Golden Delicious Golden Russet Honeycrisp Hudson's Golden Gem Jonagold Jonathan Macoun McIntosh Mutsu Shamrock Spencer oops outa space

Apples apples apples all kinds apples in wooden crates on tables under umbrellas in front of a truck

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Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · 26/09/2026

We have started using Zines to get the word out about our work and events

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Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · 26/09/2026

We want health providers, including veterinarians, to know about ticks and tick borne diseases in the San Juan Islands. We put together a short film to share what we're learning youtu.be/BcCaT3tkyzE

youtu.be

Ticks in the San Juan Islands

YouTube video by Ken Kortge

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If you are in the islands and have trees you think we should visit contact our botanist @arbutocrat.bsky.social

We will have Twenty Ounce and Golden Ball at our upcoming apple tastings (Oct 4th at the San Juan Island Grange, Oct 11 at the Lopez History Museum, and Oct 17 at the Orcas Museum).

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It is an abundant apple season and we are visiting orchards to collect apples and leaf samples for Cameron Peace's lab to analyze.

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How apple detectives solved the mystery of an ancient tree—and rewrote the history of fruit

Drap d’Or de Bretagne is the parent of Twenty Ounce, one of the islands' widespread and well loved apples, as well as the rare Golden Ball variety (which we have found in one of Orcas' oldest orchards).

scientificamerican.com

And how they might have helped save the future of American apples

San Juan Journal @sji-journal.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Reposted by Kwiaht

Kwiaht launches arsenic testing and action project www.sanjuanjournal.com/2026/09/23/k…

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Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · 24/09/2026

We let them ripen all the way (brown and soft) in a paper bag and then either eat the flavorful pulp one fruit at a time or put them through a food mill to make a puree (which makes wonderful qáyexw curd!). More recipes at www.kwiaht.org/Recipes.htm

kwiaht.org

Recipes

Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · 24/09/2026

We have qáyexw (Malus fusca, Pacific crabapple) at the LeMaister Farm fruit stand! They are tart and richly flavored.

A hand full of small (pea sized) oblong, yellow crabapples over a pile of more in a red basket.

A red basket with a sign that says: " Historic LeMaister Farm. Taste our native wild crabapple! Pay what you wish. Pacific crabapple*. Tended by native Coast Salish peoples, and stored mashed & dried. Keep in a paper bag until fruits turn brown, soft, and sweeter. Great fruit for sauce and curd. *Qáyexw, or Malus fusca."

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Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · 20/09/2026

Apple ID expert Lori Brakken will be at the pressing. You can bring apples for her to identify: 6 unwiped ripe apples in a paper bag and one 12" piece of stem with leaves in a ziplock bag from each tree.

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Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · 18/09/2026

The Orcas Island Yacht Club is organizing a trip from Orcas to Salt Spring Island for their apple festival.

Facebook post from the Orcas Island Yacht Club, with a link to the Salt Spring Inland Apple Festival (saltspringapplefestival.org). It reads: " A 'Fruitful Cruise to Salt Spring Island'. 600 varieties of apples growing on Salt Spring. Sail to Fulford Harbour on the morning of September 27th and spend the Day at the Apple Festival. After a hearty breakfast the next morning return across the border. More info email rossnewp@gmail.com"

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Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · 17/09/2026

Kwiaht is seeking participants in a study of the extent of arsenic contamination in island wells in the San Juans, and actions to reduce adverse health effects. Islanders may be at increased risk of colon cancer due to the widespread presence of small amounts of arsenic in the islands’ well water.

lopezrocks.org

LopezRocks - Item

LopezRocks - a community website by Lopez Island

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Alberta Community Bat Program/Western Bat Program 🦇 @albertabats.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Re-wild a little. Help bats a lot. 🦇🌙🌿 Plant a Moon Meadow for moths or a Bat Garden with native host plants for insects bats eat. Add shrubs & trees, skip pesticides and keep nights dark. Small changes can make better habitat. albertabats.ca/resources

Graphic titled “Re-WILD FOR BATS!” featuring a close-up photo of a Big Brown Bat clinging to tree bark. Text encourages people to garden with native plants, shrubs and trees, reduce pesticide use, and minimize lighting at night. It directs readers to the Bat-friendly Communities Guidebook at albertabats.ca/resources. Alberta Community Bat Program and WCS Canada logos appear at the bottom. Photo credit: Jason Headley.

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Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · 14/09/2026

On Sunday September 20th we have our first community apple pressing! Bring jars for juice, and extra apples to the Lopez History Museum (28 Washburn Place) where Kwiaht and the Lopez Island Family Resource Center's gleaning program will be pressing from 1-3pm.

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Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · 14/09/2026

You can bring apples for Lori to ID, please bring 6 unwiped ripe apples with their stems (in a paper bag) and a 12" section of stem with leaves (in a ziplock bag) for each tree you want identified.

Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · 14/09/2026

We have upcoming apple events! This Saturday, September 19th @arbutocrat.bsky.social and apple ID expert Lori Brakken will be at the San Juan Island Library for Lost Apples of the San Juan Islands from 12-1:30 pm.

A poster for an apple talk. The background are rows of apples and there is a photo of green apples on the left and apple drawings across the page. It reads: "The Wild Side Presents: Lost Apples of the San Juan Islands with Kwiaht. Botanist Madrona Murphy shares the latest findings of Kwiaht's efforts to relocate the island's oldest orchards, identify apples genetically, and preserve rare heirloom and seedling varieties. Saturday, September 19, 12:00-1:30 pm. Library Main Salon. Share your SJI Apples! Bring your own apples, preserves, or treats to share! Kwiaht will be bringing fresh apples and homemade pies to sample!". The green apples on the left also reads: "Pewaukee, first described in 1842 in WI". There are logos for the San Juan Island Library and Kwiaht.

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Kwiaht @kwiaht.org · 12/09/2026

Come see us at Long Live the King's Return of the Kings today

A trifold presentation board and a table of pamphlets and books. A banner showing a black oystercatcher, a sea star, a red paintbrush flower, a Townsend's big eared bat and the name Kwiaht hangs in front.

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Dr. Merritt Rae Turetsky @queenofpeat.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Forget planting trees for a second. Let's talk about BOGS. Did you know that peatlands cover a tiny 3% of Earth’s land, but store MORE CARBON than all the world's forests combined?They are an ultimate MVP of our climate system and it’s time we start hyping them. Join me! 🧵 1/

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@feralpuppygirl.bsky.social asks, "We moved into a home with an orchard from the 1800s, how could we possibly find out what kinds of apples we have?? I'm so curious!!"

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@jtp.bsky.social asks, "whats up with crab apples? like, what's going on there?"

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@emdotrand.bsky.social asks, "Are the differences between red and golden delicious apples purely aesthetic?"

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@snazzycoffee.bsky.social asks, "what's the best apple for a tarte-tatin?"

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@amybrown.xyz asks, "What is the best apple and why?"

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myfruittree.cahnrs.wsu.edu

How exciting! If you're in the States, you can send samples to MyFruitTree at Washington State University for genetic variety ID myfruittree.cahnrs.wsu.edu

MyFruitTree Project | Washington State University

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Baked plain can be amazing (Blue Pearmains are incredible baked with just a bit of butter and sugar in place of the core), and tarte-tatin is justly famous.

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We find that Lodi has a similar flavor (though not the same crisp texture).

Sauce or apple cake!

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There are some red apples that are nearly blue. Blue Pearmain, Arkansas Black, and Robert's Crab for example. (the real answer is pigments and the limited variety that apples make)

Watercolor of a nearly purple striped red apple. It is dark red with blue-purple stripes. It is shown once whole and once cut stem to blossom-end).

Watercolor of a deep red apple, so red it is nearly purple. It is shiny and round. It is shown twice, once whole and once cut stem to blossom end. The core line is quite wide and the tube at the blossom end is long with the core lines meeting it at the calyx.

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The largest commercial region in the US is central Washington State (though we'd argue some of the very best apples are grown in Western Washington without irrigation).

Gravensteins are excellent for crisps. For an easy, and very apple-y applecake we recommend this one food52.com/recipes/1493...

food52.com

In the States cider is unfiltered, in the rest of the world it is fermented.

So much of apple marketing is for shiny, uniform sized, red apples! Northern Spy's are too big and not red or shiny enough to fit the expectation. Which is a shame since they are so tasty!

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Netting the whole tree after the fruit set, or covering individual apples with nylon mesh (stocking footies for example) works, but is labor intensive. Making sure all apples are picked up off the ground below the trees will interrupt the critters' life cycle too.

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