Happy Summer!
We're off to a great start thanks to our Members. We've already sent our first three work parties and 6 lighthouse docents out to Patos Island. Your membership dues fund the materials needed for these efforts and to pay for the insurance policy necessary to open the lighthouse to the public. After two long years of Covid-19, folks have told us how great they feel to be back on the island. We couldn't agree more! Hopefully you"ll find the time to go out to Patos Island yourself with family or friends. Or perhaps you’d like to go as a docent or with the trail maintenance crew. We are looking forward to opening the lighthouse most weekends this summer, but we still need docents for weekdays, and we have 3 more work parties too. So if you would like to camp on Patos Island and open the Lighthouse to visitors, we would love to train you. Each day of Volunteering earns you immense gratitude, and your hours go towards our log hours for applying for grants. On a recent work party we had the added bonus of seeing a slew of wild flowers including camas, daisies, chocolate lilies.
Happy Birthday to Us!
Another way to visit the island is on our KOPL Birthday Boat ! This year’s Keepers of the Patos Light Birthday cruise is on August 7th , departing at 9:00 a.m from Brandts Landing on Orcas Island's north side, returning to port at 1 p.m. $60.00 per person includes tax. Please call to reserve (360) 376-4663. There will be plenty of carrot cupcakes and lemonade, reflecting on what some of our 19th and 20th century lighthouse keepers enjoyed as a special treat. In addition to sightseeing, socializing, and holding our annual meeting, we will have ham radio operators from Lopez, and Orcas broadcasting from the island. It should be a fun way to honor the important role that Patos Island radio operators played during World War ll.
And if you’re looking for a good summer book to transport you to a beautiful island in the Salish Sea drop us a line (and $29) and we’ll send you a copy of Patos Island Lighthouse (by longtime KOPL President Edrie Vincent). It's a fun, interesting read, and every book purchased earns $25 for KOPL.
Find details about our summer events, volunteer opportunities, and membership options Check us out on Facebook or keepersofthepatoslight.org
Keepers of the Patos Light
PO Box 1967 Eastsound, WA 98245