How can I place long-distance telephone or fax calls?
Use your calling card, credit card, or call collect.
How can I be reached by phone while I am at Friday Harbor?
Only prepaid incoming phone calls may be received at the Laboratories (206-543-1484 or 360-378-2165). All personal outgoing calls must be made from pay telephones at the Labs. We recommend you make arrangements so that you can charge personal calls to your home phone or to a credit card. Messages are put in the mail boxes in the basement of Lab 9 each afternoon. If you arrange to have someone call you at FHL, please advise that person and the office of a time when you will be available, as all incoming calls go directly through the main business line. Email and internet are both available.
What kind of housing and eating facilities are there at Friday Harbor?
Shared dorm rooms are provided for students. People living in dorms must subscribe to the Dining Hall service. If you live off-campus you may, if you wish, subscribe to individual meals or the whole board plan. Dining Hall service will begin with dinner on the Sunday you arrive and end with brunch on the Sunday following your last class .
Our Dining Hall does its best to accommodate people who prefer vegetarian dishes. However, the Dining Hall does not have the flexibility to provide for all types of vegetarian diets, so I would suggest that if you are strict vegan you bring a protein supplement with you. There will always be fresh vegetables and fruits, and usually a non-meat main dish or alternate. If you declare yourself a vegetarian, you will not have the option to select the non-vegetarian dishes at random because, to minimize food waste, Dining Hall staff need to prepare known numbers of meat and meatless meals. You will have the opportunity to note your eating preference (meat or meatless meals) at your first meal.
Bring your own bedding if possible. If you are unable to bring your own linens, a limited number of bed kit rentals is available. Pillows are furnished. If you did not indicate your needs with your application, please do so at the email address above. Please do not bring electrical appliances (other than blankets) to use in the housing because cooking is not allowed in the dorms. Students wishing to bring families or pets with them must find housing off-campus.
May I bring my pet with me?
The campus of Friday Harbor Labs is a biological preserve. As a result, tame deer, rabbits, foxes and other mammals wander without fear of predators. Pet dogs and cats violate the peace and quiet of the campus. Pets of any kind are not permitted at the Labs.
Should I bring my bicycle to Friday Harbor Labs?
It is a good idea, but bicycles are not permitted in any of the buildings. Outside storage is provided with some shelter. Security is generally not a problem at FHL. If you have a particular concern for your bicycle under these conditions, we suggest you leave it at home. You may instead use one of several old bikes that are left around campus.
How do I get my mail at Friday Harbor?
If you wish, the U.S. Postal Service will forward first class mail from your existing address to FHL (620 University Rd. Friday Harbor, WA. 98250). Please do not change addresses for your magazine subscriptions, however, since we'll continue to get them long after you depart. On the final day of class, you will be asked to provide address labels which are used to forward your first class mail.
Mail is distributed at the Labs once a day in mid afternoon, Monday through Friday in the basement of Lab 9. There is no mail call on Saturday or Sunday. Mail leaves FHL once a day at 3:15 PM, Monday through Friday.
What kind of clothing should I bring?
Friday Harbor is typically cool and cloudy in Autumn. Although, we often enjoy an extended summer with some warm sunny days into October. Thus, bring clothing suitable for chilly temperatures and rain as well as some lighter clothing. Please bring clothing suitable for foul weather field work, i.e. sturdy rain gear, rubber knee-high wading boots, etc. Friday Harbor is typically cool and cloudy in springtime, though we will enjoy a considerable number of warm, sunny spring days. Thus, bring clothing suitable for cold and rain, as well as some lighter clothing and shorts. Please bring clothing suitable for foul weather field work, i.e. sturdy rain gear, rubber knee-high wading boots, etc. Friday Harbor is typically sunny and warm in the summer, with cool evenings. An occasional cool and cloudy day is not unusual. Thus, bring clothing suitable for cool temperatures and rain, as well as some light clothing and shorts. Please bring clothing suitable for foul weather field work, i.e. sturdy rain gear, rubber knee-high wading boots, etc.
How do I get to Friday Harbor?
Friday Harbor is on San Juan Island, Washington, about 80 miles (by road) from Seattle. If you are flying through Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac), you can arrange a connecting flight on Kenmore Air. Alternatively you can take the "Airporter Shuttle" van from Sea-Tac to the Anacortes ferry landing. The airport is about 2 miles from the Friday Harbor Labs. The seaplane float is near the ferry landing in the town of Friday Harbor, about 1 mile from FHL. There is taxi and small bus service from the airport and the town, but you can often get a ride from someone by just asking.
Ride Share board. To learn whether other people are interested in traveling to or from Friday Harbor via private vehicle, you can access a web-based ride share board. You'll be asked to create a new user and password, then type in your message. Be sure to click on the "Configure Preferences" link to set your notification preferences.
Kenmore Air (1-800-543-9595) flies from Lake Union in Seattle to the sea plane dock in Friday Harbor. Ground transport from Sea-Tac to Lake Union is available; call Kenmore Air for details. Kenmore also has regularly scheduled flights from Boeing Field to Friday Harbor International Airport using wheeled aircraft. There is a complimentary shuttlebus from Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SeaTac) to Boeing Field.
Anacortes, from which the ferry leaves for Friday Harbor on San Juan Island, is an 80 mile drive north from Seattle and takes about 1.5 hours to drive. Take the Burlington/Anacortes exit off of I-5. If you bring your car to Friday Harbor, be sure to arrive at the ferry terminal well in advance of a scheduled sailing, particularly on weekends. The Washington State Ferry toll-free number within Washington state is: 1-800-84-FERRY, and out of state is: 206-464-6400. The Washington State Ferry schedule can now be found on the internet at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries.
The Sea-Tac Anacortes Airporter provides van service from Sea-Tac Airport to the ferry terminal in Anacortes. The cost is approximately $35 one way. Call 1-866-235-5247 for reservations. Board the ferry as a walk-on passenger. The labs are located 1.5 miles (20-30 minute walk) from the ferry terminal or you can call San Juan Taxi at 360-378-3550.
What kind of transportation is available on the island?
There is no public transportation. The distance to town is approximately a mile and a half (a long, but pleasant, walk). There is very limited parking on campus for automobiles; many residents find bicycles useful. There is taxi service and it is also possible to row a Labs boat to town.
How may I ship my belongings to Friday Harbor?
UPS, Federal Express and the US Postal Service deliver to our campus.
What else should I bring that might be useful while I'm at the Labs?
Our stockroom sells basic school supplies, including colored pencils (useful in class), and basic school supplies such as notebooks, pencils, paper, and computer disks. You might want to bring a flashlight, camera and film (which can be very expensive here).
How do I get to the Labs once I am on the island?
Coming from the ferry, follow the ferry traffic into town on Spring Street (the main street in FH). Drive 2 blocks and turn right onto Second Street. Drive about four blocks and turn right onto Tucker Avenue at the second stop sign. (opposite the High School tennis courts). Follow Tucker about 4 blocks and at the top of the hill, the road forks. There is a green and white sign for the Laboratories. Take the right fork, which is University Road, and follow it 0.3 miles into campus.
Where do we go when we first arrive to the Labs?
Upon your arrival to FHL please check in at the first building to your right as you enter campus, the Fernald Lab. Your dorm room assignment will be listed on the bulletin board outside the office door. Maps will be posted along with some other helpful information for that first day on campus.
What are the laundry facilities like?
There are coin operated washers and dryers. There are also irons and ironing boards.
May I bring my car?
Yes, however there is limited parking space on campus. Parking permits are not required. Bikes are encouraged.
What is furnished in the dorm rooms?
Each dorm room contains single beds, desk space with ample lighting and 2 chairs. There are dresser drawers to store your belongings along with space to hang your clothes. You may wish to bring some additional clothes hangers.
Will I know who my roommate will be prior to my arrival to the Labs?
No. You will not know your dorm assignments or roommates until your arrival to the Labs. However, if you would like to room with a particular person, please let us know in advance. We will do our best to accommodate your request.
General Information