I’ve always been confused by the term- “work party.” It seemed like a marketing ploy to trick people into doing work without getting paid. However, since I started working with the Land Trust, I’ve participated in quite a few work parties and discovered that as a volunteer, I’ve gotten much more out of the experience …
The Steward
Vamos Outdoors Project, Trails and Conservation: What Else is Needed to Build Access and Community? By Andy Basabe, Director of Vamos Outdoors Project “Before jumping right into the article, I would like to acknowledge the people and communities that have stewarded the land in what is now referred to as Whatcom County. I am writing …
There are so many reasons that Whatcom County is a special place, from its sweeping shorelines and marine estuaries, to its forested mountain sides and rivers. However, another crucial thread of the vibrant tapestry is farmland. Agriculture is one of the three dominant land uses in the County, and an integral piece of its history …
Bellingham, WA. – Whatcom Land Trust announces the purchase of an additional 1,000 acres of riparian and upland forest in a major tributary watershed of the South Fork Nooksack basin from Weyerhaeuser Corporation. This Skookum II acquisition builds upon a 1,400 acre purchase in the watershed in 2019. Now that these two properties are secured, …
A half-dozen pigeon guillemots dropped from sandstone perches on Chuckanut Island and flew south toward Pleasant Bay, their wingbeats an arm’s length above the water. Nine humans followed their course in kayaks, crossing a breezy reach toward a pocket-beach refuge on the southeast shore of Governors Point. The guillemots were nesting summer residents, the humans …
This past March, I had the immense pleasure of spending six-and-a-half hours running through one of my favorite landscapes as part of the Chuckanut 50k. It takes a lot of hard work to prepare for something like this. A lot of evenings, early mornings, and weekends getting outside and running on days when you might …
Rain drizzles on the heads of eight blue poncho-clad Mount Baker Elementary students as they listen to Whatcom Land Trust Stewardship Assistant Danielle Taylor explain the concept of an invasive species. They’re at the Land Trust’s Harrison property as part of the North Cascades Institute’s Connections Program, which works to get students from the Blaine, …
Earth Day is a day of celebration, protest, and action.The first Earth Day was held on April 22nd 1970, in many ways marking the beginning of the modern environmental movement. In the years leading up to this momentous occasion there had been growing public concern about the environment, after decades of increasing fossil fuel consumption, …
Whatcom County is full of hidden treasures. Obvious ones include sweeping views of Bellingham Bay and the rushing waters of the Nooksack River. But there are also plenty of treasures to be discovered in the land and rock right under our feet. You just have to know where to look. “It’s fun to think about …
This past year has been difficult for all of us. COVID-19 has kept us isolated, unable to connect with friends and family. In these stressful times, taking care of our physical health and mental health has never been more important. Research has shown that an effective way to help improve overall mental health is simply …
