Community Calendar and Information Hub

Cidertails with Alexine Langdon @ Thousand Acre Cider House

Nov 16 @ 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm

We had so much fun with Alexine making cidertails for Cider University in October that we decided to make it a once a month affair. Alexine is well known around Bellingham for her mixologist talents, and botanist creations. Come in and enjoy a cidertail, something we are sure you have never experienced quite in this way.

Categories: Adult Focused Events Food & Beverage Tags: botany cider cidertasting mixology

Aug

PNW Wild Plant Identification Workshop @ Bell Creek Nature SChool

Aug 22 @ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Take a tour of the wild plants growing at Bell Creek Nature School, a beautiful blend of Old Growth temperate Rainforest and Riparian Riverside. In this workshop, led by Survival Guide Ryan Johnson, identify key plant species of the Pacific Northwest and learn core botany principles that will help you discover plants throughout our region. We will even learn a handful of plants that are safe to eat! At the end of class, we will use our new found knowledge to build a fire and make wild tea!

Categories: Education Home & Garden Outdoor Recreation Workshops, Classes and Lectures Tags: #natureconnection #survivalskills botany Nature plants wildplantid workshops

May

Wildflowers at Mt. Erie: A Botanical Field Trip @ Mt. Erie Park

May 21 @ 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm

oin botanist and naturalist, Jazmen Yoder on a gentle-moderate hike along and around Mount Erie Summit Trail. There are dozens of beautiful, highly photogenic wildflowers you will be delighted to see.

This trail is rated as “challenging” but we will be moving at a slow pace to admire the biodiversity we find. Our plant walks are always full of information – you will learn how about the ecology, ethnobotany, and how to ID several native plants. Along the trail we will taste, smell, and touch the plants we stop to learn about so we will be able to train our brains to remember them in the future.

Our plant walks are the best way to learn a lot about your landscape in a few short hours.

Learn more and register through the links posted!

Categories: Adult Focused Events Education Family Events Outdoor Recreation Workshops, Classes and Lectures Tags: botany ecology native plants plants spring wildflowers WNPS

May

Thu

Trees of the PNW: An Evening in the Woods @ Fairhaven Park - 100-Acre Woods

May 25 @ 4:30 pm – 7:00 pm

Thursday May 25th, 2023

4:30-7pm

100-Acre Woods at Fairhaven Park in Bellingham, WA

Join us for a walk in the woods to learn all about lowland PNW trees: how to identify them, their historical significance, ethnobotany, and their medicinal uses.

We will focus on the most common trees of our area. At the end of our afternoon together, you will walk away with memorable mnemonics to help you recall names of trees based on their features, smell, flavor, and subtle quirks.

At the end of the walk, there will be an optional Q&A period where we can sit down and make tea with new spring buds of common conifers.

Learn more and Register on the website.

Categories: Education Outdoor Recreation Workshops, Classes and Lectures Tags: #nativeplants #outdoor botany Nature northwest nwn trees WNPS

Aug

Artist Point Botany Walk: Ericaceae-focus @ Artist Point above Mt. Baker Ski Area

Aug 20 @ 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Learn the defining characteristics of the Heath Family (Ericaceae) and discover its amazing species diversity in the subalpine zone of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest Wilderness!

Ericaceae (Eri-cay-see-ay) includes all the huckleberries, heathers, rhododendrons, cranberries, wintergreens, and madrona trees (and more!) The gorgeous flowers attract bees and humans alike, but the plants are wholly dependent on bumblebees for pollination! Learn all about the ecology, edibility, medicinal uses and more with your naturalist guide, trained botanist and outdoor educator, Jazmen Yoder.

This field trip is located in one of the most scenic areas in the North Cascades. We will stroll on the boardwalk around Picture Lake for introductions to the variety of native Ericaceae species with Mt. Shuksan dominating the backdrop. In the second portion of this class, we’ll caravan to the end of the road to a magical area called Artist Point. Here we can test our new skills in identifying Ericaceae species with Mt. Baker in the background.

Bring your camera and strap on your boots. This botanical field trip will be more fun than you ever expected!

Categories: Adult Focused Events Education Outdoor Recreation Tags: botany ethnobotany Flowers hiking mountains Nature outdoors plants Trails wildcrafting wildflowers

Aug

Wildcrafting Workshop: Fireweed Intensive @ Lake Terrell

Aug 26 @ 1:00 pm – 6:30 pm

Please join naturalist and trained botanist, Jazmen Yoder, and herbalist, Amy Gibson of Goldstatus Botanicals in this fireweed-focused wildcrafting course! In this course we will learn several uses for fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium).

Our Fireweed Intensive course will include:

How and when to forage fireweed

Fermenting fireweed for tea

How to pickle and preserve fireweed shoots

Ethnobotanical history of fireweed

Ecology of fireweed

How to make fireweed cordage

Wild tea party with fireweed!

There are so many uses for this special plant, and we’ll be covering many of them! By the end of this class, you will have expertise knowledge about fireweed from its ecological importance to ways humans can benefit from its medicine and edibility.

Categories: Adult Focused Events Arts and Entertainment Education Outdoor Recreation Tags: #outdoor botany Bushcraft fermenting herbalist herbalistm herbs Nature plants school survival skills tea wildcrafting workshops

Sep

Thu

Trees of the PNW: An Evening in the Woods @ Squires Lake

Sep 7 all-day

There are dozens of berry-producing plants in the Pacific Northwest, but which ones are edible? Which ones are poisonous? If you are looking to expand your knowledge about edible plants, this field trip is for you!

The goal of this course is to familiarize you with common berry plants along trails in Northwest Washington.

Knowledge of plant names and their uses imparts a closer understanding of the world around you and thus a more intimate connection to the outdoors.

Your confidence in your ability to identify edible berry plants will be nourished and strengthened with this course.

Come learn with us!

Categories: Adult Focused Events Education Outdoor Recreation Workshops, Classes and Lectures Tags: Biking botany Foraging hiking Nature outdoors

Berry Plants: A Wild Foods Field Trip @ Alger Alps

Sep 7 @ 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm

The goal of this course is to familiarize you with common berry plants along trails in Northwest Washington.

Knowledge of plant names and their uses imparts a closer understanding of the world around you and thus a more intimate connection to the outdoors.

Your confidence in your ability to identify edible berry plants will be nourished and strengthened with this course.

Come learn with us!

Categories: Adult Focused Events Education Outdoor Recreation Workshops, Classes and Lectures Tags: botany edible foods Nature outdoors plants wildlife

Sep

Fri

Pacific Northwest Tree ID – An Evening in the Woods @ Whatcom Falls

Sep 22 @ 4:30 pm – 7:00 pm

Join us for a walk in the woods to learn all about lowland PNW trees: how to identify them, their historical significance, ethnobotany, their medicinal uses, and which ones to avoid (poisonous species).

You will walk away with memorable mnemonics to help you recall names of trees based on their features, smell, flavor, and subtle quirks.

At the end of the walk, there will be an optional Q&A period where we can sit down and make tea with the needles of common conifers.

Categories: Adult Focused Events Education Outdoor Recreation Workshops, Classes and Lectures Tags: Biking botany education hiking Nature outdoors trees walking

Dec

Wed

Ethnobotany of the PNW Coast: A Guided Plant Walk @ Point Whitehorn Park

Dec 6 @ 12:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Join Naturalist, Jazmen Yoder on a gentle walk through the forest of Point Whitehorn State Park to learn about traditional and modern uses of PNW native plants.

We will go over how to ID several native plants and what their uses are (food, fiber, medicine, and shelter).

Details on location will be provided to registered participants.

Categories: Adult Focused Events Education Family Events Local History Outdoor Recreation Workshops, Classes and Lectures Tags: #natureconnection #shopsmall adventures Biology botany camping coast education ethnobotany family friendly fire making hiking Nature outdoors plants pnw primitive skills Thanksgiving womenempowerment

Jan

Fungi Basics Crash Course @ Chuckanut Center

Jan 7 @ 1:00 pm – 4:15 pm

Please join Naturalists Jazmen Yoder (Northwest Natura) & Ryan Johnson (Firecraft NW) at the Chuckanut Center for this interactive and beginner friendly Fungi and Mushrooms crash course.

Learn the different structures of fungi and mushrooms, fungi propagation, life cycle, and how to categorize them.

Participants will review examples of edible mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest, what conditions they grow in, and how to use keys to identify them, followed by a demonstration on creating a spore print.

The class will conclude with a brief discussion and demonstration on using fungi to create fire, as well as books and resources to further pursue the study of mycology and fungi!

Categories: Adult Focused Events Education Everyday Outdoor Recreation Workshops, Classes and Lectures Tags: #natureconnection botany Bushcraft ecology edible mushrooms Foraging fun Fungi Mushrooms Mycology Nature

Mar

Lichens & Moss: A Cryptogamic Plant Walk @ Deception Pass State Park

Mar 16 @ 1:00 pm – 5:30 pm

Join botanist and naturalist, Jazmen Yoder on a walk at one of the most stunning trail systems in the Pacific Northwest. There will be an emphasis on learning lichens and ferns, but we will ID any plant or fungi species of interest. Bring your camera, come for the knowledge, and stay for the views! This is a unique field trip offering you’ll remember forever.

Space is limited.

Categories: Adult Focused Events Education Outdoor Recreation Workshops, Classes and Lectures Tags: basket making basketry botany Bushcraft ecology education environmental education ferns hiking lichen moss Nature outdoors pine needles plants walking weaving wildcrafting

Mar

Ethnobotany, Fungi & Tidepools: An Interactive Nature Walk @ Washington Park