The WhatcomTalk Events Calendar shares things to do around Whatcom County including Bellingham, Ferndale, Lynden, Blaine and beyond. Find fun activities and adventures throughout the region on our comprehensive events calendar. Have an event that isn’t listed? Click the green “Post your Event” button and our editors will review and approve within two business days.
Please join naturalist and trained botanist, Jazmen Yoder in this medicinal plant and wildcrafting course focused on fireweed and stinging nettle. In this course you will learn several uses for these two amazingly useful plants.
There are so many uses for these two plants that they deserve their own intensive course. If you have an interest in herbalism and wildcrafting, this course is designed for you!
What to expect:
How and when to forage fireweed and stinging nettle
Ethnobotanical history
Ecology
How to make fireweed and nettle cordage
Wildcrafted tea
Associated plants (ID, ecology, ethnobotany)
What to Bring:
Dress for the weather
Comfortable shoes (hiking boots not necessary)
Snacks/lunch
Water
Sunscreen
Packable camp chair or blanket
Foraging basket
Scissors or a knife
Notepad and pen (optional)
Class size is limited
Registered individuals will receive details on location in an event-reminder email in the week leading up to the event. Please register via the website.
Learn to forage for wild medicines and bolster your home-made apothecary! In this brand-new workshop, discover common plants and herbs that we can harvest and process into tinctures, salves, and infusions.
Students will learn where to look for these plants, practice identifying them in the field, and work together to create concoctions to take home!
This course is designed for adult (21+) individuals at any skill level who are interested in foraging, plant ID, and wildcrafted salves, tinctures, and teas.
Expect some gentle to moderate hiking, some sun exposure, and some kneeling or squatting.
Class will take place outdoors approximately 50 minutes outside of Bellingham on Mt. Baker Highway (Hwy 542).
Note: Location is dependent on forage availability and is subject to change. Participants will receive information in a detailed reminder email sent a few days prior to the event.
Class Topics include:
Foraging medicinal plants
Leisurely berry picking
Oil infusion technique and practice (some materials provided)
Tincture making (materials provided)
Salve making (materials provided)
More information provided on the Northwest Natura website. Please register via the website.
Join your community in celebrating healthy water, healthy habitat, and healthy people during the 12th annual Run with the Chums 5K Fun Run! This free event welcomes people of all ages and speeds. The 5K course has beautiful views of Whatcom County shoreline and beaches. Children 10 and under can enjoy the Smolt Sprint obstacle course. This year Run with the Chums will be held on September 14th, as a kick off event for Whatcom Water Week at the BP Highlands. The 5K will start at 10AM, and the Smolt Sprint at 9:45 AM. Learn more and register today at www.whatcomcd.org/run-with-the-chums. Register before September 1st to receive a free Run with the Chums T-Shirt while supplies last.
Everyone of all ages is welcome to walk with us as volunteers from Whatcom County are joining the hundreds of thousands of people who are walking in towns across the United States to draw attention to the fight for suicide prevention.
The 5th Annual American Foundation for Suicide Prevention “Out of the Darkness Walk” hosted by the Whatcom County Lions Clubs will be taking place on Sat, Sep 21st, from 9am-Noon at Bellingham High School.
Doors will open for registration and the Behavioral Health & Awareness Fair at 9am with the Opening Ceremonies beginning at 10am.
Community partners participating in the Behavioral Health & Awareness Fair include Sea Mar Community Health, Whatcom County Health, MAD HOPE, Jasper Connections, Bellingham Veterans Center, Volunteers of America, Lummi Behavioral Health, Make.Shift Art Space, Unity Care NW, Peace Health, NAMI, Compass Health, Accent Counseling, Health Ministries Network & AHECWW (Whatcom Community College) along with others.
The 1-mile ”Walk” will begin at Bellingham High School at approx. 10:30am and continue towards downtown Bellingham, turning at Holly Street and looping back to the High School.
Registration is free online or at the event. Be sure to bring a friend and share this event with others !!! We look forward to seeing you all there!
Don’t forget to register or donate by finding us at: www.AFSP.org/WhatcomCounty
Are you ready for the coming mushroom season? Join Outdoor educator, naturalist, and experienced forager, Jazmen Yoder, for this comprehensive one-day workshop to get prepared! We’ll cover essential skills and knowledge to safely and responsibly forage for wild mushrooms in your area.
In this class you will learn:
Mushroom foraging basics: regulations, ethics, safety, and gear
Mushroom identification techniques for common edible and poisonous species
Mushroom ecology – understanding fungal life cycles, seasonality, and habitats
Tips for finding your own reliable mushroom foraging spots
Through lecture, demonstration, and hands-on activities you’ll gain confidence and know-how before you find yourself in the middle of the upcoming foraging season. We’ll also discuss preservation, cooking, and other ways to enjoy your fungal finds.
Whether you’re a beginner or have some foraging experience, this workshop will provide the fundamentals of responsible mushroom foraging to prepare you for a bountiful mushroom season. Join this special event to get ready to hunt those delicious wild fungi!
Join M.A.D. H.O.P.E. Trainers for a special community session on how peers (ages 12+) and adults can offer support to a youth experiencing anxiety, depression and suicidal thought or intention. Learn what to do, what to say and where to go for support services and resources. This is a condensed version of the evidence-based, highly effective trainings we do in classrooms across Whatcom County. We will go over:
–how to support your mental health and wellness
–risk factors and warning signs to look for
–how to break the stigma around mental health and open up the conversation with someone who is struggling
–resources including the importance of trusted adults
Please join the Whatcom Family & Community Network for this FREE interactive, skills-building series. We’ll focus on nervous system healing and growing our self-and-community care practice through our senses, posture, and breath.
REGISTER FOR 1, 2, OR ALL 3 SESSIONS!
Friday, October 4, 3:00 to 5:00 pm via Zoom
Friday, October 18, 3:00 to 5:00 pm via Zoom
Friday, November 1, 3:00 to 5:00 pm via Zoom
Sign up for one or multiple outings in October to forage for edible and medicinal mushrooms and learn about mushroom ecology and how to find target fungi.
There are 3 dates to choose from. Each course is from 12:00 to 4:30pm and take place in different locations.
To sign up for multiple dates you will need to purchase them individually in separate transactions:
Saturday October 5th
Sunday October 13th
Saturday October 26th
Locations will be in public forested areas around Whatcom County where foraging is legal without a permit. Precise details remain TBD as they are contingent on the fungi, but these trips will be no more than 1 hour outside of Bellingham. I will scout weekly to find the best locations and send you an email with location information 2-4 days before your event(s).
What to bring:
Dress for the weather
Snacks and water
Notepad and pen (optional)
Foraging basket
Hand lens (optional; I have some for sale (5/ea))
Registered individuals will receive location details, driving directions, weather forecast details and other info in an event-reminder email 2-4 days prior to the event. Please check your spam folder if you do not receive this email. Reach out if you do not find an email. There have been frequent issues with Gmail not delivering to Hotmail, Live, and MSN email addresses.
Email me with concerns or to get on a waitlist: nwnatura@gmail.com
Space is limited to 10 participants per course.
Join community members who lead work around Advance Care Planning, Palliative Care, Dementia and Alzheimer’s, End-of-Life Choice and After-Death Care locally, at the state level and nationally. Get some valuable resources and have your questions answered. Advance Care Planning and End-of-Life planning are essential processes that allow individuals to have a say in their medical care, reduce the burden on loved ones, improve quality of care, and ensure that their values and preferences are respected throughout their healthcare journey. These planning processes promote a more compassionate and patient-centered approach to end-of-life care. There will be info tables and Q & A with experts before and after the discussion with the panelists. FREE and open to the public.
Please register with Bellingham Senior Activity Center 360-733-4030 x 0 or reserve your spot with the Eventbrite link.
Sign up for one or multiple outings in October to forage for edible and medicinal mushrooms and learn about mushroom ecology and how to find target fungi.
There are 3 dates to choose from. Each course is from 12:00 to 4:30pm and take place in different locations.
To sign up for multiple dates you will need to purchase them individually in separate transactions:
Saturday October 5th
Sunday October 13th
Saturday October 26th
Locations will be in public forested areas around Whatcom County where foraging is legal without a permit. Precise details remain TBD as they are contingent on the fungi, but these trips will be no more than 1 hour outside of Bellingham. I will scout weekly to find the best locations and send you an email with location information 2-4 days before your event(s).
What to bring:
Dress for the weather
Snacks and water
Notepad and pen (optional)
Foraging basket
Hand lens (optional; I have some for sale (5/ea))
Registered individuals will receive location details, driving directions, weather forecast details and other info in an event-reminder email 2-4 days prior to the event. Please check your spam folder if you do not receive this email. Reach out if you do not find an email. There have been frequent issues with Gmail not delivering to Hotmail, Live, and MSN email addresses.
Email me with concerns or to get on a waitlist: nwnatura@gmail.com
Space is limited to 10 participants per course.
Hope is the most reliable predictor of thriving for individuals, families, organizations and communities.
This single-session workshop provides a framework to raise hope in your life, family, community and workplace.
Based on hope science and the work of Dr. Chan Hellman, co-author of Hope Rising, founder of Hope Centered and Trauma Informed ®
Join us Oct 15 and learn how to raise hope for yourself and others!
This FREE single session training provides a framework and tools to raise hope in your family, community, and workplace.
This workshop is based on hope science and the work of Dr. Chan Hellman, co-author of Hope Rising, founder of Hope Centered and Trauma Informed ®
Join the Whatcom Family & Community Network on Oct 15, and raise hope for yourself and others!
Registration is required.
The Pickled Pink tournament registration is open now! Join Armory Pickleball, Chuckanut Health Foundation and Bellingham Pickleball fans for an action-packed pickleball weekend in support of women’s health, October 18-20.
Join the Whatcom Family & Community Network for this FREE interactive, skills-building series. We’ll focus on nervous system healing through our senses, posture, and breath. Plus key insights into our brain, organs, and rest-restore cycles.
Let’s deepen our self-and-community care practice together!
REGISTER FOR 1, 2, OR ALL 3 SESSIONS:
Friday, October 4, 3:00 to 5:00 pm via Zoom
Friday, October 18, 3:00 to 5:00 pm via Zoom
Friday, November 1, 3:00 to 5:00 pm via Zoom
The Pickled Pink tournament registration is open now! Join Armory Pickleball, Chuckanut Health Foundation and Bellingham Pickleball fans for an action-packed pickleball weekend in support of women’s health, October 18-20.
The Pickled Pink tournament registration is open now! Join Armory Pickleball, Chuckanut Health Foundation and Bellingham Pickleball fans for an action-packed pickleball weekend in support of women’s health, October 18-20.
Sign up for one or multiple outings in October to forage for edible and medicinal mushrooms and learn about mushroom ecology and how to find target fungi.
There are 3 dates to choose from. Each course is from 12:00 to 4:30pm and take place in different locations.
To sign up for multiple dates you will need to purchase them individually in separate transactions:
Saturday October 5th
Sunday October 13th
Saturday October 26th
Locations will be in public forested areas around Whatcom County where foraging is legal without a permit. Precise details remain TBD as they are contingent on the fungi, but these trips will be no more than 1 hour outside of Bellingham. I will scout weekly to find the best locations and send you an email with location information 2-4 days before your event(s).
What to bring:
Dress for the weather
Snacks and water
Notepad and pen (optional)
Foraging basket
Hand lens (optional; I have some for sale (5/ea))
Registered individuals will receive location details, driving directions, weather forecast details and other info in an event-reminder email 2-4 days prior to the event. Please check your spam folder if you do not receive this email. Reach out if you do not find an email. There have been frequent issues with Gmail not delivering to Hotmail, Live, and MSN email addresses.
Email me with concerns or to get on a waitlist: nwnatura@gmail.com
Space is limited to 10 participants per course. Please register via the website.
Join the Whatcom Family & Community Network for this FREE interactive, skills-building workshop via Zoom.
In this 2-hour session, we’ll explore how to:
–Love Our Inner Turtle
–Nourish Our Brain and Nerve Roots
–Come to Our Senses
–Improve Postural Alignment
–Bring Our Practice to Life
Let’s grow our self-and-community care practice together!
The National Active and Retired Federal Employees’ Assoc. is hosting Federal Health Fairs. The 3rd one will be held from 2:00 – 5:30 pm, Nov 16 at Bellingham Central Library, Bellingham, WA
Federal Benefits Open Season November 11 – December 9, 2024
The NW WA National Active & Retired Federal Employees (NARFE) Association will host six health fairs to be held in November-December. The health fairs will be staffed by representatives from the major Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) and Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) plans. Representatives will distribute and discuss their 2025 plans and will be available to answer questions and explain how changes in the coming year will affect benefits for current federal employees, NARFE members, retirees, and their spouses or survivors. The health fair schedule is as follows:
** Sat., Nov.16, from 2:00 – 5:30 PM, presentations at 2:00 & 4:00 with open forum after brief presentations
Located at Bellingham Central Library, 210 Central Ave., Bellingham, WA
Call 360-778-7200 for directions.
** Wed., Nov. 20, from 12:30 – 2:30 PM, starting with presentations
Located at Evergreen Lanes, 5111 Claremont Way, Everett, WA
Call 425-259-7206 for directions
** Wed., Nov. 20, from 5:30 – 7:30 PM, starting with presentations
Located at Lynnwood Library, 19200 – 44th Ave. W. Lynnwood, WA
Call 425-778-2148 for directions
** Tues., Dec. 3, from 4:30 – 6:30 PM, open forum
Located at Bellingham Central Library, 210 Central Ave., Bellingham, WA
Call 360-778-7200 for directions.
For more information call Merry at 360-202-8999
Celebrating the indomitable spirit through film since 1979. Mountainfilm’s mission is to use the power of film, art and ideas to inspire audiences to create a better world. An evening of inspiring short films about community, nature, and overcoming adversity.
The National Active and Retired Federal Employees’ Assoc. is hosting Federal Health Fairs. The 6th one will be held from 4:30 – 6:30 pm, Dec. 3rd at Bellingham Central Library, Bellingham, WA
Federal Benefits Open Season November 11 – December 9, 2024
The NW WA National Active & Retired Federal Employees (NARFE) Association will host six health fairs to be held in November-December. The health fairs will be staffed by representatives from the major Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) and Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) plans. Representatives will distribute and discuss their 2025 plans and will be available to answer questions and explain how changes in the coming year will affect benefits for current federal employees, NARFE members, retirees, and their spouses or survivors. The health fair schedule is as follows:
** Sat., Nov.16, from 2:00 – 5:30 PM, presentations at 2:00 & 4:00 with open forum after brief presentations
Located at Bellingham Central Library, 210 Central Ave., Bellingham, WA
Call 360-778-7200 for directions.
** Wed., Nov. 20, from 12:30 – 2:30 PM, starting with presentations
Located at Evergreen Lanes, 5111 Claremont Way, Everett, WA
Call 425-259-7206 for directions
** Wed., Nov. 20, from 5:30 – 7:30 PM, starting with presentations
Located at Lynnwood Library, 19200 – 44th Ave. W. Lynnwood, WA
Call 425-778-2148 for directions
** Tues., Dec. 3, from 4:30 – 6:30 PM, open forum
Located at Bellingham Central Library, 210 Central Ave., Bellingham, WA
Call 360-778-7200 for directions.
For more information call Merry at 360-202-8999
Forage for wild medicines and bolster your home-made apothecary! In this class, deep dive into winter plant allies through guided foraging, and stepwise instruction on wildcrafting them into useful medicines.
Students will practice identifying and crafting plant materials into handmade remedies for a variety of ailments, but especially immunity. They will work together or individually to create concoctions to take home.
This series is designed for individuals at any skill level who are interested in foraging, plant ID, herbalism, and wildcrafting.
Expect some gentle to moderate hiking, and some kneeling or squatting.
This course takes place outdoors, rain or shine. Please dress for the weather. There will be a shelter to craft our medicines under if it’s raining. Bring warm layers, enjoy a complimentary hot beverage, connect with the land, find community, and enjoy the winter in an exciting new way!
Foraging
Plant ID and medicinal plant and fungi discourse throughout the class
Wildcrafted salves and syrups
We will begin the series with an introduction to foraging medicinal wild plants and discussing native vs nonnative plant foraging etiquette. The second part of the day will be spent foraging for target medicinal plants which we will craft into salves and syrups in the final portion of this class.
More info and registration via the event website. Space is limited.
This course is designed for anyone interested in foraging, herbal medicine, and native plant identification.
Take an educational stroll through a central park in Bellingham to learn the medicinal benefits of several species of plants, how and when to harvest them, and foraging ethics and safety.
You will be amazed at how much we find and how much you’ll learn on this field trip!
Preparedness:
Dress for the weather
Walking shoes (hiking boots not necessary)
Snacks and water
Notebook and Pen (optional but recommended)
Well behaved dogs can join us but they need to be on a leash during the field trip.
Please register via the event website.
Fairhaven Park (100-acre woods) near Bellingham, WA
Join Naturalist, Jazmen Yoder on a gentle walk through the 100-acre Woods 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).
Things to bring with you to class:
Dress for the weather (warm outdoor clothing)
Snacks and water
Notebook and pen (optional)
Camera (optional)
Your favorite field guide (optional)
You will need good shoes for walking, but they don’t necessarily need to be hiking boots; the trail is well maintained.
Registered individuals will receive an event-reminder email a few days prior to the event.
Forage for wild medicines and bolster your home-made apothecary! In this class, deep dive into winter plant allies through guided foraging, and stepwise instruction on wildcrafting them into useful medicines.
Students will practice identifying and crafting medicines from cottonwood trees into handmade remedies for a variety of ailments. They will work together or individually to create concoctions to take home.
This series is designed for individuals at any skill level who are interested in foraging, plant ID, herbalism, and wildcrafting.
Expect some gentle to moderate hiking, and some kneeling or squatting.
This course takes place outdoors, rain or shine. Please dress for the weather. There will be a shelter to craft our medicines under if it’s raining. Bring warm layers, enjoy a complimentary hot beverage, connect with the land, find community, and enjoy the winter in an exciting new way!
Foraging
Plant ID and medicinal plant and fungi discourse throughout the class
Wildcrafted infusions (oils and tinctures)
We will begin the series with an introduction to foraging medicinal wild plants and discussing native vs nonnative plant foraging etiquette. The second part of the day will be spent foraging for target medicinal plants which we will craft into infusions in the final portion of this class.
Materials Provided by Northwest Natura (included in tuition):
Notebook and Pen
Quality olive oil
Quality alcohol for tinctures
Processing equipment
Not included:
Glass jars. Please bring two (2) small jars (8oz minimum, 12oz maximum)
Things to bring with you to class:
Two 8oz or 12oz jars
Foraging basket or bag
Snacks/Lunch and Water
Garden Gloves (optional)
Alternative oil you prefer such as jojoba, grapeseed, or other liquid oil (optional)
Dress for the weather
—————
Class will take place outdoors, up to 40 minutes outside of Bellingham. Precise location TBD as it is based on the presence of optimal resources and abundance. Directions and location information will be sent to registered participants a few days prior to the event.
Please register via the website.
