Community Calendar and Information Hub

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.

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Agenda
May – June 2024 May – Jun 2024
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May
12
Sun
Spring Foraging & Outdoor Cooking with Northwest Natura @ Maple Falls
Tickets
May 12 @ 1:00 pm – 5:30 pm
Spring Foraging & Outdoor Cooking with Northwest Natura @ Maple Falls

Join Naturalist, Jazmen Yoder on a day of foraging out in the woods. This course will take place on private and public property approximately 2 miles from of Maple Falls. Location is subject to change based on seasonal anomalies such as delayed sprouting.

This is a great event to be out in nature on Mothers Day!

We will be foraging nettles and other edible or medicinal plants, in addition to any edible mushrooms we may find. For each species, expect short discourse on it’s edibility or medicinal properties, how to prepare it for medicine or food, and information on its ecology.

Expect moderate walking/hiking with frequent stops, self-led exploration, and a lesson in ethical foraging on public lands.

The last half of the class, we will build a fire and cook together using nettles. I will show you 2 recipes and make suggestions for several others.

This will be a fun outing!

Please register via the website.

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Categories: Education Outdoor Recreation Workshops, Classes and Lectures Tags: Foraging outdoor cooking spring
May
18
Sat
Pine Needle Basketry – A Wildcrafter’s Workshop with Northwest Natura @ Chuckanut Center
Tickets
May 18 @ 1:00 pm – 5:30 pm
Pine Needle Basketry - A Wildcrafter's Workshop with Northwest Natura @ Chuckanut Center

In this wildcrafting workshop you will learn how to weave a basket using the coil technique and Ponderosa Pine needles.

Baskets are thought to be one of the first art forms of ancient peoples, with basket fragments found in California and the Southwest dating to 9400 years, and coiled baskets from the earliest sites in Egypt dating to 7,000 years. The coil technique requires patience and attention to detail before it becomes a relaxing, repetitive stitching pattern. It is a skill that is more easily learned with a little guidance.

Dabblers, beginners, intermediate, and advanced weavers will enjoy this creative, social gathering.

In this course you will learn:

ID and Ecology features of Pinus spp. (various pine tree species).

Foraging techniques and where to harvest pine needles.

How to weave a coiled basket using pine needles.

All materials will be provided but you are welcome to bring your own too if you wish (e.g., thread, beads, decor, sewing kit).

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Categories: Workshops, Classes and Lectures Tags: basket making Foraging pine needles
May
25
Sat
Orcas of the Salish Sea: A Crash Course in Ecology @ Chuckanut Center
Tickets
May 25 @ 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Orcas of the Salish Sea: A Crash Course in Ecology @ Chuckanut Center

Join Jazmen Yoder (Northwest Natura) & Madelaine Katz for an ecology crash course complete with captivating storytelling and bounteous wisdom-sharing on Southern Resident and Transient Killer Whales, and the Salish Sea Bioregion.

In this course you will learn:

Salish Sea natural history, including human history and the interconnectedness of species on land and sea.

Orca symbolism and lore within the Coast Salish region

Morphological traits, behaviors, and social structures of Orcas

Salmon species basic life history and phenology

Ecological roles, impacts, and new facts about Southern Resident and Transient Killer Whales

To hear and discern different Orca vocalizations

How to ID individual orcas by their unique features

How to support Orca conservation efforts

Tips for whale watching (where to go, what to look for, how to ID individuals, and more).

This course will be co-led by Madelaine Katz, a nature educator and student of the Salish Sea, and Jazmen Yoder, outdoor educator, naturalist, and founder of Northwest Natura.

The entire class will take place indoors at the Chuckanut Center near Fairhaven in Whatcom County, WA. The Chuckanut Center is heated and has access to facilities including a bathroom, full kitchen, and drinking water.

***** Please register via the website.

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Categories: Education Local History Workshops, Classes and Lectures Tags: ecology marine ecology orca pnw salish
Jun
23
Sun
(Day 3 of) Spring Naturalist Series: Botany & Nature Awareness with Northwest Natura @ Anacortes, WA
Tickets
Jun 23 @ 11:30 am – 5:00 pm
(Day 3 of) Spring Naturalist Series: Botany & Nature Awareness with Northwest Natura @ Anacortes, WA

This is day THREE of this series.

The series is designed for individuals at any skill level who are interested in having fun outdoors learning about PNW plants, wildlife, tidepools, bogs, natural history, foraging, and a bit of photography.

Each class will incorporate hands-on experience and photo prompts to deepen your awareness of the natural world and augment your curiosity.

Overall, we will be moving at a slow pace during each outing as we focus on our surroundings, have mini lectures, or engage in activities.

Expect some gentle to moderate hiking, and some kneeling or squatting.

Each class will build on the previous one. For more details, go to the website.

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Categories: Education Outdoor Recreation Workshops, Classes and Lectures Tags: ethnobotany pnw
May – June 2024 May – Jun 2024