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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 2024 May 2024
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May
15
Wed
Incorporating Native Plants in Your Garden @ Sustainable Living Center at the RE-Store
Tickets
May 15 @ 7:00 pm
Incorporating Native Plants in Your Garden @ Sustainable Living Center at the RE-Store

Koma Kulshan Chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society
Chapter Meeting: Incorporating Native Plants in Your Garden
In-person, 7PM

Do you have to go whole hog and ditch your old garden favorites when you “go native?” Not necessarily. Tuck native perennials and shrubs into your existing garden and begin experiencing the benefits of gardening with native plants without wiping the slate clean first. Learn how to choose appropriate native (and near-native) plants for your environment. See examples of native plants incorporated into an existing garden and new garden areas planted mostly with natives.

Mark Turner specializes in photographing botanical subjects for books and magazines in a wide range of environments, especially Pacific Northwest gardens and wild lands. He is the photographer of three books from Timber Press, the award-winning Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest, Trees and Shrubs of the Pacific Northwest, and the new Weeds of the Pacific Northwest, published in February 2024. He’s a long-time member of WNPS, former Koma Kulshan chapter chair and current state board member.

Photo by Mark Turner.

This is an in-person chapter meeting. In-person meetings begin at 7pm in the Sustainable Living Center education room at the ReStore (2309 Meridian St.). The entrance is off the back alley and the SLC is upstairs.

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Categories: Author Talk Tags: #nativeplants gardening
May
18
Sat
Baker River Wildflowers and Pollinators @ Baker River Trailhead
Tickets
May 18 @ 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Baker River Wildflowers and Pollinators @ Baker River Trailhead

Koma Kulshan Chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society

Field Trip: Baker River Wildflowers and Pollinators

After pre-registering with Jim Davis (jimdavisscs [at] gmail [dot] com), meet at 10:00 AM at the Baker River Trailhead at the end of the Baker Lake Road. Dense forest limits flowering plant abundance in much of the North Cascade lowlands. However, there are lowland areas with abundant flowers and, of course, their associated pollinators. River and lake margins provide habitats where sunlight penetrates far enough into riparian areas to create healthy flowering plant communities. Meandering rivers (Baker River as a prime example) also create forest openings that gradually recover to mature forest, going through several stages of flowering shrubs and small trees. If we have time, we may even visit a burned area along Park Creek where the shrub layer is slowing recovering. Late May to early June is the best time to visit the Baker River area. We should see quite a few flowers. This will be a relatively easy hike of about 2+ miles on mostly level terrain along the river. Hopefully the weather will be good, but you never know, so bring appropriate rain gear and warm clothing. Also bring a lunch and plenty of water. Don’t forget your Forest Service / Park Service parking pass. There are no fee stations in the area. We will be meeting at the trailhead, so please arrange your own carpools as you think appropriate. It can be up to a two-hour drive to the trailhead, depending on how many stops you need to make along the way. The trip is limited to 12 people, so please register with Jim Davis at jimdavisscs [at] gmail [dot] com.

Photo by Jim Davis.

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Categories: Outdoor Recreation Tags: #nativeplants nativepollinators wildflowers
May
22
Wed
Goose Rock Field Trip @ Deception Pass State Park
Tickets
May 22 @ 9:15 am – 1:00 pm
Goose Rock Field Trip @ Deception Pass State Park

Koma Kulshan Chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society

Field Trip: Goose Rock

Goose Rock is the highest point on Whidbey Island at about 480 feet. Starting from the parking area at the east end of North Beach, we’ll hike under the bridge, through the forest, and up to the bald at the top to see a great diversity of wildflowers and other native bald/meadow plants. On a clear day, there are fantastic island views from the top. On the way down, I hope we’ll find Pacific rhododendron, Rhododendron macrophyllum, in bloom along part of the loop trail. There is no plant list for Goose Rock yet – please come and help build one. I visited this area two years ago and have a preliminary list I can share. Bring a lunch if you like and we’ll stop to eat somewhere along the way. This is an easy to moderate hike, about 2-3 miles in length and ~500 feet elevation gain with some steep and/or slippery sections. It is in Deception Pass State Park and you will need a Discover Pass to park. We are visiting on a weekday because Deception Pass is a busy tourist area. It’s about 50 minutes to drive from Bellingham to the trailhead. We’ll meet at the trailhead at 9:15 am. Please contact Katie Mitchell, katie.henken [at] gmail.com to register or for more information.

Photo by Katie Mitchell.

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Categories: Outdoor Recreation Tags: #nativeplants
May
24
Fri
Buried Bellinghistory – Bayview Cemetery Tour @ Bayview Cemetery
Tickets
May 24 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Buried Bellinghistory - Bayview Cemetery Tour @ Bayview Cemetery

A guided walking tour of Bayview Cemetery, founded in 1887. We’ll explore the history of the cemetery and how it has changed over time, visiting the older sections of the cemetery and some of the most intriguing monuments. We’ll say hello to a lot of interesting folks who were laid to eternal rest in days of yore. This tour will last around two hours and covers less than one mile in distance. Terrain is mostly paved and level, however parts of the tour may include unpaved trails, uneven ground and slight inclines. (Tour Content Warning: Death, of course.) Meeting location and further details upon registration.

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Categories: Local History Tags: cemetery
May 2024 May 2024