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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Mar
30
Sat
Ethnobotany, Fungi & Tidepools: An Interactive Nature Walk @ Washington Park
Mar 30 @ 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Ethnobotany, Fungi & Tidepools: An Interactive Nature Walk @ Washington Park

Join Naturalist, Jazmen Yoder on a fun adventure through a beautiful coastal forest to learn about edible and medicinal plants and fungi, and traditional ethnobotanical uses of native plants. We will slowly make our way to the shoreline just in time for low tide when we’ll carefully explore tidepools before saying farewell at 4pm.

For more information about this trip, please follow the link to the publisher’s website.

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Apr
17
Wed
Bees and Pollinators through the Macro Lens @ Sustainable Living Center @ the RE Store
Apr 17 @ 7:00 pm
Bees and Pollinators through the Macro Lens @ Sustainable Living Center @ the RE Store

Koma Kulshan Chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society
Chapter Meeting:

Many people are unaware of the fascinating diversity of bees and other pollinators around the world. For example, in the state of Washington alone there are upwards of 700 species of native bees. To the naked eye, many of these organisms look like nothing more than a mundane house fly. Through the macro lens, however, a vastly different world is revealed. In this presentation, Aidan Hersh will showcase the beautiful bees and pollinators of Washington and beyond. Aidan Hersh is a macro photographer and native bee enthusiast living in Bellingham. He serves on the board of the Washington Native Bee Society and the steering committee of the Washington Bee Atlas. He hopes that his photography will spark interest in the too often forgotten yet vitally important world of bees and pollinators. His photos can be found on Instagram @photo.by.aidan

This is an in-person chapter meeting! The Koma Kulshan Chapter’s 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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Apr
21
Sun
Introductory Plant Walks: Native Plants on the Lower Padden Creek Trail @ Lower Padden Creek Trail / meet at Fairhaven Village Green
Apr 21 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Introductory Plant Walks: Native Plants on the Lower Padden Creek Trail @ Lower Padden Creek Trail / meet at Fairhaven Village Green

Join our fun, informal introductory native plant walks and get familiar with plants native to Whatcom County.

Sponsored by the Koma Kulshan Chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society (WNPS), these introductory plant identification walks feature an easy pace and will each last about two hours. All walks are free and no registration is required, just show up at the meeting spot. The walks will focus on a variety of habitats, with your expert guide introducing you to common trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants native to our area. Leaders will share tidbits on ethnobotany, wildlife use, gardening with natives, and other interesting plant related facts. People of all ages and experience levels are welcome. Dress for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes that may get wet. Each walk stands alone, or attend them all to get a free mini-course on plant identification. For more information contact Allan Richardson at 360-305-5270 or asrichardson5@gmail.com

Native Plants on the Lower Padden Creek Trail:

Stroll through the shady Padden Creek trail in Fairhaven. Your guide, Eric Worden, will help you learn to identify common trees and shrubs, and also to learn their unique plant “personalities” and how they interact in this dynamic urban green space.

Meet at Fairhaven Village Green.

Photo by Mark Turner.

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Apr
27
Sat
Chuckanut Bay Shoreline Exploration @ Chuckanut Pocket Estuary
Apr 27 @ 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Chuckanut Bay Shoreline Exploration @ Chuckanut Pocket Estuary

Koma Kulshan Chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society Field Trip:

The north end of Chuckanut Bay has steep south-facing slopes, a marsh behind a gravelly beach ridge, mature second growth forest, and oak tree meadows. This is also an important location in the traditions of the Nooksack Indians and other Coast Salish peoples, as documented in Nooksack Place Names and by five archaeological sites. We will first explore the beach ridge and marsh, then slopes above the mud flats at low tide. Chocolate lily (Fritillaria affinis) and mountain larkspur (Delphinium menzeisii) should be in full bloom. A full plant list is available on the WNPS state website. Meet at the end of Fairhaven Ave in the Chuckanut Village neighborhood of Bellingham. Take Chuckanut Drive less than a mile south of Fairhaven Park to a right turn behind the Chuckanut Bay Gallery to reach Fairhaven Ave. Bring boots or shoes suitable for ankle deep mud, and other shoes for the trail. Contact Allan Richardson at 360-305-5270 or asrichardson5@gmail.com to sign up.

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April Brews Day @ Downtown Bellingham Waterfront
Apr 27 @ 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
April Brews Day @ Downtown Bellingham Waterfront

Join us for April Brews Day on Saturday, April 27, 2024 at the Bellingham, WA Downtown Waterfront featuring craft breweries from the Pacific Northwest. The event will showcase local food vendors and live musical performances. April Brews Day is the culminating event of Bellingham Beer Week, a collaboration that highlights Bellingham’s booming beer scene.

Tickets go on sale January 15. All tickets include a collectable tasting cup and tasting tickets for beer and food. VIP ticket holders receive exclusive access to the event one and a half hours prior to general admission and receive additional tasting tickets. Tickets may be purchased online at aprilbrewsday.org.

Grab a beer for a cause! All proceeds benefit Max Higbee Center’s community-based recreation programs that help empower youth and adults with developmental disabilities. Learn more at maxhigbeecenter.org.

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May
18
Sat
Pine Needle Basketry – A Wildcrafter’s Workshop with Northwest Natura @ Chuckanut Center
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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