Introductory Native Plant Walk: Maritime Heritage Park

Enjoy an early evening walk investigating native plants in the urban environment. We will follow the Native Plant Trail in Maritime Heritage Park along Whatcom Creek and learn about the plants, their names, and uses in native Coast Salish tradition. The walk will be led by anthropologist Allan Richardson, co-author of Nooksack Place Names.

Meet at the park pavilion building, just east of Whatcom Creek, on West Holly Street at Maritime Heritage Park in downtown Bellingham.

This is the fifth in a series of introductory native plant walks around Whatcom County. The others are on April 21, April 24, April 30, May 8, and May 26.

Join our fun, informal 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. Details about other WNPS activities can be found at wnpskoma.org.