WNPS Field Trip: Chuckanut Bay Shoreline Exploration

The Koma Kulshan Chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society regularly hosts educational seminars and field trips, typically free and open to the public. Visit our calendar listing, linked below, for more information and registration instructions.

Meetup location: Chuckanut Pocket Estuary lot at the end of Fairhaven Ave in the Chuckanut Village neighborhood of Bellingham.
More event and contact information can be found in the link provided.

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 slopes above the mud flats at low tide, then investigate the marsh. After a lunch break at the beach we will take the unmarked shoreline trail to reach the oaks at Woodstock Farm.

Planning ahead: Bring your own lunch and water. Be sure to dress for the weather, wear boots or shoes suitable for ankle deep mud, and bring other shoes for the trail if desired.