Your quarterly guide to recreation in Bellingham is here
The Bellingham Parks and Recreation Fall Playbook is now available! The Playbook offers information about events, activities, and educational opportunities. Whether you want to join a ukulele jam, volunteer at a community work party, relax at a sound bath, or even learn the art of crafting cheese, there’s something for everyone! Look for a printed version in your mailbox or at various locations around the city. You can also visit our Playbook page to view the online Playbook, see our Parks Scholarships page for information about financial support for parks programs, and visit cob.org/ezreg to sign up for programs.
Celebrate the Salish Sea at Free First Friday
As the summer draws to a close, paddle over to the Whatcom Museum on Sept. 5 for Free First Friday. Visitors of all ages are invited to learn all about the Salish Sea and the people and animals who call its waterways home. Create a fish print inspired by the traditional Japanese art of gyotaku, sculpt your own sea creature, decorate a buoy to add to Bellingham SeaFeast’s community net project, join a guided walk to the Whatcom Creek Hatchery — and much more! In the afternoon, hear stories from Nooksack Storytellers Tammy Cooper-Woodrich and Angela LeToi, then join in a sea shanty sing-along with The Mighty Bards of Menace in the Lightcatcher courtyard! Find a full list of events and times.
Significant cleanup progress on the Padden Creek diesel spill
Cleanup of the diesel spill at Padden Creek has made strong progress, allowing the focus of the cleanup response partners to transition from emergency response to long-term restoration. In total, 23 truckloads of contaminated soil have been hauled away for disposal and will be replaced with clean soil. Sorbent materials are no longer collecting any product and most sampling results have consistently come back below detection levels. Long-term restoration planning will be coordinated by Washington Department of Ecology’s Toxic Cleanup Program and Natural Resource Damage Assessment trustees. Any future updates on the cleanup work and the fish passage project that was underway before the spill happened will be shared on our project page.
Improving public spaces
Work began last week on the latest series of improvements to Hundred Acre Wood aimed at preserving the wetland habitat while still allowing for public recreation. Trails throughout the park will be closed off-and-on throughout the work, and some construction traffic is expected. Visit our project page to learn more and see a map of expected trail closures.
The Bakerview Neighborhood Park vision survey is still open through Sept. 7! The survey takes about 5 minutes to complete and will help the Parks & Recreation team determine the amenities, layout, and features of the new park. Visit our project page for more background info on the park.
City Council approved a plan for Barkley Village Monday. Check out our press release to learn what changes are coming to the neighborhood, including more housing, increased bike and pedestrian connections, and a plan to preserve forests and wetlands.
Mayor Lund goes behind the scenes
Mayor Kim Lund has continued her journey of shadowing teams across the City. Most recently, she joined the Whatcom Museum’s exhibitions team as they prepared their newest exhibition — “myself inside your story” by artist Mary Ann Peters. She also joined the Permit Center to learn the ins-and-outs of building and energy codes and ride along on a safety inspection.
