Updates

Nice day for it

First big planting project of 2021: 1900 native trees, shrubs, ground covers and graminoids into this beast of a stormwater/bioswale system up on Yew Street Hill. Very satisfying to take it from big monocultures of Canada thistle, poison hemlock, reed canarygrass and etc. last June to an almost weed free, thickly mulched, densely planted site in 7 months. ... See more

Good times with Rolland, Mark, Siram and Eric, circa 2000

A rare Shelterbelt selfie, from about 17 years ago

https://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/local/article246662848.html?ac_cid=DM308046&ac_bid=-1663545029 Good job WSDA! Go get them yak killers!

Popularly known as “murder hornets,” all 22 of the Asian giant hornets detected in Washington state so far have been found in Whatcom County.

Are you a beaver believer? I am. But dammit I wish they would leave my young cedars alone. https://sflonews.wordpress.com/2020/08/14/im-a-beaver-believer/

By Ken Bevis, stewardship wildlife biologist, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, ken.bevis@dnr.wa.gov We all have to believe in something, and I’m a Beaver Believer! We are a dedicat… ... See more

Cliff says we should go outside and that works well for us. https://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2020/06/the-safety-of-outdoor-air-for.html

This blog provides updated forecasts and comments on current weather or other topics

Pollinator week! Ground-nesting bees! Get some!

"In fact, seventy percent of native bee species in the United States are ground nesting. There is not a lot known about the specific environments that ground nesting bees seek (compaction, soil type, etc.), but they do seem to be drawn to sunny, bare soil. Regardless of the details, we know that providing nesting sites is key to supporting these vital pollinators."

https://xerces.org/blog/ground-nesting-bees ... See more

Interesting article on the economic impact of the ecological restoration economy...it's big!

"All included, we estimate that the ecological restoration economy generates ~221,000 jobs and ~$24.86 billion in economic output."

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0128339#sec010 ... See more

Did you know 18% of children in Whatcom County are considered food-insecure? And that was before this whole Covid-19 deal came down. Supporting essential local services such as the Bellingham Food Bank is more important than ever in these difficult times. ... See more

Bellingham Food Bank

These are some *amazing* scenes from the Great White North/Coastal B.C. A reminder to do all we can to protect and restore our forage fish spawning beaches here in the Salish Sea...no forage fish = no salmon = no southern resident killer whales. ... See more

Every spring, nature puts on a breathtaking display on the British Columbia coast.