The pandemic may have shifted our approach as an organization, but it didn’t change our appreciation for our amazing community.
Our 2021 volunteer work parties helped us reconnect with familiar faces, and meet new ones, who were excited to roll up their sleeves and better our community. Reflecting back on our stewardship events during this roller coaster of a year, makes us sincerely grateful for the fun and enthusiastic people dedicated to helping Recreation Northwest make a difference in Fairhaven Park.
Hearty volunteers at the end of our first public volunteer work party 7-17
Accomplishments of 2021 Volunteer Work Parties
Together we made a lot of progress, restoring native species, removing invasive species and cleaning up our area to make it safe and user friendly. Here are just a few of our accomplishments:
1.) Native Plant Transplanting.
2.) Invasive Species Removal of Himalayan Blackberry & Buttercup in Native Plant Restoration Site.
3.) Massive invasive blackberry removal by the Phillips 66 Crew:Future home of an Outdoor Classroom.
4.) Restoration of native plant saplings through distribution of mulch around the plants.
5.) Clean-up of litter along Padden Creek part of Climate Action Week.
6.) Decommissioning of a social trail with help from Wild Whatcom students.
7.) Removing black fencing and bean posts giving access to a wildlife corridor.
We’ve worked alongside over 100 volunteers through the past several years. Many of these folks are committed to our stewardship events, bringing one or two friends or family members with them to help our project build momentum.
Many of the people who volunteer with us found Recreation Northwest through word of mouth, social media and by happenstance when passing one of our work parties.
Check Out Some Fun Highlights from Our 2021 Volunteer Work Parties
Morning debrief before the fun begins!
Not all work parties had blue skies, but they were all filled with positivity.
Now you see it, now you don’t! This pile of mulch got moved quickly to help the restoration of native plant saplings.
As Kenny, the ‘mulch man”, demonstrates the fun we have at our work parties!
Jim Fonte, was the compost extraordinaire as he was crucial in helping to make compost piles for our invasive species removal.
MLK Day of Service was a huge success transplanting native plant saplings in our restoration site.
We participated in Climate Action Week through cleaning up trash from Padden Creek.
Our work parties are always filled with smiles, especially after restoration work, from cleaning Padden Creek.
Together Recreation Northwest and Wild Whatcom decommission a social trail.
The wet fall weather didn’t dampen the high spirits during a day of service.
We are excited to continue our meaningful restoration work in Fairhaven Park with Wild Whatcom in the future.
Moving forward to 2022
Looking back at 2021, we are ecstatic to have met so many new community members and continue the positive partnerships that further our restoration efforts in Fairhaven Park.
We offer a heartfelt THANK YOU to the following individuals for participating in our volunteer events this past year: Anthony Watkins, Carol Startcher, Clyde Watkins, Daniel Barr, Eric Bablinskas, Jayden Ouellette, Jayson Branson, Katherine Harrison, Tracy Ouellette, Ty Ouellette, Jim Fonte, Rita Fox, Leah Silkina, Henry Steig, Lucie Steig, Sharon Stream, Pinky Vargas, Michelle Benson, Maggie Krostag, Kenneth Arnold, Gary Bachman, Samuel Donner, Auresa Nyctea, Bob Stucco, Scott Kreis, Will Jones, Lori Jones, Kathy Fonte, Brian Martinelli, Josh Welshman, Jeff Nelson, John Hewlett, Betsy Hewlett, Adam Yost, Nick Englefried, Rohan Lindeman, Lucas Ragsdale, Marlen Vinn, Ezra Price, Leo Pavia, Avery Horton, August Booker, Finn Bowman, Cooper Howard, & the Phillips 66 crew of volunteers.
We’d also like to give a big shout out to Amy Brown, Volunteer Coordinator with the City of Bellingham. We are grateful for her continued support in loaning us the tools we need to help make our volunteer work parties a success!
We are also very grateful for Wild Whatcom, and Phillips 66 for their support and partnership.
Our trail restoration projects would not be possible without the generous support of your donation. Please consider giving whatever you’re able to help support our mission to help protect the places and spaces where we live and play. We look forward to connecting with more of our community in 2022.
Caleb originally hails from Massachusetts, however, he has been living in Washington since the winter of 2019. A recent resident of Bellingham, he has been immersed in the field of Environmental Education for the past 7-8 years. He has taught hands-on science inquiry-based lessons to all ages in a diverse range of ecosystems throughout the country. He has also led backpacking and whitewater rafting expeditions while helping his participants gain a sense of place. He has a passion for the local community, the environment, and encourages his participants to be present in the here and now when exploring the outdoors. When Caleb is not working you may find him exploring the wilderness around Mount Baker or the Chuckanuts, biking through Bellingham, going to see live music, and creating delicious food.
