Alligator Lizards
2019-20 Season
Congratulations Alligator Lizards on completing your second year of Explorers Club (EC)! We appreciate your willingness to play and connect with each other and the natural world. As the group moves into their third year in Explorers Club, mentors look forward to the group continuing to deepen both sides of their Explorers toolbox: socio-emotional and technical skills. The Alligator Lizards' skill focus for this year will be Art of Shelter, through which we'll learn teamwork and leadership, in addition to taking some time to learn and talk about beauty, art, and storytelling.
Please look over the schedule upon registration and give us as much advance notice as possible if there are any conflicts for your child attending. For more information, please visit our Missed Days and Make Up Policies. Please know that these dates are subject to change due to inevitable circumstances. We will update you if any dates do change!
Be sure to use the Be Prepared Checklist when getting ready for each Explorers Club outing. Wild Whatcom Mottos guide much of our program so please read them over with your Explorer.
Mentors
Adam Yost (he/him/his) | (360) 319-7387 | adam@wildwhatcom.org
Kit Reiche (they/them/theirs) | (253) 495-2963 | kit@wildwhatcom.org
Alligator Lizards 2019-20 Schedule
OUTING #1: Sunday, September 8, 2019: 10:00-3:00PM
EXPLORATION: Introduction to Shelter Building, North Lake Samish
In Whatcom County, we are blessed to have the endless trails of the Chuckanut Mountains right in our backyard. The North Lake Samish trail boasts some spectacular vistas and waterfalls and also holds some challenging route finding through mixed use logging terrain. On this outing we will tap into the near-universal child passion of fort-building, which turns out is an excellent foundation for our skill this season! With some finessing we can harness the power of fort-building to help us learn how to survive in the woods. And of course there will be plenty of time for exploring and games to get us back in the groove of the Explorers Club.
Directions: From Bellingham head south on I-5 and take exit 246 toward North Lake Samish. Turn left onto Lake Samish Drive for 1.6 miles. Take a sharp right onto Lake Samish County Park. The parking lot will be on your right. Map.
OUTING #2: Saturday, October 19, 2019: 10:00-2:00PM
SERVICE: Restoration Sites: Connelly Creek Nature Area and Happy Valley Park
Our official EC restoration sites have changed dramatically since we started working on them. Blackberries that were once well over head-high have been chopped down to nothing and many of their persistent roots have been dug out. Hundreds of pounds of trash has been removed, the reed canary grass has been covered with bark mulch, native species are beginning to be planted on the banks of the creek, and the alder are growing markedly faster than our Explorers.
With the help of Bellingham City Parks and Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA), we are contributing to the very important work of salmon habitat restoration. Salmon are keystone species of the Northwest, playing important roles in every ecosystem and community they interact with. They are economically, culturally, and spiritually significant to Indigenous peoples, including our Lummi and Nooksack neighbors. Our restoration work creates a positive ripple effect that is felt in communities beyond just salmon, and gives us an incredible opportunity to be part of a legacy of stewardship and protection.
Directions: From I-5 drive west on Old Fairhaven Parkway for 0.1 of a mile. Turn right onto 30th St. and drive for 0.3 of a mile. Turn right on Donovan Ave. and drive for 0.1 of a mile. Turn right onto 32nd Ave. and drive for 0.2 of a mile. Turn left into Bellingham Park & Ride (WSDOT) Westside. Map.
OUTING #3: Sunday, November 3, 2019: 10:00-3:00PM
TRAVERSE: Lower Padden Creek
We’ve already explored at Lake Padden and traversed the Padden Gorge section of Padden Creek. Now, we will have an opportunity to follow Padden Creek from one of its tributaries, Connelly Creek, at our service site all the way to its eventual outflow into Bellingham Bay. Along the way we will explore the riparian zone and creek alike. We will also get to see firsthand how the Padden Creek Daylighting project is coming along; a great place to start conversations about how our cities and natural places rely on and impact each other.
Drop-off directions: From I-5 drive west on Old Fairhaven Parkway for 0.1 of a mile. Turn right onto 30th St. and drive for 0.3 of a mile. Turn right on Donovan Ave. and drive for 0.1 of a mile. Turn right onto 32nd Ave. and drive for 0.2 of a mile. Turn left into Bellingham Park & Ride (WSDOT) Westside. Map.
Pick-up directions: Heading south on I-5 take the Old Fairhaven Parkway exit. Take a right onto Old Fairhaven Parkway and drive for 1.3 miles. Continue onto Donovan Ave and then onto 10th Street. Turn Left onto Harris Ave. and continue for 0.4 of a mile. Take your first left after the train tracks and drive 0.1 of a mile until reaching Marine Park. Map.
OUTING #4: Sunday, November 24, 2019: 10:00-3:00PM
EXPLORATION: Yew Street Woods
The Yew Street Woods lie on the Western entrance of the Lookout Mountain Open Space. From our drop-off location on San Juan Blvd. we will access the power line trail and venture southeast along the lower flanks of Lookout Mountain. With plenty of space to roam and navigate we will utilize the myriad of social trails and spend some time getting to know this wild land located right in our own backyard.
Directions: Heading South on I-5 take Exit 253 and head East on Lakeway Drive for 1.1 miles. Turn right on Yew Street and drive for 0.7 of a mile. Turn right onto San Juan Blvd. On street parking will be on your left. Map.
OUTING #5: Saturday, January 18, 2020: 10:00-3:00PM *This outing was switched with Stars and Stories*
EXPLORATION: North Galbraith Mountain
Galbraith Mountain isn’t just good for mountain biking, but exploring as well! Come prepared for adventure and discovery as we pick a location and navigate our way through this local forestland. If we’re feeling motivated we may learn some knots and rope techniques that can really elevate our shelter building. Of course, there will be time for some games, challenges, and open exploration. Let’s see what we can find out there!
Directions: Drive east on Lakeway Dr. from I-5 for approximately 2 miles. Turn right on Birch St. and continue to the end of the road 0.3 miles. Map.
OUTING #6: Sunday, February 9, 2020: 2:00-7:00PM *This outing was switched with Exploration at Galbraith*
NIGHT TRAVERSE: Stars and Stories, Taylor Dock to Boulevard Park
Get ready to embrace the night! On this very special outing, we will explore and get to know the outdoors from dusk to dark, focusing our attention to the sky. We’ll observe and identify constellations, reflect on the night sky and how people have related to it throughout time, and hear some stories from a variety of cultures about the infinite starry and planetary sphere above. Please send your Explorer with a headlamp or small flashlight and lots of cold-weather layers, and help them prepare for the new experience of exploring outside at night.
Drop-off Directions: From I-5 take the Old Fairhaven Parkway exit. Drive west on Old Fairhaven Parkway for 1.2 miles. Turn left on 12th St, then follow it left onto Finnegan Way/11th St. Turn left onto Douglas Ave, then right onto 10th St. Parking will be on your left. Map.
Pick-up Directions: From I-5 take the Old Fairhaven Parkway exit. Drive west on Old Fairhaven Parkway for 1.2 miles. Turn left on 12th St, then follow it left onto Finnegan Way/11th St. Drive for .5 miles then turn left onto Bayview Dr. Follow it down to Boulevard Park. Map.
**CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19**
OUTING #7: Sunday, March 15, 2020: 10:00-2:00PM
SERVICE: Restoration Sites: Connelly Creek Nature Area and Happy Valley Park
Our official EC restoration sites have changed dramatically since we started working on them. Blackberries that were once well over head-high have been chopped down to nothing and many of their persistent roots have been dug out. Hundreds of pounds of trash has been removed, the reed canary grass has been covered with bark mulch, native species are beginning to be planted on the banks of the creek, and the alder are growing markedly faster than our Explorers.
With the help of Bellingham City Parks and Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA), we are contributing to the very important work of salmon habitat restoration. Salmon are keystone species of the Northwest, playing important roles in every ecosystem and community they interact with. They are economically, culturally, and spiritually significant to Indigenous peoples, including our Lummi and Nooksack neighbors. Our restoration work creates a positive ripple effect that is felt in communities beyond just salmon, and gives us an incredible opportunity to be part of a legacy of stewardship and protection.
Directions: From I-5 drive west on Old Fairhaven Parkway for 0.1 of a mile. Turn right onto 30th St. and drive for 0.3 of a mile. Turn right on Donovan Ave. and drive for 0.1 of a mile. Turn right onto 32nd Ave. and drive for 0.2 of a mile. Turn left into Bellingham Park & Ride (WSDOT) Westside. Map.
**CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19**
OUTING #8: Saturday, May 2, 2020: 10:00-3:00PM
EXPLORATION: Fragrance Lake Trail (via Lost Lake Parking Lot)
This gem of a mountain lake is a supremely popular local spot, and for good reason! The thick forest and carpet of enormous sword ferns makes this place feel prehistoric and otherworldly, and the lake itself is stunning and peaceful. If we don’t make it all the way to the lake, it’ll likely be because we’ve taken the spur out to the viewpoint for some gorgeous sights of the islands. Either way, the journey is the true reward. Who knows what awaits!
Directions: Drive south on Chuckanut Dr. from Fairhaven for 5.5 miles.The parking lot for Clayton Beach (and Fragrance Lake) is a short distance past the main Larrabee State Park entrance (left hand side of road). We'll aim for a quick-turnaround at drop-off and pick-up. NOTE: Washington state requires a Discover Pass if you'll be parking. Map.
**CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19**
OUTING #9: Sunday, May 31, 2020: 10:00-3:00PM
EXPLORATION: Nature Art, North Lake Whatcom
Following in the footsteps of the great natural artist Andy Goldsworthy, the team will be spending this beautiful spring afternoon envisioning natural art installations in the forest and on the beach. We will gather dead, down, or brown leaves, flowers, branches, stones, and other natural materials along the trail, talk about concepts of beauty, perspective, and art, and each make our own, unique work of art. Some Explorers may choose to make mandalas, while others may build sculptures, and some may even create floating flower wreaths. There will be no wrongs or rights as we work together to create pieces of ephemeral, natural art.
Directions: From downtown, take Cornwall Ave. north for 1 mile. Turn right onto Alabama St. and drive for 2.5 miles. Turn left onto Northshore Dr. and follow it for 7.2 miles. Turn left onto Northshore Rd. The trailhead will be in your left in 0.5 miles. Map.