Barnacles
2019-20 Season
Congratulations Barnacles 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 Barnacles' 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
Jillian Whitehill (she/her/hers) | (808) 769-0276 | jillian@wildwhatcom.org
Sammy Jolly (she/her/hers) | (815) 451-0766 | sammy@wildwhatcom.org
Barnacles 2019-20 Schedule
OUTING #1: Sunday, September 22, 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 26, 2019: 10:00-2:00PM
**Note that this outing was changed from its originally scheduled date**
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 24, 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 take the Old Fairhaven Parkway exit and drive west on Old Fairhaven Parkway for 0.8 of a mile. On the left you’ll see a large wooden sign that says ‘Interurban Trail Rotary Trailhead.’ Follow it into the parking lot. 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: Saturday, December 7, 2019: 10:00-3:00PM
EXPLORATION: Yew Street Woods **NEW DROP-OFF LOCATION, please read directions carefully**
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 0.2 of a mile. Turn left onto Alvarado Dr , then turn right onto Kenoyer Dr. Drop off will be at the dead end; street parking is available. Map.
OUTING #5: Saturday, February 22, 2020: 10:00-3:00PM
EXPLORATION: SE 100 Acre Woods
This southside forest has been prime exploring territory for many EC groups. On this misty autumn day, we'll seek shelter under the fir and cedar canopy, discovering hidden treasures in this 89-acre preserve. Nature games will keep us moving with laughter, and we'll no doubt learn that exploring and learning can be fun in any weather, as long as we're prepared!
Directions: From I-5, take the Fairhaven Parkway exit. Go left (south) on 24th (Fairhaven Veterinary Hospital on right). Follow this road for the equivalent of 2-3 blocks until you come to Willis St. (long uphill driveway on left, trailhead on right). Pull to the right side of the road just before Willis and look for mentors waiting and waving. Map.
OUTING #6: Saturday, March 7, 2020: 2:00-7:00PM ** Rescheduled from 1/12/20**
NIGHT OUTING: Stars and Stories at Sehome Arboretum
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.
Directions: Pick up and Drop off at the WWU Wade King Recreation Center, 1880 Bill McDonald Parkway. Parents are welcome to park for free after 5 pm in the WWU C-Lots, directly across the street from the Recreation Center. You'll see mentors waiting outside the front of the building!
**CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19**
OUTING #7: Saturday, March 21, 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: Sunday, April 26, 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: Saturday, June 6, 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.