Sustainable Bellingham

(Compiled by Shannon Maris/ Garden E-News, Arthur Tenebrae and Rachel Perry)

Northwest Washington Fair
Monday, August 13th – Saturday, August 18th, 9:00 am, Northwest Washington Fair and Events Center, 1775 Front Street, Lynden, WA
The Northwest Washington Fair celebrates the Agricultural Heritage of Whatcom County every August by providing affordable family entertainment, diverse attractions, and educational opportunities for people of all ages. Achievements of youth are showcased by providing opportunities for displaying projects and competitive exhibits. A showcase is provided for the communities talents while many opportunities are provided for fundraising by local nonprofit organizations. Click here for tickets and check out the fair’s schedule. For more information, call 360-354-4111 or send a message via the contact page.

Community Energy Challenge 2nd Birthday Party
Monday, August 13th, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm, Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro, 1107 Railroad Avenue, Bellingham, WA
Join us in the Boundary Bay beer garden, have some BBQ and raise a glass to the dozens of jobs the CEC has generated while dramatically cutting the energy costs to hundreds of buildings in Whatcom County. All family, CEC participants, contractors and the curious are invited. And we’ll have the newest generation of LED light bulbs illuminating the garden for you to check out and win (if you can answer some energy trivia)!

Natural Farming Observations With Larry Korn at Inspiration Farm
Tuesday, August 14th, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm, Inspirational Farm, 619 E Laurel Rd., Bellingham
Join us for an experiential, insightful tour of Inspiration Farm’s perennial and natural systems with our special guest Larry Korn! Larry is an educator, consultant, editor, and author in the fields of permaculture, natural farming, sustainable landscaping and local food production. Suggested donation is $10, though no one will be turned away for lack of funds. For more information, call 360-398-7061.

 SB Yoga at the Parks Tour: Marine Park 
Tuesday, August 14th, 7:00 pm, Marine Park, 200 Harris Ave., Bellingham, WA
This week continues the Sustainable Bellingham and Kaleidoscope Yoga’s Yoga in the Parks Tour. Each week includes a different beautiful park in Bellingham. The yoga begins at 7:00 pm on each Tuesday through July. Bring a dish to share; after the yoga, we sit and eat together.

This week will be held at Marine Park, weather permitting. If it rains, we’ll be inside the Majestic Underground on 1207 N. Forest Street at 6:00 pm. Check the Kaleidoscope Yoga Facebook page, or call 360-676-1487 if the weather is questionable. These are great events, and a sign that summer is here. We do yoga for approximately one hour, and then share a meal together. Bring a light dish to share, your dish and utensils; and a drink. The suggested donation is $5 – $10. If you have any questions or get lost, call 360-927-8735 before the class begins.

 Larry Korn’s Sowing Seeds in the Desert: Natural Farming, Global Restoration, & Ultimate Food Security
Tuesday, August 14th, 7:00 pm, Village Books, 1200 11th St., Fairhaven, WA
In Masanobu Fukuoka’s last major work, Sowing Seeds in the Desert, the earth is in great peril due to the corporatization of agriculture, the rising climate crisis, and the ever-increasing levels of global poverty, starvation, and desertification on a massive scale. This present condition is not “natural,” according to the late farmer and philosopher, but a result of humanity’s destructive actions. Our global trauma, however, can be remedied, and maybe even reversed, but only when we change our methods of earth stewardship, and the very way we think about the relationship between humans and nature.

Anything Grows Neighborhood Farm Workshop: “Earthwood Building: An Introduction to Cordwood”
Friday, August 17th – Sunday, August 19th, Bellingham, WA
Learn the fine art of cordwood construction along with the mixing and application of cob mortar. Meals will be provided including vegan and gluten-free cuisine. On site camping is encouraged. To learn more about the time, location, and  registration, contact Traesti Gundmundson at 360-510-2667 or traeti@hotmail.com. To cost is $100 per person.

Stone Town Theatre Works Presents “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
Friday, August 17th – Sunday, August 19th, 7:30 pm, Carrot & Stick Community Farm, 4104 Y Road, Bellingham, WA
Enjoy a late summer evening of William Shakespeare’s classic “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The stage and props are built out of recycled materials and the lights are low-powered LED. This will be an outdoor presentation, so bring a seat, blanket, and a bite to eat. For make reservations, call 360-201-5922 or email at info@stonetowntheatreworks.com. Tickets cost $10 each.

Fall & Winter Vegetable Gardening in Whatcom County
Saturday, August 18th, 10:00 am, Bakerview Nursery & Garden Center, 945 E. Bakerview Rd.
Our veggie gardening guru will show you how to grow fresh veggies during the fall and winter months. We’ll discuss which varieties of veggies are truly cold hardy for our county as well as how to grow and protect veggies through the winter. To register, call 360-676-0400.

Wood Block Printmaking Workshop
Saturday, August 18th – Sunday, August 19th, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm, Harmony Fields Farm, 7465 Thomas Rd., Bow, WA
Natalie Niblack will show you Western and Japanese styles of woodcutting and how to create your own wood block print. All levels of experience are welcomed. To register, call 360-941-8196 or email at hfproduce@gmail.com.

Family Nature Club: Bug Hunt!
Saturday, August 18th, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm, Tennant Lake Interpretive Center, 5236 Nielsen Avenue, Ferndale, WA
Discover the hidden world of aquatic invertebrates! This lake is home to fascinating water scorpions, giant water bugs and leeches amongst other more common critters. Come take an up close and personal look at the differences between true bugs, beetles and arachnids. Shake hands with a damselfly and get directions from the dragonfly as we explore the boardwalk around Tennant Lake on our scavenger hunt for exuviae, scat and the elusive marsh wren nests. All ages welcome! To register, email at wildwhatcomwalks@gmail.com. The cost is $7 per person and $21 per family of four.

Bite of Bellingham
Saturday, August 18th, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm, On Cornwall Ave. between Holly St. and Magnolia St., Bellingham, WA
Sample the finest local foods at the 7th Annual Bite of Bellingham. Vote for your favorite flavor categories: Best Bite, Sweetest Sweet, Dreamiest Drink, Best Local Bite, and Best Gluten-Free Bite. Musical entertainment will be provided by local bands Feather and Bone, Redwood Sol and The Devilly Brothers. Little Tiger Toys will be providing a Kid’s Corner with an array of fun activities; face painting, bubbles, hula hoops and more. An onsite Beer Garden will be available for the 21+ crowd, serving Boundary Bay brews.

 This year’s Bite of Bellingham is partnering with Sustainable Connections in order to make it a Toward Zero Waste event. In order to accomplish this, vendors with provide only compostable and recyclable materials, and compost and recycle totes will be set up at the event in lieu of trash cans. All ages are welcomed. Although admission is free, the tickets are $1 each and the food samples cost 1 – 7 tickets.

 Preserving the Harvest 
Saturday, August 18th, 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm, Cloud Mountain Farm, 6906 Goodwin Road, Everson, WA
Don’t let your garden bounty go to waste! We’ll discuss canning, drying and freezing of different fruit and vegetable crops. For more information, call 360-966-5859 or email at info@cloudmountainfarmcenter.org.

Beginning Gardening in Whatcom County
Saturday, August 18th, 2:00 pm, Bakerview Nursery & Garden Center, 945 E. Bakerview Rd.
Just bought your first house? Never gardened before and not sure where to start? Attend this class to learn all the basics of gardening like basic landscape design, basic vegetable gardening, soil preparation, deer and slug controls, and more. To register, call 360-676-0400.

Earth’s Weird Life Helps Curiosity’s Search
A detailed study of some of the complex microbes that keep the undersea ecosystem running smoothly shows just how complex life is around undersea volcanoes.

“Lone Ranger” Bird Flies Remote Forest
The animal kingdom has a new member on record, a recently discovered bird that sports a Lone Ranger-type black mask