(Compiled by Shannon Maris/ Garden E-News, Arthur Tenebrae, and Rachel Perry)
*** BIKE TO WORK & SCHOOL DAY, FRIDAY, MAY 18th***
SB Roving Garden Party – York Neighborhood
** When: Tuesday, May 8th, 6:00pm – 7:30pm work, 7:30 meal
** Where: 1309 Indian Street (The Indian Street Pottery Studio in the backyard). MAP: http://g.co/maps/hqxnw
** Requested Items to Bring: Shovels, hammers
** Tasks: Building raised beds, placing soil in beds, planting starts.
** Food: Pot purri (an assortment of foods) provided by York Neighborhood Assoc. Garden and Orchard Committee.
** Host: City Gate, Mary Loquvam, maryloq@q.com.
** Questions: Email Jean at artiseverywhere@yahoo.com, or info@sustainablebellingham.org.
Large-Scale Rainwater Catchment for Your Home: Part I
Tuesday, May 8th, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm, RE Sources Sustainable Living Center
(above The RE Store), 2309 Meridian Street
If you’re looking for a do-it-yourself rainwater system with increased capacity, no permits, and easy installation, this workshop is essential for you. A 275-gallon tank can water approximately 500 square feet of land per week, drastically reducing summertime water bills. Come learn how to retrofit two 275-gallon tanks into a rainwater system for your home or business. This classroom session will cover the concepts, metrics, and mechanics of rainwater harvesting with tanks and general water conservation information. Pre-registration is required. Contact Hannah at 733-8307 or click here to register. The cost is $55 for members and $65 for non-members.
Sustainable Agriculture from the Ground Up
Tuesday, May 8th, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm, F.A. Farm, 5890 Barr Road, Ferndale
This is a hands-on class in growing food using sustainable methods. It covers soil and how to build it, diversity, genetic and mechanical approaches to production and plant breeding, cover-cropping, green manures, mulches, innovative techniques and the like. It is NOT about tractors and marketing. This is the same class I taught last year through the Whatcom Folk School. 5 weeks, 2 hours per week, on the farm, Tuesday nights from 6:00 – 8:00 pm. This is the second in a series of classes I will be giving all spring, summer and fall. There are always things to do and each class will deal with what is timely each week. $75 for 5 weeks, plus registration fee. Register through Whatcom Folk School.
Polenta Primavera with Gavin Rappé
Tuesday, May 8th, 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm, Cordata Food Co-op, 315 Westerly Road
Polenta is one of the true staples of northern Italian cuisine, where it’s more popular than
pasta. Italian-trained chef Gavin Rappé teaches a basic polenta recipe–cornmeal, water and salt–along with savory (or seasonal) variations: polenta with asparagus and morels, and
polenta with pancetta and green onions. Gain confidence for creating your own variations of
this versatile recipe. The cost is $35 for members and non-members alike. Call the WCC at 360-383-3200 for registration.
Cob Oven Building Workshop!
Tuesday and Wednesday, May 8th and 9th, 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm each day at the Outback Farm.
Join us at the Outback Farm for a hands-on two-day intensive cob building workshop, as we work together to build our very own cob oven! The workshop is free, but space is limited. Please RSVP to AS.Outback@wwu.edu. Email or call 360-650-2433 for more information.
Green Tie Gala
Wednesday, May 9th, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm, Mulitpurpose Room, WWU Campus
This is gala to showcase the environmental clubs at WWU. It includes a dinner fully catered by Students for Sustainable Food. The cost is $7 with WWU Student ID and $10 for general admission. For more information, contact Kelly McGivern at mcgivek@students.wwu.edu.
Especially for Women Bike Maintenance Class
Thursday, May 10th, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm, Whatcom Middle School Commons Area
Empower your pedaling with some added awareness of how your bike operates. Join with other women to get the basics on maintenance and practice a few skills in a supportive and fun setting. The class will cover basic bicycle anatomy, how to care for the bike chain, adjust brakes, flat tire repair, and troubleshooting. 671-BIKE or info@everybodyBIKE.com
Annual Spring Book & Plant Sale
Friday, May 11th and Saturday, May 12th; 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, Deming Library, Meeting Room, 5044 Mt. Baker Highway, Deming
Spruce up for spring with fresh books in the house and fresh plants in the garden. Sponsored by the Friends of the Deming Library. For more information, contact the library staff at 360-592-2422.
Summer Ride #2 – Culture Cycle (Public Art)
May 11th, 4:00 pm, Allied Arts on Cornwall Ave
Meet up is 4:00 pm at Allied Arts on Cornwall Ave for refreshments and information about what makes public art special. We will ride to various outdoor public art displays (exact locations TBA the day of the ride). Ride will end at Pure Bliss Desserts on Cornwall Avenue with optional no-host goodies and socializing.
Friends of the Ferndale Library Plant Sale
Saturday, May 12th, 8:00 am – 1:00 pm, Near Samuel’s Furniture Store, 1904 Main Street Ferndale
The Friends of the Ferndale Library will be hosting a plant sale on Main Street in Ferndale by Samuel’s Furniture Store. Plants of all kinds will be sold! For more information, contact the library staff at 360-384-3647.
NSEA Work Party at Squalicum Creek
Saturday, May 12th, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm, Squalicum Creek
Join NSEA and Bellingham Cold Storage along Squalicum Creek to help remove invasive species and mulch existing plants. This special site needs a lot of TLC and a community work party is exactly the answer! Parking is available at Cornwall Park along the Guide-Meridian in Bellingham. Follow NSEA signs and check in at the blue NSEA tent.
Large-Scale Rainwater Catchment for Your Home: Part II
Saturday, May 12th, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm, RE Sources Sustainable Living Center
(above The RE Store), 2309 Meridian Street
Is one rain barrel not enough free water for you? If you’re looking for a do-it-yourself rainwater system with increased capacity, no permits, and easy installation, this workshop is essential for you. Come learn how to retrofit two 275-gallon tanks into a rainwater system for your home or business. This session will be hands-on with step-by-step installation of a retrofit system. Pre-registration is required. Contact Hannah at 733-8307 or click here to register.
The cost is $55 for members and $65 for non-members.
WSU Whatcom County Extension Annual Plant Sale
Saturday, May 12th, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm, Hovander Homestead Park, 5299 Neilson Road, Ferndale
Perennials, vegetables, trees, shrubs, tomatoes, and herbs for sale! Enjoy the information booths, vendors, food, and family activity table. Veteran master gardeners will be there to answer gardening questions. For more information, call 360-676-6736.
“The Bike Shop” May Bike Swap
Saturday, May 12th, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm, Bellingham Sportsplex, 1225 Civic Field Way
Trade in your old bike or find a new-to-you bike at the second Bike Shop Swap. Proceeds from the event benefit a non-profit bicycle education program for children in the Sterling Dr. neighborhood. Event is indoors. Fee information available at www.thebikeshop1.org or call Matt Velguth 758-2035
Walking tour of low impact development and green infrastructure projects
Saturday, May 12th, 10:00 am – 12 pm, BTC, 3028 Lindbergh Avenue, Bellingham
Join RE Sources for Sustainable Communities, the City of Bellingham, and Bellingham Technical College on Saturday, May 12th at 10 am at the Bellingham Technical College campus for a walking tour of low impact development and green infrastructure projects in the Birchwood Neighborhood. Info: (360) 733-8307 or leef@re-sources.org.
EverybodyBIKE Bike to Shop at the Farmer’s Market
Saturday, May 12th, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm, Depot Market on Railroad Avenue
Celebrate bike month with festivities and fun at the Bellingham Farmers’ Market – try out bikes and see how easy it can be to carry your farmers’ market goodies by bicycle. Try your skills on a cycling skills course for kids and adults. A fun way to get ready for Bike to Work and School Day – prizes, too. (tentative date and location). 671-BIKE or info@everybodyBIKE.com
5th Annual Gluten Free Food Fair
Saturday, May 12th, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm, Bellingham Public Market, 1530 Cornwall Ave.
Our most popular event is now in its fifth year! We will have free samples of gluten free foods, Public Market vendors will feature their gluten-free offerings, there will be gluten-free door prizes, and local experts will be on hand to answer your gluten-free questions. Co-sponsored by the Bellingham Gluten Information Group.
Backyard Homestead 101:
Saturday May 12th, 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm, Birchwood area of Bellingham
A great Homestead 101 class for new homeowners or those new to sustainable practices. Make your back yard a healthier place for you, your family, the planet… and your budget! A guided tour of a backyard homestead will provide an overview of how to integrate elements of sustainable living into an urban backyard. Learn the basics about backyard chickens, water catchment, worm bins, composting, organic gardens, fruit and berries, and more. Discussion time will help you to prioritize your first steps. How to/resource handouts will send you home ready to begin on your own backyard homestead. Registration with WFS is $15; Instructor fee is $20 (includes materials).
TAKING FISH AND GARDENS TO THE HANDS OF THE PEOPLE – IN THE BRONX
Imagine an inner city where most people eat what they can grow, and raise, on their own doorstep. A place where community gardens teem with bees, vegetables, chickens, and fish. That’s the utopian vision of New Yorker Christopher Toole. A pioneer in the latest urban farming craze – freshwater tilapia – he is leading a movement in the dilapidated South Bronx called “aquaponics.” Aquaponics encourages people to grow fish in their high-rise bathrooms, in large rubbish bins or tanks. The next step is to raise the fish on a bigger scale in the city’s many community gardens, where their waste can be used to fertilize plants. It is a bold vision, but hundreds of New Yorkers are joining in, and Mr. Toole is optimistic that aquaponics will become a staple in America’s organic urban food culture.
FREE DOWNLOAD – COMPANION PLANTING MADE EASY
Wouldn’t it be great if you could just plant your garden and forget it? Your plants would grow lush and healthy—without you adding lots of fertilizer or worrying about pest problems. Well, any kind of garden will need some care, but you can encourage your plants to work together, sharing water and nutrients and protecting each other from pesky insects. Companion Planting Made Easy is your guide to using time-tested techniques for healthier plants, bigger harvests, and fewer pest problems.
PLANT DIVERSITY IS KEY TO MAINTAINING PRODUCTIVE VEGETATION
Results of a new study show that vegetation, such as a patch of prairie or a forest stand, is more productive in the long run when more plant species are present.
