Earth Week Roundup: How You Can Get Involved
A look at what the Bellingham community has done to celebrate the Earth and what’s still coming up this weekend.
Story by Katie McNabb
Earth Week may be wrapping up, but residents looking to work out their green thumb still have plenty of opportunities to help the planet.
Over the past few days, volunteers have done habitat restoration, community art projects and stormwater discovery tours. Even the youngest community members are getting engaged thanks to the Animals Across the Earth project at the Whatcom Museum.
In March, the museum held a paper mâché workshop for kids where they used recycled paper to build a globe a little over a yard in diameter. That globe has been displayed in the lobby of the museum’s Lightcatcher building throughout Earth Week. Visitors of the museum can draw or create their own paper animals to stick to the globe.
Over the past few weeks, it has transformed into a menagerie of animals. Everything from colorful peacocks to cuddly panda bears dots the blue and green surface of the globe.
“The goal of the project is to help people of all ages celebrate the diversity of animals and people on earth, and to reinforce caring for the planet,” said Christina Classsen, the marketing and public relations manager for the Whatcom Museum.
Stefanie Cilinceon, the environmental education and outreach specialist for the City of Bellingham, said Earth Day provides an opportunity to appreciate and give back to the environment.
“Our goal with these events is to provide opportunities for community members of all ages to learn more about our planet and how to protect it,” Cilinceon said. “We’d like people to walk away from Earth Week with a deeper appreciation for and understanding of environmental protection.”
The museum will also be participating in the Mother Earth Day celebration on April 22 at Maritime Heritage Park, which is hosted by Children of the Setting Sun Productions.
The City of Bellingham is also hosting a climate action photo competition, where anyone can submit a photo that captures how the community is tackling climate change. Entries are due by Sunday, May 1, and the winner will be displayed in City Hall and included in a Downtown Gallery Walk event that takes place each year.
Some of the other events that took place in celebration of Earth Week were online Earth Day-themed “storytimes” in partnership with Bellingham Children’s Library, and habitat restoration community work parties.
Cilinceon said many of the opportunities the city offers during Earth Week continue beyond April 22, and the best way to stay up-to-date on those activities is to sign up for one of their newsletters.
A full list of the events can be found here.
Katie McNabb is a third-year at Western. She’s majoring in journalism and English with a creative writing emphasis. Her reporting focuses on science and the environment.
