One of the biggest ways you can make a positive impact in our community is with boots on the ground volunteer work. For ecological restoration, this work is done primarily by removing invasive plant species and planting native plants. We intend to make a difference in Sehome Arboretum with our work parties targeting the removal of invasive English Ivy and Holly, along with a few other non-natives such as Cherry Laurel, Herb Robert, and Yellow Archangel. This spring we intend on focusing our efforts on the removal of these species. The process of restoration takes 2-3 years, so the sites we work at will have follow up visits each year in order to make sure the invasive plants aren't moving back in, and that the new native plants are thriving.
We do this work under the guidance of the Sehome Hill Arboretum Board of Governors (SHABOG), with joint contributions from both the City of Bellingham and WWU.
Our work parties take place rain or shine, so come prepared with proper attire. For the winter months, this includes lots of warm clothing plus a rain shell layer to keep you comfortable.
Please bring water, we don't have any available to us while out in the field.
We will provide volunteers with gloves and tools for the tasks at hand.
We also provide snacks!
Please sign our liability waiver. You can find it on our forms page.
We encourage you to join us for these great community building events, where you can meet like-minded individuals, as well as get free snacks for your service. Are you taking a class that requires community service hours? We've got you covered here at the Ecological Restoration Club!
