Bellingham Parks & Recreation Leisure Guide
Issue link: https://bpr.uberflip.com/i/1288631
Parks Volunteer Program FALL PLAYBOOK 2020 | BELLINGHAM PARKS & RECREATION 16 Come give our neighborhood parks some love! We need your support more than ever to keep our parks and community healthy and beautiful. Volunteers help restore wildlife habitat, tackle invasive species, increase biodiversity, improve water quality and more. All volunteers must adhere to physical distancing and hygiene protocols and will be trained accordingly. Become a Park Steward Adopt your local park, trail or open space! Park Stewards are long-term volunteers (minimum 6-months) who work independently after receiving training and direction. Park Stewards can volunteer individually or as a group, up to 5 people. This is a great way to get the whole family involved! • Litter pick-up • Trail maintenance • Stocking dog waste stations as a Bark Steward • And more! STEWARDSHIP & RESTORATION OPPORTUNITIES The Bellingham Parks Volunteer Program empowers our community to have the tools, knowledge, and skills to care for, restore, and protect Bellingham's parks, trails, and open spaces. www.cob.org/parkvolunteer Photo by Amy Brown Photo by Amy Butler Project opportunities include: • Invasive species removal • Native tree and shrub plantings (winter) • Mulching • Social trail closures The Volunteer Program provides support, guidance and mentorship including an orientation, training in restoration principles, safety, plant identification, short-term tool loans, bags for dog waste stations, potted native trees and shrubs from our nursery for approved plantings, mulch, weed pick-ups, informational newsletters and buckets of appreciation. Park Stewards are especially encouraged to lead groups up to 5 with full support from the volunteer program (tools, mulch, supplies, training, etc.). To find out more, please visit our website: www.cob.org/parkvolunteer Save the Date! We are developing plans for a community work party on Saturday, October 24th to celebrate Make A Difference Day and Arbor Day that will follow new COVID-19 protocols. We will post updates on our website and social media pages in the next few weeks as plans develop. Become A Bark Steward Do you love dogs and Bellingham's parks? Are you tired of the dog waste issue affecting our trails and waterways? Then come be a part of the solution as a Bark Steward! With ruff-ly 40,000 dogs in Bellingham, more than 27,750 pounds of poop is generated per day! Bark Stewards adopt dog waste stations, keep them stocked with dog waste bags and help keep our parks clean. If interested, Bark Stewards can also help educate other park users about the issue. Interested? Visit our website to sign up as a Park Steward and indicate your interests on your application.