Out and About

Ages 18+ | Queer Folks and Allies | Monthly | Price: Free/Suggested Donation

Nature is for everyone, but we know it doesn’t always feel that way to folks from non-dominant groups trying to explore the outdoors safely. 

Out and About is an affinity program developed by, and for, members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community. You’re invited to join us for an inclusive outdoor experience with other queer folks to foster community, play outdoors, and nourish our connection with each other and the natural world around us.

Outings take place once a month, typically on a Saturday afternoon or evening, with each outing guided by a unique theme or topic. We will meet-up in a different natural area each month to learn about local ecology, think about the impacts of queer naturalists and scientists throughout history, and collectively unlearn some of our potential reservations around being “out” outside. This is an inclusive, welcoming space where everyone’s presence and participation is valued, whether you are part of the queer community or an ally, we look forward to seeing you out there!

Outings may include… 

  • Community-building activities and games

  • Time spent walking/hiking gently on trails as a group  

  • Reflections on “Queering” our relationship with the natural world 

  • Opportunities for making community connections and sharing personal experiences 

  • Time for Solo Reflection and Silent Natural Observation

Registration & Donation

This program is offered for free with a suggested donation of $15-30/person. It is pay-what-you-can, and while any donation amount is appreciated, donations are not required to register or participate. Registration is required to receive directions to our meeting location though.

For group comfort and safety, our meeting locations are not shared publicly. Once you register online, you will receive an informational email that includes detailed directions to our meeting spot. All places where we meet have been chosen with physical accessibility in mind and are frequently accessible by bus. Accessibility information for each month is listed below. If you have questions about location, accessibility, or anything else, please email communityprograms@wildwhatcom.org.


Yearly Calendar

2024-25

January

Queer New Year Campfire | Saturday, January 18, 2025 | 2:30-4:30PM 

Kick off the new year in community with new friends around a cozy campfire. We will set intentions for 2025, play some silly games to build connections, and share some food and drink around our fire. This will be a mostly sedentary program, but there is potential to explore a local beach to get curious about marine habitats and the adaptations of sea creatures that help them survive the winter. 

Accessibility Info

  • Handicap Parking–Yes

  • Trailhead Bathroom–Yes

  • Trail–narrow, flat, packed dirt. Does include an optional short flight of stairs down to the shore. Not wheelchair accessible.

  • Seating–Some benches, but we recommend bringing a camp chair if you own one for sitting around the fire.

  • Walk/Hike Distance–Under 1 mile

February

Queer Critters Round 2 | Saturday, February 15, 2025 | 3:30-5:30PM 

Join us to explore how queerness is a natural and beautiful aspect of life for countless organisms! We will be getting curious about a new set of animals who exhibit non-heteronormative behaviors, so even if you’ve already attended our September Queer critters outing, you can come and learn something new while having fun and exploring a local forest. 

Accessibility Info

  • Handicap Parking–Yes

  • Trailhead Bathroom–Yes

  • Trail–Mostly Flat with one slightly inclined hill, barrier free, hard-packed dirt, gravel, and some paved areas

  • Seating–Few places to sit other than logs and boulders

  • Walk/Hike Distance–Under 2 miles

March

Intro to Nature Journaling | Saturday, March 8, 2025 | 3:00-5:00PM 

Welcome spring with a potluck picnic and an introduction to nature journaling. After sharing some snacks and light refreshments, we will search for the very first buds and blooms of spring and record our observations via writing and sketching, and learn some new techniques for drawing/sketching in the field! 

Accessibility Info

  • Handicap Parking–Yes

  • Trailhead Bathroom–Yes

  • Trail–Flat, barrier free, hard-packed gravel, and dirt

  • Seating–picnic tables with benches are at our meeting location. Once on the trail there are few places to sit other than logs or boulders

  • Walk/Hike Distance–Under 2 miles

April

Beaver Prowl at Tennant Lake | Friday, April 25, 2025 | 7:00-9:00PM

Get curious about North America’s largest rodent - beavers! Learn all about these ecosystem engineers and what makes them so unique, then take an evening stroll around a beautiful local wetland filled with awesome wildlife such as beavers, muskrats, bats, raptors, and waterfowl. Even if we don’t see any beavers, we can often hear them slapping their tails on the water in territorial displays, and will definitely see lots of evidence of beavers on the landscape, such as chewed sticks and scent mounds. This evening excursion is a fun way to see our environment in a new light, literally! 

Accessibility Info

  • Handicap Parking–Yes

  • Trailhead Bathroom–Yes

  • Trail–Flat, barrier free, hard-packed gravel, dirt, and flat wooden boardwalk 

  • Seating–Few places to sit other than logs, boulders, or the ground

  • Walk/Hike Distance–Under 2 miles

May

Honorable Harvest and Evening Picnic | Saturday, May 17, 2025 | 4:00-6:00PM 

Are you curious about harvesting wild plants but don’t know where to start? Join us at a local lake to learn about the tenets of honorable harvest, focusing on a plant which is often hated but has almost endless uses, stinging nettle! We will learn about the basic rules to follow while harvesting anything from the wild, learn about the ways we can use nettle, such as cordage making, treating various ailments, and using it for food and drinks! We will practice the safest ways to harvest nettle, and brew some nettle tea in the field to enjoy as we appreciate sunset views on the lake! 

Accessibility Info

  • Handicap Parking–Yes

  • Trailhead Bathroom–Yes

  • Trail–Flat, barrier free, hard-packed gravel, dirt, and some paved areas 

  • Seating–Few places to sit other than logs, boulders, or the ground

  • Walk/Hike Distance–Under 2 miles

June

Pride at Low Tide | Saturday, June 28, 2025 | 1:00-3:00PM

Join us to celebrate PRIDE at low tide! We will be exploring an amazing stretch of shore during a strong negative tide, which will reveal the intertidal critters usually hidden just below the surface. Get curious with us as we explore the coast to search for crabs, sea stars, clams, nudibranchs, and anything else that catches our eye! Consider bringing a snack or lunch to enjoy a picnic on the beach once we finish exploring. 

Note: The barnacles common in this area are razor sharp and can result in painful cuts. Please wear sturdy closed-toe shoes or boots (rain boots are best) to protect your feet and legs. If you would like to borrow a pair of rain boots or any other loaner gear, email communityprograms@wildwhatcom.org.

Accessibility Info

  • Handicap Parking–Yes

  • Trailhead Bathroom–Yes

  • Trail–Paved pavilion area which is directly on the shore where we will be exploring. We will be exploring the intertidal zone which is mostly flat sand with some rocky areas 

  • Seating–Few places to sit other than logs, boulders, or the ground

  • Walk/Hike Distance–Under 2 miles

JUly

Pride at Low Tide Round 2 | Saturday, July 26, 2025 | 12:00-2:00PM

Summer is the time for beach exploration! If you missed us last month, join us at the same spot to investigate the intertidal zone. If you joined us in June, we'd love to see you again this month, as the ever changing nature of tide pools means that we might find very different critters exploring the same spot twice! Consider packing a lunch to enjoy on the beach after our program concludes. 

Note: The barnacles common in this area are razor sharp and can result in painful cuts. Please wear sturdy closed-toe shoes or boots (rain boots are best) to protect your feet and legs. If you would like to borrow a pair of rain boots or any other loaner gear, email communityprograms@wildwhatcom.org.

Accessibility Info

  • Handicap Parking–Yes

  • Trailhead Bathroom–Yes

  • Trail–Paved pavilion area which is directly on the shore where we will be exploring. We will be exploring the intertidal zone which is mostly flat sand with some rocky areas 

  • Seating–Few places to sit other than logs, boulders, or the ground

  • Walk/Hike Distance–Under 2 miles

August

Morning Tidepool Explorations | Saturday, August 9, 2025 | 11:00-1:00PM

Grab your coffee and start your day off right by exploring the morning tidepools at a local state park... before the day gets hot! We will be exploring tidepools at a different location this month, with scenic views, lots of intertidal critters, agate hunting, and even the potential to spot whales in the bay!

Accessibility Info

  • Handicap Parking–Yes

  • Trailhead Bathroom–Yes

  • Trail–narrow, flat, packed dirt. Does include a short flight of stairs down to the shore. Not wheelchair accessible.

  • Seating–Few places to sit other than logs, boulders, or the ground

  • Walk/Hike Distance–Under 1 mile

SEPtEMBER

Queer Critters | 2025 date TBA |  4:00-6:00PM 

Did you know that thousands of species have been observed participating in “queer” behaviors, such as same-sex coupling, changing sex, and even raising offspring with same-sex partners. From gay swan foster dads to matriarchal hawk families and asexually reproducing lizards, animals around the world exist, and thrive, outside of the heteronormative expectations we often project onto them. Join us to explore how queerness is a natural and beautiful aspect of life for countless organisms!

Accessibility Info

  • Handicap Parking–Yes

  • Trailhead Bathroom–Yes

  • Trail–Mostly Flat with one slightly inclined hill, barrier free, hard-packed dirt, gravel, and some paved areas

  • Seating–Few places to sit other than logs, boulders, or the ground, camping chairs provided at request

  • Walk/Hike Distance–Under 2 miles

October

Creatures of the Night | 2025 date TBA|  5:00-7:00PM

Wear your best costume to explore at night and learn all about nocturnal creatures. If you dress as a nocturnal animal yourself, you might even get some extra candy! We will start with some silly activities to build community, then have an interactive discussion about nocturnal animals and the unique adaptations which help them thrive in the darkness. We will then go on our “night prowl” (walking around flat trails as the sun sets) to keep our eyes and ears open for nocturnal wildlife. The area we will be exploring has abundant birds (including owls), as well as beavers, muskrats, bats, and coyotes! Come ready to have fun in the darkness, make new friends, and appreciate all things spooky with other nature loving queer folks !

Accessibility Info

  • Handicap Parking–Yes

  • Trailhead Bathroom–Yes

  • Trail–Flat, barrier free, hard-packed dirt, gravel, and some paved areas

  • Seating–Few places to sit other than logs, boulders, or the ground

  • Walk/Hike Distance–Under 2 miles

November

Mycelium and Me | Saturday, November 23, 2024 |  2:00-4:00PM

Have you ever wondered about how mushrooms grow so fast after the rain, or why dead trees always seem to be covered in fungus? Join us to learn all about mycelium - the hidden network of tiny fungal threads which are typically found underground! We will explore the often unseen ways that mushrooms impact the world around us, from breaking down dead stuff to providing food to countless animals around the world, including us! Nature is full of relationships which are often hidden and easy to miss if you don’t look closely… so we will explore slowly and carefully, searching for cool mushrooms as well as any other neat flora and fauna we might spot! 

Accessibility Info

  • Handicap Parking–Yes

  • Trailhead Bathroom–Yes

  • Trail–Mostly flat with some gentle inclines, barrier free, hard-packed dirt, gravel, and some paved areas

  • Seating–Few places to sit other than logs, boulders, or the ground

  • Walk/Hike Distance–Under 2 miles

December

Finding Our Light Queer Campfire | Saturday, December 14, 2024 |  3:30-5:30PM

With the darkest day of the year, the winter solstice, just around the corner, join us for a healing time outdoors as we reflect on our year, set intentions for the new year ahead. After thinking about the ways that plants and animals get through the coldest months, we will open the floor to share the things that help us each get through the darkest parts of winter. The holidays can be a complicated time for many queer folks, and this is a space to build local community by sharing thoughts, feelings, and food with new friends! We will bring some snacks to share and “break bread” as a community, but if you’d like to bring a favorite food, whether store bought or home-made, the more the better! 

Accessibility Info 

  • Handicap Parking–Yes

  • Bathrooms–Yes 

  • Trail–This will be a mostly sedentary outing sitting around a campfire 

  • Seating–Please bring a folding camp chair if you have one

  • Walk/Hike Distance–Under half a mile 


Out and About Pack List

Participants should be prepared to safely and comfortably spend several hours outdoors. Living in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) means we can start our adventure in the sun and end in the rain.

Participants should bring the following. Additional items specific to that month’s outing will be detailed in the reminder email:

  • Appropriate clothes (i.e., rain boots, rain jacket/pants, hat/gloves, and warm layers). See our Essentials of Layering for more information.

  • Something to sit on (extra fleece, plastic bag, etc.)

  • Camera (no flash photography please)

  • Flashlight or headlamp (opt)

  • Binoculars (opt)

LOANER GEAR 

Wild Whatcom has loaner gear available. You do not need to purchase gear to participate in our programs. To request loaner gear, please fill out this form and we will reach out to you. Please let us know at least five (5) days prior to your outing if you need to borrow gear/clothing.