Whistling Marmots 2024-2025

Welcome to Explorers Club Graduation Season! Mentors are excited for our final year together exploring as a group. This season will be focused on reflection, thriving, and adjournment. We’ll cap off our time together with a celebratory graduation weekend and ceremony. Please mark down the date of your graduation as soon as possible as it is an important milestone.

All outings, including dates, times, locations, and staffing are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances and without notice. We will notify you of any changes as soon as possible.

Resources

Explorers Club Pack List

Mentor Contact Info

Kiana Jenkins (she/hers) | kiana@wildwhatcom.org

Stormie Romero (she/they) | stormie@wildwhatcom.org

OUTING 1  |  Saturday, SEPTEMBER 7 |  9:00 - 5:00 PM

HIKE  |  NORTH CASCADES | Baker Lake - Via wild whatcom bus

For the first outing of our final year, we’ll strap on our packs and lace up our boots for an epic hike in the North Cascades. For many years, we have honed our hiking skills on Chuckanut mountain, but it is time to take one step further and head into the backcountry. This hike will challenge our bodies and our minds, but we’ll have each other’s support and the surety that we can do hard things. As we explore a landscape that is unlike anything else we’ve experienced in EC, we’ll prepare ourselves for similar, upcoming transitions in life. Don’t worry though, this day won’t be all hard hikes and on-the-nose metaphors, we’ll also have lots of time to connect and talk about what our final year together has in store. This is an 8-hour outing. Please get a good night’s sleep and eat a big breakfast. Come prepared with extra snacks, a big lunch, and lots of water. Please wear appropriate layers, footwear, and bring a bathing suit and towel if you know you’re getting in the water.

Directions: South Bellingham Park and Ride (West). From I-5, take exit 250 (Old Fairhaven Parkway/Chuckanut Dr). Head west on Old Fairhaven Parkway for 0.1 mile. Turn north onto 30th St for 0.2 mile. Turn east on Donovan Ave. and drive for 0.1 mile. Turn south onto 32nd Ave. and drive for 0.2 of a mile. Turn east into Bellingham Park & Ride (WSDOT) westside lot. Map. 

OUTING 2  |  Sunday, OCTOBER 13  |  10:00 - 3:00 PM

SKILLS  |  MUSHROOM IDENTIFICATION  |  NORTH LAKE WHATCOM PARK

For our first skills outing of the year, we thought we would take a deeper dive into something we’ve only skimmed in the past! This outing will be focused on the finer points of mushroom identification, which will hopefully give us the confidence to identify a few common mushrooms in our area. We won’t be identifying with the purpose of eating, but rather to hone our naturalist’s eyes and expand our awareness and knowledge of our fungi kin. Please remember to bring your nature journal to this outing. 

Directions: 3220 N Shore Rd. From I-5, take exit 253 for Lakeway Dr. Drive east on Lakeway Dr for ~1.5 miles. Turn L on Electric Ave and follow for ~1 mile. Continue onto Northshore Dr. and follow for ~1.8 miles. Northshore Dr becomes N Shore Rd. Follow N Shore Rd for 5.3 miles. At the sign for N. Lake Whatcom Park, turn L to stay on N Shore Rd. Drive .5 miles. The trailhead will be the first access to North Lake Whatcom Park on your left. Map.

OUTING 3  |  Saturday, NOVEMBER 23  |  10:00 - 4:00 PM

SKILLS  |  CREATE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE  |  Bowman Bay - Via wild whatcom bus

For our first of two Create-Your-Own-Adventure outings of the year, we’ll be focusing on skills. Which skill will the group choose to review, practice, or learn brand new? Explorers in the past have chosen to review medicinal plants, practice making debris huts, or move further into their carving skills. Our group has had two outings so far to Collaborate and Compromise about what skill to focus on and to come up with a plan for the day. Mentors will provide inspiration and materials and will help to facilitate this Choose-Your-Own-Adventure outing! 

Directions: 3424 Meridian St., Bellingham. From I-5, take exit 256A (Meridian St). Head south on Meridian St. for three blocks and turn north at the Squalicum Parkway intersection entrance. Map. 

OUTING 4  |  Sunday, JANUARY 19  |  2:00 - 7:00 PM

EXPLORATION  |  NIGHT OUTING  |  LARRABEE STATE PARK OR SEHOME ARBORETUM

On this evening, we will revisit an old favorite outing and go adventuring into the night! During our last night outing (four years ago!), we worked on Stretching Our Edge by becoming comfortable exploring the woods in the dark. This time around, we’ll spend more time making a campfire (or lantern), sharing favorite EC stories, and enjoying each other’s company. Please come prepared with a sleeping bag, sleeping pad, warm layers, and dinner. 

Directions: Group choice dependent

OUTING 5  |  Saturday, FEBRUARY 22  |  9:00 - 3:00 PM

SERVICE  | WASHINGTON TRAILS ASSOCIATION | Location TBD

For many years, Wild Whatcom has joyfully explored and learned about the forests, beaches, and mountains of Bellingham. Today, we will return the many gifts that this land has provided us through hard work and service. For our last service outing together as a group, we’ll do something a little different and work alongside a trail crew from Washington Trails Association. We look forward to this day of service and contributing to the well-being of our community.

Directions: TBD

OUTING 6  |  Sunday, MARCH 23  |  10:00 - 3:00PM

EXPLORATION  |  CREATE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE  |  TBD

*Please note that this outing was originally scheduled for Saturday, March 29*

On our second Create-Your-Own-Adventure outing, the group will enjoy a full and glorious day exploring in nature. Will the group choose a hike on Galbraith, a day by the ocean, a traverse on Chuckanut mountain? Mentors will provide inspiration and materials and will help to facilitate this Choose-Your-Own-Adventure outing! This is our last proper outing before graduation and we’ll want to make it special. Please bring your nature journal.

Directions: TBD

OUTING 7  |  MAY 3 - 4 May 10 - 11 |  11:00 AM SATURDAY- 4:00 PM SUNDAY

GRADUATION WEEKEND + CEREMONY  |  SKAGIT RIVER MAPLE - Via wild whatcom bus

The time has come for the parting of ways. While every graduating Explorer is invited to join Wayfinders, our program for high schoolers, this will be our lasting outing together as a group. Graduation is upon us, so get ready for s’mores, fireside chats, and a weekend together full of celebration and connection. The bulk of this weekend will be largely dependent on what the Explorers choose to do, but we plan on spending plenty of time on reflection, acknowledgment, and merry-making. The menu and packing list will be sent via email prior to graduation.

Our weekend will conclude with an outdoor graduation ceremony that will include reflection and affirmation from the Explorers and mentors. Families are invited to join us for this ceremony. To ensure the comfort of everyone, this event will take place outdoors and we ask every family to bring their own camp chairs and picnic/snack rather than potluck style. Please plan on arriving between 1:30-1:45PM for a 2:00PM start to the ceremony. We’ll end our time together with a final, big group Attitude of Gratitude and from there, Explorers will depart with their families.

Drop Off: 3424 Meridian St., Bellingham. From I-5, take exit 256A (Meridian St). Head south on Meridian St. for three blocks and turn north at the Squalicum Parkway intersection entrance. Map. 

Pick Up: To protect the privacy of Skagit River Maple’s residents, directions will be sent via email in the outing reminder.

Questions

Please contact your group’s mentor(s) listed above or explorersclub@wildwhatcom.org.