Nature reserve to be celebrated at May 16 event

The Stimpson Family Nature Reserve will be celebrated from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 16.

Naturalists with Whatcom Land Trust, North Cascades Audubon Society, Wild Whatcom, Element Solutions, Turner Photographics and the Koma Kulshan Chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society will be stationed along the 1.2-mile Geneva Pond Loop Trail to educate participants about the flora and fauna at the reserve. At 10:15 a.m., Whatcom Land Trust Board Member Rand Jack will tell the story of the collaborative conservation work that created the reserve.

There will also be an opportunity to talk with representatives of the Land Trust, Rotary Club, DNR and the Stimpson family about the reserve, located on the 2000 block of Lake Louise Rd. in Bellingham.

The Stimpson Family Nature Reserve’s conservation story began in 2000 when the Stimpson family donated a 116-acre parcel of old growth forest located in the Lake Whatcom watershed to Whatcom Land Trust. What followed was a complex community conservation success – involving the Land Trust, County Parks, City of Bellingham, Water District 10, DNR and Western Washington University – that led to the creation of a 370-acre park with four miles of family-friendly trails that wrap around two ponds.

Parking lot improvements and new restrooms were completed in fall 2014 to provide better accessibility for families to enjoy the area. A new informational kiosk will be installed prior to the event.

Participants are encouraged to carpool or take the bus to the event. Parking will be available at Whatcom Hills Waldorf School, 941 Austin St., which offers access to WTA’s Sudden Valley Route 512. Whatcom Land Trust will also provide a shuttle van, sponsored by Diehl Ford, between the school and the reserve.