WWU's celebration of the Sehome Arboretum will take place Saturday, June 5

Western Today staff

May 28, 2010

Western Washington University will host its third annual “It’s Your Arboretum Day” from 1-4 p.m., Saturday, June 5 at the Outdoor Learning Center, located on the Huntoon Trail in the western part of the Sehome Arboretum adjoining WWU’s campus.

The event is free and open to the pubic.

“It’s Your Arboretum Day” will include the following events:

  • 1 to 2 p.m. and 2 to 3 p.m.: Birds of Sehome Hill. Guests will embark on a guided tour led by WWU Professor of Geology David Engebretson to learn to use their ears to identify thrushes, warblers, flycatchers, woodpeckers and more.
  • 1 to 3 p.m.: Trees and Shrubs of Sehome Hill. Guests will walk the trails of the arboretum with an eye on native trees, shrubs, and shady understory wildflowers. This plant identification tour will be led by the Komo Kulshan chapter of the Native Plant Society.
  • 1 to 2 p.m. and 2 to 3 p.m.: Geology of Sehome Hill. WWU geology students will lead guests on a tour which will reveal evidence in the rocks of a 50 million year old massive floodplain. Guests can follow the geologic history of this ancient river system through the effects of a more recent mile-thick ice sheet that sculpted the present shape of Sehome Hill.
  • 1 to 3 p.m.: Activities for children. Includes face painting, tee shirt making, and other nature-oriented activities.
  • 3 to 3:30 p.m.: String band performance by David Engebretson and WWU Geology students.
  • 3:30 to 4 p.m.: Dedication for the new trail at Allen Street on the east side of the Arboretum.

“‘It’s Your Arboretum Day’ is an opportunity for everyone to enjoy and experience our underused arboretum,” David Engebretson, WWU professor of Geology said. “It also exemplifies the great working relationship we have with the City of Bellingham, which jointly owns the arboretum with WWU.”

The event is sponsored by the Sehome Arboretum Board of Governors and the City of Bellingham Parks Department in conjunction with WWU students enrolled in Geology 417, “Outdoor Science Learning Resources.”

Access to Sehome Arboretum and free parking is available on the upper and lower Arboretum parking lots on Arboretum drive and on WWU’s campus in parking lot 17G, located behind the Communications and Environmental Science buildings.

For more information, contact Engebretson at (360) 650-3595 or david.engebretson@wwu.edu.