WWU's Andy Bach to Present 'The Canyon Lake Community Forest' Oct. 24

WWU Professor of Environmental Studies Andy Bach will present "The Canyon Lake Community Forest" at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 24 in Academic West 204 as part of the Huxley Speaker Series.

Bach's presentation is free and open to the public.

The Canyon Lake Community Forest is managed as a nature reserve by Whatcom County Parks, but came to be through the hard work of a former Huxley College student, Tommy Gaines.

The forest is an excellent place to view grouse, owls, pica, amphibians, and old- and new-growth forests, including 1000+ year old Yellow cedar trees.  The lake was formed by a landslide about 150 years ago, and still full of standing trees that were submerged when the creek was blocked. Landslides are still a hazard from the steep canyon walls, closing the access road in 2007, now requiring a 6 mile hike/bike to the trail head. The valley contains many Pleistocene-age alpine glacier features, Chuckanut Formation fossils, waterfalls, intact wetlands, subalpine meadows, and a unique view of Mount Baker. 

For more information about the Huxley speaker Series, contact Stefan Freelan at stefan.freelan@wwu.edu.